GCC Press Review 15 Feb 2020

Front Page Headlines

Politis

K. S. EDEK: A party that broke in pieces

“Political differences” with anti-smocking, cameras, money and prosecutors. “Spy thriller” with illegal recordings and legal side effects. Resignations continue in EDEK with swipes taken against party leadership.

  • Famagusta: They “lock” a road map
  • Halloumi: They are looking for consensus

Phileleftheros

Politics with policemen

War until extermination in EDEK. Interrogations, hidden cameras and criminal organisations. Dispute over Papadakis ouster reaches unprecedented heights.

  • They move to new provocations: They look for legal basis to turkify Varosha
  • They sent taxes to missing person, they also fined him – Municipality apologises, says data is taken from Land Registry

Haravgi

An economy focused on people

Current model of development obsolete and unfair. The once prosperous middle class dramatically reduced. Welfare state a guarantor of social cohesion.

  • Reaction measures from Famagusta Municipality
  • Sizopoulos will not testify in front of Police against D. Papadakis
  • Halloumi: Either cheese producers agree, or quota goes to 25%

Cyprus Mail

‘Cyprus’ banks lagging behind’

CBC boss says they must find new products, and speed up processing.

  • Papadakis: Sizopoulos put me under surveillance, CID visit Edek offices

Alithia

Clash develops into a police thriller

EDEK topsy – turvy after Papadakis ouster – New resignations from officials yesterday. M. Sizopoulos backtracked and didn’t give evidence to the police, Attorney General states that there will be no investigation without evidence and D. Papadakis now accuses him of setting up “a criminal organisation”.

  • Ersin Tatar dreams of Famagusta as a “great Turkish city” in the Eastern Mediterranean: We are at the final stages for Varosi –Emergency session of Famagusta Municipal Council today for reaction measures
  • Syria: Recognised Armenian genocide and enraged Ankara
  • Meeting for consensual solution on milk quota for halloumi

Main News

Varosha conference causes alarm for RoC government

Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Territory, Property, Economy, Human Rights, External Security, Regional/ International Relations, Negotiations Process, Governance & Power Sharing

OVERVIEW

Friday’s dailies report on the announcement of a conference to be held on Saturday in the enclosed area of Famagusta on the possibility of reopening the area, with the participation of Turkish officials and Turkish Cypriot politicians. T/C leader Mustafa Akinci was not invited to the event.

Cyprus Mail reports that government spokesperson Kyriakos Koushios said that the government will take “all necessary measures, diplomatic and political, to prevent any plans by the occupation forces aiming to make use of Famagusta in any way”.

Politis reports that Koushios said that the government will be appealing to head of UNFICYP and UNSG representative Elizabeth Spehar, as well as to the UN Security Council.

Phileleftheros stresses that the T/C and Turkish officials and others involved in the roundtable are seeking to establish the legal basis for their decision to open Varosha. The newspaper notes that this legal framework would be useful to Turkey when responding to G/C property owners claiming compensation for or return of their properties.

Phileleftheros and Haravgi report on statements made to the Cyprus News Agency by lawyers Achilleas Demetriades and Andreas Angelides, who specialise in property issues. Demetriades told CNA that the RoC should prepare its defence based on the property titles held by the original owners, which are the only ones recognised internationally.

Demetriades added that a mass claim for all 425 plots of land on the city’s beach front would help prevent any other moves by the T/Cs. He noted that the arguments often used by the T/C side regarding the rights of properties’ current users do not apply in this case since the fenced-off city has remained vacant.

Angelides said that the government should react by taking up the issue with the UN, and said that he does not believe there will be actions taken before the April elections, since the issue is being used to secure the election of someone other than Akinci.

The dailies also report that Famagusta municipal council announced it would hold an extraordinary meeting on Satrurday afternoon at the local authority’s cultural centre in Dherynia to discuss a series of measures.

The municipality also calls on Turkish Cypriots who are against such plans to support the Famagusta refugees in their struggle. The return of Varosha to its rightful owners would be an incentive for the solution of the Cyprus Problem, the municipality adds.

The newspaper cites reports that the roundtable discussion will be attended by Turkey’s vice president, Fuat Oktay, who is also in charge of Turkish Cypriot affairs, as well as the country’s Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul.

Cyprus Mail points out that the event was criticised by T/C left wing politicians who were not invited to attend. Also, the association of Turkish Cypriot lawyers said they would not attend despite being invited to co-organise the event, since it would be inappropriate to have this discussion before the elections.

The list of participants also includes T/C “prime minister” Ersin Tatar and “foreign minister” Kudret Ozersay, both candidates in April’s elections for T/C leader, as well as law professors, former ambassadors and representatives of tourism organisations. The event is organised by the Turkish Union of Bar Associations.

Politis reports that in a statement Tatar said that “we have reached the final stage in order to be able to open” the closed city. According to the newspaper, the “government” aims to take advantage of the fenced city and its beach areas. Tatar also said that the aim is for Famagusta to become the biggest, most sustainable Turkish city in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Cyprus Mail recalls that the TRNC “government” had announced last year they would open Varosha and that earlier this week Ozersay said that the meeting would be a brainstorming session that would lead to a road map. Ozersay also said that decisions will not be implemented until after the elections, but that the results of the inventory study on buildings and other infrastructure conducted within the fenced-off city will be presented during the meeting.

In another development, bicommunal organisation Unite Cyprus Now commented on the Varosha issue in a written announcement. Cyprus Mail reports that the organisation believes the roundatable is a move aimed to undermine T/C leader Mustafa Akinci ahead of April’s elections. The organisation, along with other Famagusta civil society organisations, has stated several times that Varosha belongs to its lawful owners and should be a place for cooperation and not conflict and that any iniative should respect the relevant Security Council resolutions, the statement adds.

In its statement, UCN pointed out also that Akinci “simply expressed the views and feelings of each and every sane Cypriot who believes in a peaceful future” when he told the Guardian that the annexation of the north to Turkey would be a disaster. Commenting on the lynch campaign against Akinci, UCN said that was a clear indication that “the establishment in Turkey cannot tolerate any dissenting view or narrative, either localy or internationally”.

KEY ACTORS
Koushios (gov. spokesp.)
>> RoC will take all necessary diplomatic and potliical measures to prevent plans by occupuying forces to use Famagusta
>> Government will appeal to UN Security Council and UNSG envoy Spehar

Demetriades (legal expert)
>> One way to prevent usage of Varosha is for owners of beach-front properties to claim compensation

Tatar (UBP)
>>
We have reached the final stage in effort to open the closed city
>> The aim is for Famagusta to become the biggest Turkish city in the Eastern Med

Unite Cyprus Now
>> The roundtable in Varosha is a move aiming to undermine Akinci
>> Any initiative should respect Security Council resolutions


Remains found by Committee on Missing Persons in Famagusta

Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
CBMs, Human Rights

OVERVIEW

Human remains that could belong to a missing person were found in occupied Famagusta by the Committee of Missing Persons, the dailies report.

Cyprus Mail reports that CMP announced on Friday that excavations on the site will continue over the next few days. The exact location of the remains was not reported.

The CMP expressed its support to the families of the missing and calls on everyone in possession of relevant information to call anonymously to +35722400142 (for the G/C member) and 181 (for the T/C member).

Cyprus Mail also recalls that the total number of GC missing persons from the events of 1963-64 and 1974 was 1,510, of whom 700 have been identified and returned to their families while 810 are still missing. Of the total 492 missing T/Cs, 223 are still missing, the report adds.


Religious leaders call for a culture of peace and trust

Haravgi
CBMs, Human Rights

OVERVIEW

Haravgi reports on a statement issued by the five religious leaders of Cyprus, issued on the ten year anniversary of the establishment of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process (RTCYPP) which has been active under the auspices of the Swedish embassy in Cyprus.

The five leaders, who represent the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, the Muslims of Cyprus the Armenian Orthodox Church, the Maronite Church and the Catholics of Cyprus, reiterate their commitment to continue building a culture of peace and trust, defending human dignity and promoting the religious freedom of all.

Ten years ago the five religious leader met for the first time since the 1974 invasion and started listening to each other’s concerns, according to their joint announcement. The leaders note that a lot has been achieved in these past ten years despite difficulties.

They call on all Cypriots to contribute in the efforts to protect the religious legacy of the island, and call on political leaders to support their iniatives for freedom of religion and freedom of worship.


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