Front Page Headlines
Cards oust cash as king
Cyprus was late in the game of digital payments, but the virus has changed all that.
- Cyprus: Turkey says EU ‘hostage’ to Greece, Cyprus
- A story of violence and resentment
EastMed goes to Parliament and Erdogan goes to Crete
New announcements at the end of May on energy – No problems for now with ENI-TOTAL. No change on Israel policy on pipe, new Foreign Ministry of the country like a red rag to a bull for Turkey. Smooth relations with Italy despite differences over Libya issue. How Erdogan was trapped in the straits of the pendulum policy. Why the ECB and the US Federal Reserve closed the door to Turkey.
- Analysis: USA, Russia and Britain dispute our EEZ
- Common declaration: Presence of France in the EEZ a headache for Ankara
- Turkish FM: “EU acts like it is the representative of Greece and Cyprus”
- Hundred years of Lyssarides: The political influence of the Doctor in the birth and the evolution of the Cypriot state
- Yiorgos Kentas (opinion): A new submission to Turkey without terms
- Savvas Iacovides (opinion): The collapse of Turkey – occupied areas a golden opportunity for Greece and Cyprus
- Loizos Papaconstantinou (opinion): EU of the 26 member states is weaker than a pirate state
Our educators are the weakest link
“Where we observe a weakness is with the teachers who, and I do accuse them, were not trained on the system so that it can perform as expected”. “Our intention to close the checkpoints was not due to political reasons. Of course not! It was during my term that another two opened”. At the “Presidency Monastery”.
- Poll by RetailZoom: Domination by DISY – AKEL, Garoyian appears
- Economy: What to expect from Europe
- Money laundering: Brussels clamps down
US “distributes” gas
Ideas are being developed for a discussion between G/Cs and T/Cs to “diffuse tension”. Openings by Washington to Ankara.
- Conducive environment for new provocations by Turkey
One million tourists is the target for this year
Positive messages for starting tourism on July 1st, security protocolls and the arrival of the first tourists.
- Occupied areas: Many problems because of the virus
- M. Sizopoulos: Ballot for ’21 to be much stronger
- Turkey: President Erdogan at IMF’s gates
Wealth is not evidence of integrity
- Status quo stories: Days of quarantine
- Bicommunal Committee for Health a shining example of cooperation
- Quarantine did not affect the work of the Committee for Cultural Heritage
- Horizon: We cannot meet but we want to create
- Turkey: Polarisation inside the countries, tension outside
Three bills to block illegal migration
Anyone involved in mock weddings will be punished with up to 7 years in prison and fines up to 20,000 euros.
- Article: On occasion of the book “A story of violence and resentment”
- Analysis: Even the coronavirus cannot kill off the Cyprus Problem. It is waiting for us round the next corner
- You are hostages of the G/Cs: Furious response by Ankara to the statement of the 27 FMs
Main News
US floats proposal on bicommunal committee on natural gas
Kathimerini, Phileleftheros, Politis
External Security, Energy, Regional/ International Relations, Negotiations Process, EU Matters
The US State Department has been promoting a formula for natural gas to be discussed between the two sides before a comprehensive solution in order to bring down regional tensions, Phileleftheros reports.
Sources cited by the newspaper point out that at this stage, these ideas are being floated in order to gauge reactions by all involved parties. The formula is reportedly based on the argument that T/Cs canno tbe left waiting to benefit from natural gas when a comprehensive solution is not forthcoming in the near future.
The formula aims to integrate ideas brought forward by both sides, the newspaper reports. Phileleftheros recalls that in 2019 T/C leader Mustafa Akinci had submitted a proposal, prepared by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, for managing natural gas exploration through a bicommunal committee, and that President Anastasiades responded by submitting a non-paper with his own proposals.
Akinci’s proposal included the creation of a joint committee under the auspices of the UN with the participation of the EU as an observer. Also, all licensing given so far would be respected, also including licensed granted by the “TRNC” to Turkish state TPAO. The committee would create a fund where income from natural gas would be used towards the equitable development of the two communities as well as for the future settling of outstanding property claims.
Anastasiades’s response had been to propose the creation of a mechanism to keep the T/C community informed of all developments and the creation of a bank account connected to the RoC’s Hydrocarbon Fund, where 30% of any income would be put aside for the T/Cs. Anastasiades had also pointed out that it is agreed that natural resources will be a federal competency after a solution.
The newspaper notes that the US aims to reduce regional tensions due to the fact that American companies, such as ExxonMobil, are involved in the Eastern Meditarreanean, and points out that the US and Turkey are currently attempting rapprochement after a long period of tensions.
Phileleftheros points out that there are multiple dangers in the American approach: firstly a bicommunal dialogue on natural gas could go on interminably in the same way that Cyprus Problem negotiations have gone, and secondly, such an agreement would remove any motive Turkey can have to want a solution. The newspaper also points out that Turkey still does not accept the delineation of the Cypriot EEZ as defined by international law.
Politis reports that the developments in Greek – Turkish relations as well as recent development in Syria set the basis for intense diplomacy within 2020. According to the newspaper, no significant developments should be expected in the Cyprus Problem, given the uncertainty over the elections in the north as well as the regional tensions.
According to the report, the EU is not expected to move to stricter sanctions against Turkey, which means that Nicosia will have to face multiple faits accomplis after the coronavirus crisis subsides. The report also notes that Turkey’s relations with the EU will also be affected by its policy in Libya and Syria, and underlines the fact that the Greek Foreign Ministry recently abolished its Cyprus Problem directorate, and unified matters relating to Cyprus, Turkey and the Middle East under a single directorate.
In a seperate analysis, former advisor to President Anastasiades and later to former Commissioner Christos Stylianides, Makarios Droushotis, writes that Cypriot foreign policy has turned from Russia to France, since Moscow seems to give less and less attention to the issue. According to the resport, France is mainly interested in developments in Libya due to its interests in the country.
Droushotis points out that Cyprus is once again attaching itself to a major power that will use it for a period of time according to its own interests, and underlines that the only way to end tensions with Turkey is to normalise Cypriot – Turkish relations through a solution. The analyst notes that behind Turkey’s aggression hides a need for cooperation.
Kathimerini reports that Ankara is promoting in its rherotirc the idea that the G/Cs and Greece are part of a coalition against Turkey, which includes the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and France. The newspaper cites an article by the editor-in-chief of Turkish government-aligned newspaper Yeni Safak.
Anastasiades inteview: Decision on checkpoints was not political
Politis
CBMs, Internal Security, Governance & Power Sharing
President Anastasiades rejected criticisms that the decision of the G/C side to close down some of the checkpoints was political, in an interview with Politis.
Anastasiades told Politis that the reason the government decided to temporarily close down some of the checkpoints was related not to the Turkish Cypriots but to the fact that students from affected countries such as Iran and Turkey are studying in universities in the occupied areas. He also pointed out that after that point measures became progressively tougher, leading to the closing of airports a week later.
When asked when the government plans to move ahead with reopening checkpoints, Anastasiades said that the government never intended to close all checkpoints. He said that some checkpoints were temporarily and preentively closed to facilitate health checks in those that remained open.
Anastasiades added that the checkpoints that were closed were carefully selected, and cited the example of Ledra street as a passage where it would be impossible to implement effective checks. Citizens could still cross through the Ledra Palace checkpoint and the Agios Dhometios checkpoint, Anastasiades added. He recalled that the total shutdown of the checkpoints was a decision taken by the T/C side.
He underlined that the decision was not political in nature, adding the phrase “heaven forbid!”, and pointed out that it was during his term that another two checkpoints were opened. Anastasiades also said that if they had agreed with Akinci, or if the Turkish army allowed it, the Pyroi and Kokkina checkpoints would have also opened.
When asked if the reopening of the checkpoints is a priority, Anastasiades said that it is, and that decisions will be taken in conjuction with epidemiological updates. He insisted that checkpoints could not remain closed if airports reopen, and added that even if some checkpoints remain closed others will remain open. According to Anastasiades, the reopening of all checkpoints is a matter of time.
Anastasiades also commented on the issue of the 1,500 T/C workers that want to return to their employment in the south. He said that the G/C side is not the one causing the problem, and that T/Cs have continued receiving the benefits they are entitled to.
Anastasiades also rejected criticisms that the assistance sent by the EU to the T/C community overlooks the authority of the RoC, and pointed out that he had said during a recent European Council that the RoC is ready to accept an increase of assistance to the occupied areas.
When asked whether he would support Akinci during the pre-election campaign, Anastasiades said that he would not want to intervene in internal matters of the T/C community and pointed out that if he did so he could contribute in Akinci’s defeat. He recalled that something like this had happened in the past with another candidate, without naming him.
Regarding the Cyprus Problem, Anastasiades said that curently Akinci is being pressured by his T/C opponents and by Turkey, which is the reason why Turkey has not assisted the occupied areas.
Poll: Majority of G/Cs wants checkpoints to reopen in the summer
Kathimerini, Politis
CBMs, Internal Security, Governance & Power Sharing, Negotiations Process
Politis also publishes the results of its latest poll on how citizens view the measures related to the coronavirus, including their position on reopening checkpoints and on the Cyprus Problem. The respondents were also asked which party they would vote for if elections were held the next Sunday.
In a question on when airports should reopen, 8% said immediately, 27% said at the beginning of June, 32% said at the beginning of July and 25% said sometime during the summer, while 8% responded they do not know.
Regarding the checkpoints, 19% they should open immediately, 42% said they should open at the same time as airports and 34% said never, while 5% said they don’t know. The percentage of those that want checkpoints to reopen among those aged 18 – 34 is higher than the average, reaching 27%. The percentage of those aged 55 and above who want the checkpoints to never reopen is at 38%.
The highest percentage by district of those who want checkpoints to reopen immediately is 20% in Nicosia, and the highest percentage of those that want them never to reopen is in Paphos with 54%.
When asked whether they believe a solution to the Cyprus Problem is more or less likely after the pandemic, 12% said it is closer, 52% said it’s less likely and 10% said they are indifferent. 26% said they do not know. 53% of university educated respondents and 45% of secondary-school educated responded believe the solution is further away.
Governing DISY and opposition AKEL lead the poll with 33% and 23%. Mario Garoyian’s DIPA, which had broken away from Nicolas Papadopoulos’s DIKO, is in the third place with 6%, while DIKO falls to fourth place with 4%.
The Greens and far-right ELAM also get 4%. Eleni Theocharous’s Solidarity, Yiorgos Lillikas’s Citizens’ Alliance and Marinos Sizopoulos’s EDEK are in the bottom three with 2%, 1% and 1% respectively.
Also, 15% of respondents said they would vote for none of the above and 7% said they would not vote.
AKEL seems to be more popular among younger respondents (33% of 18-34) while DISY was more popular among older respondents (41% of 55+). The poll was conducted online, through invites sent to Politis subscribers and through the newspaper’s website and social media accounts.
A report by Kathimerini cites statements by three T/C journalists regarding the situation in the occupied areas due to the pandemic as well as the issue of the checkpoints. Former director of Kibris, Ali Baturay, the head of Genc TV, Nazar Eriskin and head of the T/C Journalist Union Sami Ozuslu, told the newspaper that despite claims by the “government” that the north has succesfully come out of the crisis, in fact T/C society is still in a deep socioeconomic crisis.