Front Page Headlines
Communities to the President, municipalities to the minister
Consultations for reform in their final stage. Union of Communities today at the Presidential Palace to prevent the “loss” of 50 communities. Consultation between Nouris and mayors for the bill ends on March 3rd.
- Coronavirus: Relief in the occupied areas
- Turkey: “We spoiled their game”
Coronavirus in our neighborhood
Huge increase of cases of the deadly virus in Italy that already counts two dead. Italian cities and villages in quarantine, Venice carnival cancelled. Services in Cyprus on alert.
- Missing person taxed for three hazelnut trees: Even a receipt was issued that he came in and paid his debt himself – Relatives express intence discomfort
- Return to Famagusta only under the United Nations
Racist incidents in sports
Uproar in social media. YPPAN (Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth): Decisions taken with economic criteria. An issue of “public insult” in front of the police.
- Demarches everywhere to save Famagusta
- They deprive cohesion and CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) of funds
Election in occupied areas is between Erdogan and Akinci
Great amount of interest in the Greek Cypriot side. Moves by Turkey against the T/cypriot leader have started and everyone waits for the move by the Turkish President himself. If Mustafa Akinci is re-elected, Turkish Cypriots will have sent a strong message that they don’t want Turkey meddling in their affairs.
- T/C teacher’s appeal: Help us…
- Nine dead in Turkey and tens of injured from 5.7 Richter earthquake
Main News
RoC steps up contacts over Varosha issue
Alithia, Haravgi, Politis, Phileleftheros
Territory, Economy, Property, Human Rights, CBMs, External Security, Regional/ International Relations, Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros reports that Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides will be meeting UNSG Antonio Guterres in Geneva. Christodoulides is in the UN’s European headquarters to participate in the meeting of the organisation’s Human Rights Council.
The meeting with the UNSG is scheduled to take place Monday. Christodoulides will also meet with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday. He will also meeti with the UN’s High Commissioners on Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet and on Refugees, Filippo Grandi as well as a series of other officials dealing with migration issues.
The newspaper notes that Greek Foreign Minister Nicos Dendias will also be meeting Guterres on Monday afternoon.
Haravgi reports that AKEL will also be taking actions to contribute to the government’s efforts on Famagusta, by contacting the UNSG and the five permanent members of the Security Council, pushing for a resolution in the European Parliament and maintaining contacts with T/C groups and parties that have expressed their disagreement with the unilateral opening of Varosha.
In an interview with Phileleftheros, Famagusta’s G/C mayor Simos Ioannou underlines that the only way that a return to Varosha should be undertaken would be if the area came under the control of the UN. Ioannou points out that if the old residents were to return under T/C administration that would bring an end to the Cyprus Problem.
Ioannou points out that all parties should coordinate and discuss the issue in the National Council, and added that the Famagusta Municipality is in contact with progressive Turkish Cypriots in the Famagusta area that are opposed to the Turkey’s and and the T/C “government’s” initiative.
Ioannou also confirms that owners of hotels in the fenced-off city have been contacted with requests to sell their properties and they have refused. He also said that a lot of mistakes have been made concerning Varosha since 1974, but that instead of speaking about the past actions should be taken now.
KEY ACTORS
Ioannou (Famagusta mayor)
>> Former residents should only return to Varosha if it is given over to UN control
>> If former residents return under T/C administration this would spell the end to the Cyprus Problem
>> All political parties should coordinate in a special National Council
>> Owners of hotels in the fenced-off city have been approached to sell but have refused
T/C teacher asks for help to locate remains of father missing since 1974
Haravgi
Human Rights, CBMs
OVERVIEW
Haravgi reports on the story of a T/C who is searching for the remains of his father, who was killed in 1974 by G/Cs and is since considered one of the missing of the Cyprus conflict.
54 year old Sozer Mehmet talked to Alithia about the story of his father, Mehmet Huseyin, also known as Karamehmet, who was killed aged 40 between his village, Kouklia and the village of Kalopsida in the Famagusta district.
Mehmet, who currently works as a teacher in the primary school of the village of Lysi, asks for anyone that has information regarding the death of his father to come forward and help in locating his remains.
Karamehmet is believed to have been killed by Greek Cypriots on July 22nd 1974, when Sozer was 8 years old. Sozer Mehmet’s mother died in 2015.
According to one version of the events, Mehmet Huseyin Karamehmet was known to have good relations with G/Cs and was killed while trying to prevent further bloodshed. Another version has Karamehmet having been tortured by his murderers, who had believed Karamehmet to have been a member of TMT.
Mehmet said he is cooperating closely with the Committee on Missing Persons in an effort to locate his father’s remains. He has met with a lot of G/Cs from Kalopsida since the opening of the crossing points but has not been able to find additional information.
CMP recently informed Mehmet that two witness that are said to know about the location of his father’s remains are no longer living. Mehmet has helped in locating a missing G/C from Limassol, who was found in the area of Hartzia, near Kyrenia.