Front Page Headlines
They make enclosed facilities and start deportations
Agreement with Frontex for coastline control and return (of migrants). Immediate application of new measures if government gets the OK of the Attorney General on Tuesday. Entry barred to virtual students and dismantling of networks of marriages of convenience.
- The 27 support Athens – Nicosia – Sofia: Humans are not a political weapon
- Joint front of EU against coronavirus: Preparation for the worst – New alarm over incident in Cyprus also false
- Greece: Smoke grenades and tensions
Discontent with Spehar’s stance
President lets her wait until he returns from his trip to Austria. The role of UNFICYP is different state Anastasiades and parties.
- Coronavirus tests resilience: Cyprus vigilant
- New inflammatory statements by Erdogan: Tension continues at Kastanies at Evros
- They call Turkey to back down: Strong message from European Fms
- Flows increased by 320%: Measures in front of the Attorney General
- Moscow – Damascus gained upper hand from Erdogan
Coronavirus symptoms in economy as well
Possible incident concerning Greek soldier. School excursions will not take place. Reduced reservations for travelling and hotels.
- Summary… deportations
- Spehar meets Anastasiades over the closure of four checkpoints
- 250 euro fine and six months bar (from football games) for nazi salute
‘Prepare for a worst-case’
Business told to brace for Covid-19, ‘alarming drop in holiday bookings’.
- Cyprus: UN comments on shut crossings ‘unfortunate’ president says
- World: Greece – Turkey border crisis enters second week
End of alarm but…
Suspected coronavirus incident found in ELDYK soldier was proven negative. The soldier recently returned from Greece and showed high fever while his mother was diagnosed yesterday as a confirmed incident. Soldiers serving with him and all that came in contact with him under preventive confinement.
- Government vexed by UNFICYP’s stance regarding checkpoints: President: Intervention unfortunate – Spehar asked for a meeting with the President and he will see her the week after next
- To APOEL supporter: Six month ban from football fields over nazi salute
- Erdogan: I don’t want to stand next to Mitsotakis even for a photo
- 320% increase in flows: We pay more than what we get from EU
Main News
Anastasiades openly displeased with UNFICYP chief over checkpoints
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
CBMs, Internal Security, Human Rights, Negotiations Process, External Security, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros reports that the government is annoyed with the head of UNFICYP Elisabeth Spehar and the peace keeping force regarding its reaction to the temporary closure of four checkpoints, while Politis points out that the disagreement stems from the government’s displeasure with the UN’s recent push for increased bicommunal cooperation.
According to the newspaper, Spehar had requested a meeting with President Anastasiades right after seeing the T/C leader Mustafa Akinci. However UNFICYP issued its statement, which was critical of the government’s approach, before the President’s office could reply to the request. Presidency sources told the newspaper that according to diplomatic practice Spehar should have waited to be informed of the government’s position before taking a stance.
The newspaper citese information that the government showed no rush in arranging a meeting between Anastasiades and Spehar, informing the heaf of UNFICYP that it will take place the week after next, after the President’s visit to Austria. Anastasiades leaves on Tuesday for Austria and will return on Friday.
Politis points out in his report that the government is incensed by the UN’s push for strengthened mechanisms of cooperation and coordination between the two sides, incuding a mechanism for coordination on a military level.
Anastasiades commented on UNFICYP’s statement on Friday, calling UNFICYP’s announcement “unfortunate” and pointing out that the peace keeping force has a different mission, which it has sucessfully carried out to this day.
In his statements that were reported by all media, Anastasiades also said that there is cooperation among the two communities but the responsibility for final decisions lies with the recognised government that does not co-decide with anyone else.
A United Nations source in Cyprus told the Cyprus News Agency that Spehar has asked to meet Anastasiades right after the meeting with Akinci, noting that it is established practice to always meet both leaders.
DIKO and other small political parties criticised UNFICYP’s statement on the checkpoints, the dailies report. DIKO said that the announcement is an unacceptable intervention into the sovereignty of the RoC and equates the government with the occupation regime, while not taking the Green Line regulation, which does not ask for cooperation with the T/Cs, into account. EDEK expresses its dissapointment, saying that the RoC ought to be able to take measures to protect its citizens. Yiorgos Lillikas from Citizens’ Alliance said that UNFICYP’s mention that opening the checkpoints contributed to a return to normality is wrong since normality would only be the solution. Eleni Theocharous from Solidarity pointed out that the UN did not comment on other provocative moves by Turkey. ELAM said that the current situation is a result of the opening of the checkpoints.
Also, a spokesperson for the Sovereign Base Areas told the CNA that there is no intention of closing the Pergamos (Pyla) and Strovilia check points. The spokesperson also said that the command of the SBAs is in constant communication with the two sides to limit the threat of the coronavirus.
The “Apofasi Eirinis” iniative said in a statement that any action that has political side effects, such as the temporary closure of four checkpoints, is automatically political, which is why the government is obliged ot act in a careful way.
The political movement also points out that the decision harms efforts to create a climate conducive to a resumption of negotiations and weakesn those forces in the T/C community that work for a solution.
Politis also reports that professor of law and AKEL member Nikos Trimikliniotes appealed to the Attorney General accusing the police of excessive violence during last Saturday’s protest at Ledra street. In a letter to the Attorney General, Trimikliniotis says that he had not challenged the policeman, and that later the policeman himself called him to apologise. Trimikliniotis also said that he does not want to target police officers, but deal with the issue of police violence.
In another development, the police announced that it will not prosecute other people involved in Saturday’s protest beyon the case of the man that entered an altercation with a soldier, the dailies report. Haravgi reported that in the past few days people involved in the protests were told they would be prosecuted for their participation.
KEY ACTORS
Anastasiades
>> I wouldn’t like to comment on UNFICYP’s unfortunate statement
>> The peace keeping force has a different mission which it has carried out succesfully to this day
>> There is cooperation between the communities but final decisions lie with the recognised government
Government to apply stricter migration policy also along Green Line
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Migration & Citizenship, Human Rights, Internal Security, External Security, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that on Friday the ministers responsible for migration issues (Internal, Defence, Justice, Foreign Affairs) met with the Attorney General to examine the measures proposed by the government to limit flows of migration to Cyprus.
Phileleftheros reports, citing information, that the government submitted to the Attorney General Costas Clerides the priorities of the government as presented on Thursday to the National Council. The government asked Clerides to submit his own suggestions regarding the issue.
According to the same information, the government aims to shorten the window for appealing the rejection of an asylum application, which today is 75 days, and to speed up the process of returning those rejected to their country of origin. Also, the intention is to better filter applications so that those that are obviously ineligible do not get added to the already long queue. The newspaper adds that the ministers together with the Attorney General will meet again on Tuesday.
Politis also reports citing a statement by Interior Minister Nicos Nouris that the measures to be examined on Tuesday include the repatriation of rejected asylum seekers with the help of Frontex, ban of entry to people presenting themselves as students and an end to the practice of marriages of convenience.
Nouris also said that the government will increase the staff examining applications from 20 to 120 by the end of 2020, with the help of the European Asylum Support Office and announced the creation of enclosed facilities and mobile unit of expedited processing of asylum applications.
The dailies report on a statement by President Anasstasiades on the issue. Anastasiades said that Cyprus faced increased migration flows from 2015 to 2019 and that the increase reached 320%. He repeated that the total of the persons that have been approved as asylum seekers, of the current open applicants and those whose cases are on appeal, reaches 3,8% of the population of the G/C community. Anastasiades also said that the increased flow of migration is also a result of Turkey’s policies.
In statements made on Friday, Defence minister Savvas Angelides said that from the government’s perspective it is understood that Turkey is using a humanitarlian issue in a concerted way in order to pressure Europe in its entirety. Phileleftheros reports that Angelides avoided giving more details regarding the government’s measures and, when asked how can the entirety of the Green Line be policed, added that there will be measures taken in relation to the mission of the National Guard and in relation to migration. He also expressed his hopes that soon there will be developments concerning the placement of surveillance cameras.
KEY ACTORS
Nouris (Interior Minister)
>> Measures include faster repatriation of rejected asylum seekers with the help of Frontex and an increase of stuff examining applications with the help of EASO
Anastasiades
>> Increased migration flows a result of Turkey’s policies over the past years
Angelides (Defence Minister)
>> There will be measures taken in relation to the mission of the National Guard and migration along the Green Line