Front Page Headlines
Digital enlistment for new National Guard recruits
2020 class will not have cadet, sergeant, corporal selection process. Athalassa KEN (recruit training center) for enlisting Nicosia conscripts operates again. Latecomers go to Paphos KEN. Pickup of uniforms and boots in each city before enlisment to be done with strict hygiene measures.
- Housing: Refugees (displaced) on the wait list
- Natural gas: Move towards Hoegh
- Coronavirus: Only two new cases
They look for the magic wand
Doctors and nurses warn: Many loose ends 18 days before GeSY’s (national health system) second phase. Pending: Incentives for special doctors, dialogue for work environment, staffing in doctors and nurses, seperation of hospitals in “clean” and “coronavirus” zones.
- Hiring of 200 contract police officers: They will be hired with contracts without police exams under the SYOP (contract army privates) model – They will also cover the control of illegal migration
- Aggressive reaction by Ankara to 5 FM declaration
Risk of loss of thousands of work positions
- Erdogan: “We will not leave the field open for the G/C lobby”. New tension in the region
- Two-digit number of cases – 13 cases detected among OKYpY (state health services) workers
45 days in jail for visiting girlfriend
Judge says courts must issue strong, immediate and clear responses.
- Legal view: How Turk courts turned on foes of PM Erdogan
Two days of important decisions
Two critical meetings at the Presidency: Tomorrow about football and the day after tomorrow on how we will move to the second phase of loosening measures.
- Explosion in Pyla: Motive was difference among G/Cs, no political aspect
- Kudret Ozersay: Still nothing regarding opening checkpoints
Main News
Turkey reacts to declaration by Cyprus and four other countries in region
Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Energy, Economy, Regional/ International Relations, External Security
OVERVIEW
The Turkish government immediately reacted to a joint statement issued by the Foreign Ministers of Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, France and the United Arab Emirates regarding the country’s role in the Eastern Mediterranean, Phileleftheros reports. Haravgi points out that the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s statement repeats the call for dialogue with Greece and the G/Cs.
In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry accused certain countries that they promote two-faced policies that lead to instability in the region, and called all countries to respect international law.
Furthermore, it points out that Greece and the G/Cs reproduce imperialist approaches by calling for the help of countries that should not be involved in the region, instead of entering a dialogue with Turkey and the T/Cs.
Turkey particularly notes that the rulers of Egypt are working against the interest of the country’s people, and notes that the participitation of country’s from other regions such as the UAE are an indication of hostile intentions towards Turkey.
Turkish President Tayip Erdoan said in a statement that the country will continue to defend its interests and rights in the Mediterranean, Cyprus and the Aegean.
Cypriot Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides told CyBC that Turkey needs to understand that when it invokes international law it cannot do so selectively, Phileleftheros reports. Christodoulides noted that if Turkey trusts international law as much as it claims, then it could respond to the Republic of Cyprus’ call to directly negotiate on maritime delineation.
Diplomatic sources told Phileleftheros that Turkey’s reaction is indicative of the discomfort caused by the declaration and the fact that countries in the region are coordinating. The same sources not that Turkey is more affected by the fact that countries such as France and Egypt are taking part in such regional iniatives.
Phileleftheros notes that in a statement, T/C “prime minister” Ersin Tatar followed Ankara’s political line. Tatar said that while the world is fighting to deal with the coronavirus, some countries try to subvert Turkey’s and the Turkish Cypriots’ rights. He also said that France and the UAE have no say in the region and called on the G/C side to enter a dialogue with Turkey and the T/Cs.
In another development, a French frigate operating in the Eastern Mediterranean started conducting military exercises with live fire near plot 3 of the Cypriot EEZ on Tuesday, Phileleftheros reports. According to the newspaper the excercises will continue on 16/5 and 19/5.
Technical Commitee on Health to assess coronavirus situation
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Internal Security, Human Rights, CBMs, Regional/ International Relations
OVERVIEW
The bicommunal Technical Committee on health is expected to assess the situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic on both sides of the island during a meeting on Wednesday.
The dailies report that only two cases (out of 1,153 lab tests) were detected in the government-controlled areas on Tuesday, briging the total number of cases up to 903. A 72-year-old also passed away on Tuesday. However, the authorities put her death down to underlying medical conditions and not the coronavirus.
In another development, the scientific team of the government is preparing proposals over the opening of the airports, Haravgi reports. Health Ministry scientist Maria Koliou said that the airports are expected to reopen around the middle of June, but that there will be strict controls over who can arrive in Cyprus.
Koliou also said that the scientist team has not yet discussed the issue of reopening the checkpoints.
Politis reports that the Chinese embassy delivered 1,200 protective masks to the office of the UNSG’s special advisor on the Cyprus Problem, which were received by the office’s coordinator Sergiy Illarionov.
In a statement, Chinese ambassador Huang Xingyuan said that the masks will be used by the members of the bicommunal Technical Committees, now that measures are being gradually loosened on both sides.
Phileleftheros focuses on the difference of opinion between T/C leader Mustafa Akinci and “foreign minister” Kudret Ozersay regarding the need to move forward with reopening checkpoints which were closed by the T/C side. The newspaper reports that Akinci called on the bicommunal Technical Committee on Health to come up with proposals regarding the checkpoints, while Ozersay said that the checkpoints issue is not political and that neither side is yet ready to reopen them.
In another story, Phileleftheros reports that volunteers in Cyprus have handed out more than 3,000 aid packages including medicines and necessary supplies, citing an announcement by the government’s commissioner for volunteerism and NGOs. According to the data, which covers the period up to the end of April, 550 volunteers participated all over the government-controlled areas.
Investigation connects explosion in Pyla to crime, not politics
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Internal Security, CBMs
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on an explosion at a bakery in the mixed village of Pyla in the early hours of Tuesday. According to police reports published by the press, the UN and the Police of the Republic of Cyprus investigated the incident and determined that the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device.
Phileleftheros notes that the explosion caused extensive damage to the bakery’s diplay window as well as the interior of the building. The building is reported to belong to a Turkish Cypriot. The newspaper reports, citing information, that the T/C owner is not cooperating with the Police in the investigation over whether he suspects someone for the attack.
However, Haravgi reports that despite the official version of events promoted by the Police, the authorities are in fact investigating whether this attack is connected to an attack on the house of a 44-year-old G/C in Ormidia on April 24th. The attack, which was carried out with a military weapon, is believed to be connected to the target’s business activities in Pyla.
Haravgi also reports that the Police is investigating who is the true owner of the bakery, since it is common practice in the community for G/Cs owners to hide their involvement in businesses.
Alithia reports that the bakery is in fact owned by the G/C from Ormidia, but that the T/C’s name appears on rental documents.
The 44-year-old has told the Police that he is not connected with the bakery, but the Police is certain that the two attacks are connected, Haravgi adds, noting that police officers are keeping a close of watch of the Ormidia house since April 24th.
Alithia points out that the attack in Ormidia is believed to be connected with business and other differences among G/Cs. The newspaper also reports that the bakery stocks a variety of products, including tobacco.
Alithia notes that oftern G/Cs from other areas take advantage of the that T/Cs in Pyla do not pay for electricity since the village is seen as a part of the buffer zone under the authority of the UN, and the discretionary presence of the Police of the RoC and the T/C “police”.