Front Page Headlines
Cyprus link to Bezos hacking
Island plays big part in murky phone drama.
- EEZ gas shipwreck: Has Cyprus proved itself way out of its depth in gas dispute with Turkey?
Drilling at “Aphrodite”
The issue that came up with Israeli “Yishai” expected to be settled in the next few days. Russia factor seen as critical in Eastern Mediterranean equation.
- Special report: The chronicle of Turkish piracy in the Cypriot EEZ
- Turkish torpedo: Plans a new change of basis of negotiations
- Libya crisis: The Moscow shipwreck and the Berlin fiasco
- Disarmament of Cyprus: A dangerous position that it is imperative to reconsider
- Foreign Office documents: The preparation of the confederal “Ghali ideas” and “Anan Plan”
- Turkey: Deadly earthquake causes shock
- Fuel: Officials meet with the aim of banning supply from occupied areas
- Editorial: Sacrilege on the “altar” (of defence)…
- (Opinion) Savvas Iacovides: Who can stop pirate Erdogan
- (Opinion) Christodoulos Giallourides: Dual, undetermined orientation of american stance
- (Opinion) Giannakis L. Omirou: EU a Tower of Babel
- (Opinion) Maria Panagiotou: Why then did you not solve it?
- (Opinion) Andreas S. Angelides: The power of the Right
Lawyers on judges: What rule of law?
139 legal professionals surveyed concerning justice in Cyprus. “Do you think that we have real rule of law?” 131 out of 139 lawyers sai no. 123 lawyers believe that judges rule in advance on cases brought to them. Out of 139 respondents, 129 believe that there are laywers that receive preferential treatment by the Supreme (Court). (Survey sent by) Letter to the President.
- Cyprus: The weakest link in the Eastern Mediterranean – Written by: Dionisis Dionisiou: USA, Cyprus Problem and other jokes – Makarios Droushiotis: Will there be a war about gas? Maybe… – Giannis Ioannou: Yavuz deflated Nicosia’s narratives – Charles Ellinas: Eastern Mediterranean and energy: Time for initiatives
- Brexit: Cyprus also on the final stretch
Neither Brexit stops them
The Turks advance in Cypriot EEZ and the British make moves to undermine. Occupation army informed UN that Strovilia is part of the “TRNC”.
- Death and ruins in Turkey
- Encircling moves around Cyprus: What extent can Turkish aggression reach?
- Pressures on Brussels: Erdogan sets up a new grand bargain
- Pax Ottomanica: Return to the past
- Scenarios on give and take and Cypriot-Russian issues (between Russia and Turkey)
- Erdogan: Czar and Planetarch at the same time…
Orange alert for the UNFICYP resolution
Issue raised for direct contacts between the two sides on all matters.
- Incendiary report by Pentagon: They favour Hulusi Akar instead of Erdogan
- Sanctions against Turkey: Even our friends are unwilling
- Editorial: It’s not good (report on UNFICYP)
- Michalis Attalidis (interview): Tripartite (alliances) do not solve the problem
- Takis Hadjidimitriou (interview): Our wealth is the monuments
They create illussions for the people
- The main challenges for Ankara and Erdogan
- The exploitation of energy resources and the solution go together
- The time of East Med and the EU. A road map for peace
- Agony over the ruins – 6.8 Richters hit Turkey causing tens of deaths. Terror caused by the 400 aftershocks
The Turks drill at “8” and we are concerned whether there is division in the government
The President of the Republic responds to the opposition. Some want to cause disorientation – How AKEL responds.
- Analysis: Cyprus wins when it comes to declarations, Turkey lords it over on the ground
- Christos P. Panagiotidis (opinion): Makarios: The charismatic but destructive leader of Cyprus
- Earthquake in Turkey: An… attack of commiseration from Cyprus and Greece
- Developments: French aircraft carrier comes to our area
- Petrolina at Vasilikos: A new day for Larnaca and for Cyprus
Main News
Mention in UNFICYP report of direct cooperation of sides without UN causes alarm
Alithia, Kathimerini, Simerini, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process, Internal Security, External Security, Regional/ International Relations
The mention for the first time – in the draft report for UNFICYP’s mandate renewal – of the need for direct contacts and coordination among Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots without the presences of the UN has caused alarm in Nicosia, Kathimerini reports.
Kathimerini points out that the reference in the UNFICYP report does not entail a recognition of the Turkish Cypriot administration. However concerns that this would lead to the normalisation of the status quo and put a break on efforts to restart negotiations have caused a flurry of diplomatic contacts aiming to change the wording of the report.
The wording that is considered problematic by Nicosia is not to be found in only one paragraph but in multiple points in the report, the newspaper underlines. This will make changing the wording especially difficult, especially since traditional allies of the Republic of Cyprus seem to be lukewarm in the issue, according to political sources of the newspaper.
Phileleftheros attributes the problematic wording to the intervention of the report’s British pen holders. The newspaper also points out that the UK is expending all their efforts within the EU to prevent sanctions against Turkey.
In an analysis, Simerini cites diplomatic sources that believe that Turkey will push for the election of Ersin Tatar in the position of Turkish Cypriot leader in order to push for a new basis of negotiations for the solution of the Cyprus Problem.
Yishai disagreement with Israel to be solved within days
Alithia, Kathimerini, Phileleftheros, Simerini
Energy, Economy, Regional/ International Relations, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
Simerini reports that the disagreement between Cyprus and Israel regarding the exploitation of the “Aphrodite” gas field and its neighboring Israeli field “Yishai” will be solved within days after the Cypriot proposal to Israel is confirmed as legal by the RoC’s Law Office. The newspaper cites information that Anastasiades and Netanyahu decided to clear the situation in their recent meeting.
According to the newspaper, Cyprus suggest a mechanism through which it will be confirmed to which extent “Aphrodite” crosses over into the Israeli EEZ, and through which the percentage of the Israeli’s share of the findings will be calculated.
Simerini also reports that Nicosia is attempting to rebalance its relations with Moscow, due to difficulties caused by Moscow – Ankara coordination over Libya as well as over Nicosia’s increasing coordination with NATO and the USA in the region.
Kathimerini reports, citing government sources, that the effort to inflict stronger sanctions on Turkey on a EU level is not effective, and that other EU countries are not willing to act more forcefully than they already have.
Diplomatic sources told Kathimerini that it will be difficult for sanctions to be decided on officials from TRAO due to its connections with many EU member states. The RoC currently asks for sanctions against five TPAO employees (Turks and Croats), as well as a high ranking official of the company.
Also in an interview with Kathimerini, High Representative of the EU for External Affairs Josep Borrell stated his support to Greece regarding Turkey’s actions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Regarding the sanctions on Turkey’s illegal drilling in the Cypriot EEZ, he said that the EU should complete its work regarding sanctions.
Phileleftheros reports on a statement by President Anastasiades who was replying to AKEL’s criticisms over the government’s handling of the energy situation and the party’s accusations against Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides. Anastasides said that AKEL focuses on whether there’s a disagreement within the government instead of what Is “nationally proper”, adding that he is surprised that AKEL tries to distract attention from the fact that Turkey is in plot 8 of the Cypriot EEZ.
Politis points out in an analysis that was has happened is that the actions of Yavuz have exposed the emptiness of the government’s narrative, and that they are a part of Turkey’s attempt to cancel the RoC’s energy plans that have been ongoing for a long time. The newspaper points out that Turkey is adding the Turkish Cypriots as a factor into the discussion and claiming to speak on their behalf, using the fact that there is currently no negotiations process.
Politis adds that the legal and political measures to protect the EEZ have not stopped Turkey, which cannot be done without serious sanctions from the EU, and that the government’s arguments are no longer convincing in Cyprus or abroad. The only prospect exists in restarting the negotiations in order to negate the Turkish argument regarding the exclusion of the Turkish Cypriots, the newspaper adds.
Government examines whether to prevent purchase of fuel from north
Simerini
Economy, CBMs, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
Government officials are planning a meeting to examine ways to prevent and disincentivise citizens from purchasing fuels from the occupied areas, Simerini reports. According to the newspaper, government officials are looking into the matter after new complaints by the Gas Station Association due to the new increase in gas prices.
One of the suggestions of the gas station owners is to push for a change in the Green Line Regulation in order to ban the purchasing of fuels. The newspaper reports, citing sources from the Foreign Ministry that there will be further meetings between everyone involved, as well as that if the Green Line Regulation were to be changed that would require the approval of the European Commission.