Front Page Headlines
Twenty reasons for the reunification of Cyprus
World Bank and UN report on the solution of the Cyprus Problem. Beneficial effects of solution in construction, tourism and commercial sector. Substantial increase in rate of development and per capita income.
- European Union: Ursula wants the Balkans as well
- Famagusta: They decided but… hush!
Controlled opening of Varosha
Turkish plan: They open the door to return while offering a “TRNC” passport. Ready to find buyers for all that are interested to sell.
- Joint Cyprus – France exercise impressed
- No intention to leave from Cyprus: Here is the Turkish paper with Ankara’s positions
- Turkey does not go to Gymnich because of her illicit acts
- Nicosia Fir filled with US spy aircraft
International laughingstock for filth in football
- They run behind new faits accomplis
- Revelations about Turkey’s guarantees negate President’s narrative about Crans Montana
1 euro fee reviewed for many drugs
Patients angered as drug category changes lead to increased prescription fees.
- Joint military exercises with France
- Cyprus: Leaders condemn moves to open up Varosha
7% increase on incomes
World Bank study demonstrate benefits in case of a solution. Investments up to 1.1 billion euro on infrastructure for the integration of energy, transport and water management systems and increase in employment rates.
- Cypriot – French exercise: Strikes on virtual targets by Rafale aircraft
- Occupied areas: New poll shows Tatar prevailing over Akıncı
- By the President: Provocations in Varosha brought in front of the Europeans
- Accusation by Papadakis: Sizopoulos and other party members called for questioning
Main News
Turkey to call G/Cs back to Varosha under “TRNC” administration
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Territory, Property, Negotiations Process, Regional/ International Relations, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that Turkey’s plan regarding the closed-off city of Varosha is to open the way for G/Cs to return and reclaim their properties under the administration of the “TRNC”. The newspapers cite statements made by the president of the Turkish Bar Association Metin Feyzioğlu to Kıbrıs Postasi.
Feyzioğlu, one of the organisers of Saturday’s roundtable discussion on reopening Varosha, told the newspaper that the solution of the property issue in the area is much easier since it hasn’t been resettled. He added that currently there are 281 cases brought by owners to the Immovable Property Commission in the north on properties in Varosha, and one that has been brought to the ECHR.
Feyzioğlu said that the solution proposed by the Turkish side does not contravene Security Council Resolution 550 which calls for the return of the area to its all inhabitants. He added that the T/C side will call on those property owners and will not call other Turks from the rest of the occupied areas or from Anatolia to settle in Varosha.
The condition for the owners being able to reclaim their property will be that the owners would recognise the “TRNC’s” control over the area. He also said that the Turkish and T/C side is ready to find buyers for properties that G/C owners might chose to sell.
Cyprus Mail reports on the reaction of the UN, which said that it is monitoring the situation. UN spokesperson in Cyprus, Aleem Siddique, said on Monday that the UN’s position on the issue of Varosha remains unchanged.
Cyprus Mail points out that both Cypriot leaders, Nicos Anastasiades and Mustafa Akıncı, criticised the Saturday roundtable in seperate statements. Also spokespersons for the French embassy and the British High Commission in Nicosia said that they expect all sides to fully comply with the relevant UNSC resolutions.
Government spokesperson Kyriakos Koushios said according to Phileleftheros that President Anastasiades will bring up the issue during bilateral meetings on the margins of Thursday’s European Council in Brussels.
DISI said that the G/C side should take political steps to face these provocations and that the President and the party are initiating diplomatic contacts. AKEL points out that the G/C side should be seriously concerned by the fact that Turkish actions in the Cypriot EEZ and in Varosha do not cause an international uproar. DIKO said that the government does not seem to have a strategy to deter Turkey’s actions.
EDEK calls on the government to take measures against the occupying regime in the north, Citizens’ Alliance calls on the President to act on his statement that he will not remain with his hands tied.
In another development, Phileleftheros reports that Turkey will not be participating in the next informal summit of the EU’s foreign minister (known as Gymnich) as was customary until now. The newspaper cites sources saying that the Croatian presidency of the Council of the EU, which organises Gymnich, has decided that Turkey cannot be invited due to the decision made by the European Council to suspend high level meetings with Turkey due to the country’s actions in the Cypriot EEZ. The meeting will be held in Zagreb in March, and will also have EU – Turkish relations on its agenda.
Politis and other newspapers also report that Greece and Turkey have restarted their discussion on confidence building measures. The discussions had been frozen after Turkey’s agreement with Libya’s government was signed.
KEY ACTORS
Feyzioğlu (Turkish Bar Association)
>> Turkish moves will not contravene SC resolution 550 – what it calls for is opening the town to old residents, not to keep it fenced off
>> Property issue can be solved more easily in Varosha where the properties have not been used
>> There will be no appeal to T/Cs or Turks to settle Varosha, but to the G/C owners
>> Turkey and T/C side could find buyers for properties of G/C owners that might wish to sell
>> The condition for return of property will be the recognition of the “TRNC’s” authority
Koushios (gov. spokesp.)
>> Anastasiades will bring up issue during bilateral meetings in the margins of Thursday’s European Council
DISY
>> Government and DISY are taking diplomatic steps to face these provocations
AKEL
>> G/C side should be concerned that there is no uproar over Turkey’s action in the Cypriot EEZ and in Varosha
DIKO
>> Government does not seem to have a strategy that will deter Turkey
Siddique (UNFICYP spokesp.)
>> UN is closely monitoring the situation
>> The UN’s position on Varosha has not changed
World Bank and UN report: solution benefits require supportive policies
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Politis
Economy, CBMs, Negotiations Process, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
Cyprus Mail reports that a new report compiled by the World Bank and the UN Office of the Special Adviser to the UNSG in Cyprus shows that the cost of a Cyprus stalemate increases with each failed round of negotiations because foregone benefits are unlikely to be restored at the time of a settlement.
The newspaper notes that the report mainly focuses on the economic impact of a solution through the lens of gender, but that it was also clear about the cost of the stalemate and that without supportive policies after a settlement the benefits would be fewer.
All newspapers that reported on the story focused on the economic aspect, mostly bypassing the gender dimension that the UN wanted to highlight. Politis also highlights on a series of ways in which the economy can be potentially boosted by a solution, including the reduction of economic uncertainty, the opportunity to modernise governance and the opportunity for Cyprus to become a stabilising factor in the region.
According to the report, a settlement with limited policy changes might yield a better outcome than the status quo but would not be large enough for Cypriot incomes to converge with those in advanced EU economies. Experience regarding the opening up of markets to larger economic groups and liberalisation of trade show that increased market access by itself is not a guarantee of economic success.
The report points out that a settlement accompanied by supportive policies and institutions could result in an increase of 0.4% in the G/C community and 1.8% in the T/C community. Also, there would be employment gains in the construction and tourism sectors that would require public investment to reconnect infrastructure across the island.
However, other than the Cyprus Mail, other newspapers did not focus on these conditionalities. Alithia, Haravgi and Politis focused on the projected benefits of a solution, while Phileleftheros did not show interest in the story other than by a columnist who lambasted a perceived attempt by the international community to get G/Cs to “sell out”.
Turkish written proposals in Crans Montana resurface on media
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process, External Security, Regional/ International Relations
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros published a document from 2017 which lays out Turkey’s written proposals during Crans Montana. The newspaper cites the paper as proof that Turkey had no intention of relinquishing the guarantee system, as a response to the public discusion of the past few weeks and the reports that Turkey had signalled it would have accepted a new security system.
The text presented and quoted by Phileleftheros is Turkey’s official position ahead of the dinner that ended the Conference on Cyprus in Crans Montana on June 30th 2017. As is noted in the text, the proposal was submitted under the principle that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and was within the parameters set by UNSG Antonio Guterres.
In the document, Turkey takes the position that the Treaty of Guarantees will continue being implemented with changes and rejects the adoption of a sunset clause. Turkey also suggests that the Monitoring Committee that will track the application of the settlement deal will reexamine the guarantees at the end of the third electoral cycle of the new state of affairs.
Also in the document Turkey agrees on an important initial decrease of its military presence and gradual reduction in numbers as the solution is being implemented. Turkey also suggests that there will be a permanent military presence that shall not be subject to sunset clauses.
The document was published by other print and electronic media on Monday night. On Sunday, Politis and Cyprus Mail had published an article by Makarios Droushiotis, former advisor to the President and also former advisor to former European Commissioner Christos Stylianides. In that article the newspapers also published the non-paper Guterres had prepared on his proposal on a new security arrangement for Cyprus.
Both documents have been widely reported on since the end of the Crans Montana conference and have been leaked in various forms in the past.
Politis does not publish the Turkish document, and points out in a comment that what’s important is the non-paper it had published on Sunday which indicates what was discussed during the last dinner, and not Turkey’s initial position. Alithia focuses on AKEL’s war of words with the government and also quotes statements made by CTP leader Tufan Erhurman to the T/C press that Turkey had indeed made some moves regarding the guarantees, but not as many as reported. Haravgi points out that the claims regarding what happened in Crans Montana do not come from the opposition but from the President’s former advisor.
In a statement commenting on the Makarios Droushiotis article, AKEL spokesperson Stephanos Stephanou said that the reports do not corresponding to the government’s official narratives and underlined that they are written by a former advisor to the President.
Government spokesperson Kyriakos Koushios responded that Droushiotis was not present during Crans Montana and was not working with the President at that stage. He pointed out that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoglu had said publically that Turkey would not give up guarantees and that the Foreign Ministry denied the reports in an announcement.
Koushios called on AKEL to explain why it insists on an unreal narrative that can only cause damage to G/C interests.
KEY ACTORS
Stephanou (AKEL)
>> Media reports by Droushiotis, a former advisor to the President, do not correspond to government narrative on Crans Montana
Koushios (gov. spokesp.)
>> Droushiotis was not present in Crans Montana and was not the President’s advisor at that point in time
>> AKEL should explain why it insists on an unreal narrative that damages G/C interests
France and Cyprus conduct joint military exercise
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Phileleftheros, Politis
External Security, Regional/ International Relations, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on the third joint military exercise between the National Guard and French forces “Talos 1 – 2020” which took place on Monday, with Phileleftheros and Cyprus Mail also prominenty featuring photographs.
French Rafale aircraft and aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle” took part in the exercise in Nicosia’s FIR and part of the national airspace of Cyprus. The newspaper notes that the exercise sends a political and military message.
The aircraft, which flew from “Charles de Gaulle”, conducted strikes on virtual targets engaging the National Guard’s air defence systems. Politis reported that the exercises were meant to test the “reflexes” of Cypriot BUK and TOR air defence systems.
The dailies quote a statement by Defence Minister Savvas Angelides, who said that Cyprus is aiming to underline the role it can have in the Southeastern Mediterranean. He added that there are more joint exercises with France being scheduled.
The dailies also report that President Anastasiades is scheduled to meeet with French Defence Minister Florence Parly on Tuesday, and later visit “Charles de Gaulle”.
Phileleftheros also reports that US spy aircraft have been flying in the south section of the Cypriot FIR as part of operations related to the situation in Syria. The newspaper notes that the spy aircraft (four Dornier C-146A as well as, occasionally, Lockheed 130H that fly between Paphos and Jordan) often circle above Turkish drillship “Yavuz”.
KEY ACTORS
Angelides (Defence Minister)
>> Cyprus wants to underline the role it can have in the security of the Southeaster Mediterranean
Government expects positive developments regarding Spitfire coffeeshop
Cyprus Mail
CBMs, Internal Security
OVERVIEW
Government spokesperson Kyriakos Koushios told journalists that Nicosia Municipality may be able to soon resume work on shoring up the building that used to house the Spitfire coffeeshop in the Paphos Gate area of Nicosia, the Cyprus Mail reports.
Koushios said there were some positive indications for a resolution of the issue. “It is not over fully, but we believe there will be a positive outcome” he said.
The newspaper recalls that works that had begun a couple of weeks ago by Nicosia Municipality had to be put on pause after the reaction of the Turkish military. The building lies partly in the buffer zone and partly in the occupied areas. However, its front faces a road regularly used by pedestrians and vehicles in the government controlled areas.