Front Page Headlines
Worst crisis for wineries
Wine sales have plummeted by 60 per cent, many wineries face collapse.
- UN official ‘mishandled’ crossing point dispute
- Cyprus: After 15 years we’re still waiting for gas
- Golden passports: Visa scheme: criticism no longer warranted says interior minister
- Coffeeshop: Cyprob returns with a vengeance with a healthy dose of UN bashing
Greek EEZs: Egypt the key, Cyprus is ready
Deepening of defensive alliances with Israel and EU countries. How the EU’s iniatiative can affect Turkey, the EEZ delineation problems between Cyprus – Greece, Ankara’s base in Libya and hot security issues. The pseudostate model is transferred to Libya. Can the EU succeed in mediation and how? Should greek fighter jets park in Cyprus or not? How allied relations with Israel can be determined.
- Destructive syndromes: “Greece has both a navy and an airforce.” Cyprus? Wihout walls!
- Greek – Turkish relations: On the way to “point zero”
- Analysis: The loot is exchanged with the legitimate in the “city without walls”?
- Numbers in Cyprus during first three months of 2020 and the East Mediterranean route: Countries of asylum seekers under the microscope
- (Editorial) The single stroke of Tahsin Pasha
- Phoibos Klokkaris (opinion): Inaction in front of change of demographics of Cyprus
- Savvas Iacovides (opinion): Erdogan ruthlessly warns Greece of military conflict!
- Xenis Xenophontos (opinion): National coordination while the Turkish beast roars
- Maria Vasileiadou (opinion): End of the dream for an understanding with Turkey
- Dr. Antonis St. Stylianou (opinion): Greece’s first EEZ
- Dr. Avgoustinos (Dinos) Avgousti (opinion): Watch your step neosultan… Learn your limits
We are hostages in the absense of a solution
Ioannis Kasoulides interviewed by “Politis”. It is preferable to have a solution with Erdogan than to not have a solution. State of limbo renders us hostages. I believe that when abolishment of the guarantees was put on the table at Crans Montana, we were closer to a solution than ever before. DISY’s dissonance.
- Economy: The changes to the passport investment programme
- Geopolitics: Greece – Italy EEZ agreement: Truths and lies – Selective readings and the danger of a hot incident
- Legislative elections: Puzzles and the game of names
Erdogan plays hardball
He rejects intervention by third parties towards deescalation of crisis in Eastern Mediterranean. EU and Germany seek role.
- Agents cast themselves as professors: Signs and wonders with fake students
- There is a proposal since 2010: Lack of EEZ between Cyprus – Greece leads to adventures
- Yiannis Toumazis (interview): The 219 works of art are a hopeful view
- Nicos Charalambous: Turkish aims dating back to ’64
- First lady speaks to “Ph”: The greatest aim is the solution of the Cyprus Problem
- Turkish actions a headache for the EU
- The (1947) Conference and the question of lost chances
Safe vaccine in October
Revelation to “K” by Greek CEO of Pfizer pharmaceutical company, Dr. Albert Bourla.
- AKEL: Searching for its ideological stigma
- Nicos Christodoulides: Differences are not solved with hot incidents
- Geopolitics: Turkey aims for three energy projects
- Turkey: Erdogan – admirals at battle positions
- Chief of GEETHA: Square logic and knowledge of history
- Greek – Turkish relations: How Greece will avoid a crisis
Involve Parliament in approving Attorney General
- International news: Turkey heads to uncharted waters… and premature elections
- EEZ delineation in Eastern Mediterranean
- The background to the renewal of UNFICYP’s mandate
- Residents of areas in SBAs waiting
Parliamentary elections in shadow of coronavirus
Parties expect to finalise election tickets in the autumn. There’s still way to go before legislative elections next May, but first processes slowly begin. Which of the 56 MPs definitely withdraw, which are in danger and which are certain they’ll have a seat. Changes in new parliament not expected to be big and impressive, except if some small parties “disappear”.
- Analysis: Hague is the only solution for EEZs of Cyprus and islands
- Article – intervention: The essense of Enosis has already been achieved
Main News
Christodoulides: Cyprus and Greece are in talks for EEZ delineation
Kathimerini, Politis
Negotiations Process, Energy, External Security, Internal Security, CBMs, EU Matters
Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides told Kathimerini in an interview that Greece and Cyprus are discussing the delineation of their EEZs, adding that Cyprus wants to avoid a military confrontation between Greece and Turkey since it would have unexpected consequences.
When asked to comment on information that Greece and Cyprus are more open to discussing EEZ delineation, Christodoulides insisted that it’s a mistake to think that the issue isn’t on the agenda. He added that any public announcements will be made only when the time is right.
Responding to a question on how talks between Cyprus and Greece on the issue can be effective without the participation of Turkey and Egypt, Christodoulides said that such a discussion falls within the sovereign rights of the two countries. He added that Cyprus has called Turkey to negotiate with Cyprus over their EEZs, that the country has already signed a deal with Egypt in 2003 and that Greece is currently discussing the possibility with Egypt.
Regarding the agreement signed between Greece and Italy, Christodoulides said that it is very important since it confirms the principle that islands have a right to maritime areas. He also pointed out the importance of the fact that the two countries respected the approach of drawing maritime boundaries on the median line, followed by most countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. This principle was also the basis of Cyprus’s maritime delineation agreements with Egypt, Israel and Lebanon, he pointed out.
Responding to criticisms over the lack of reaction by the EU to Turkish actions, the FM said that Ankara uses its economic ties with EU countries and its role in managing migration to get concessions. He added that last year was the first time since the freezing of the country’s accession chapters that the EU imposed sanctions that are not limited to statements.
Responding to criticisms that he had said the Cypriot EEZ is shielded against Turkey, a statement later belied by Turkey’s drilling operations in plot 6, Christodoulides insisted that the EEZ is politically and legally shielded. He said that despite Turkey’s attempts to cast doubt on Cyprus’s agreements with Isreal and Egypt, Ankara wasn’t successful.
Christodoulides did admit that on a third level, that of prevention and defence, Cyprus does not have the necessary means. He said that though that he never said that the relations of Cyprus with regional countries would prevent Turkey from acting in an illegal way.
Regarding the trilateral agreements with countries of the region, Christodoulides rejected criticisms that they are ineffective and pointed out that no one essentially disagrees with regional cooperation. He also said that those that are critical both say that these trilaterals are ineffective and also that they anger Turkey are counter productive, and said that these criticisms are contradictory.
On the issue of checkpoints, Christodoulides said that he does believe that the fact that they are open is positive since it shows that the two communities can interact peacefully, but added they should not be seen as a return of normality but as a step facilitating reunification. He pointed out that the fact that checkpoints remain closed is a result of Tatar’s and Ozersay’s policy, which he assumed happens with Turkey’s approval.
Regarding UNFICYP head Elizabeth Spehar, Christodoulides avoided answering the question whether she is now a persona non grata, but said that this is not about her as a person. He added that the UN’s reaction on the T/C behaviour regarding checkpoints was lukewarm and essentially encourages those working against reunification.
Meanwhile, in an interview to Politis, former foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulides pointed out that in the absence of a solution Cyprus remains hostage to Turkey’s behaviour. Responding to a question on whether a deal can be reached with Turkish President Erdogan, Kasoulides pointed out that a deal is better than allowing Erdogan to intervene in Cypriot affairs with no agreements controlling his behaviour.
Kasoulidis also said that Crans Montana brought everyone closer to a solution than ever before, since it was the first time that guarantees were put on the table. He underlined that citizens would have seen the overall prospect of a solution in a more positive light if the involved parties had arrived at a satisfactory solution regarding security and guarantees.
He recognised that the G/C side’s mistake after Crans Montana was to allow time to pass without puishing for a return to negotiations on the basis of Antonio Guterres’s guidelines. The G/C side should have taken iniatives to change the negative situation, he said.
G/C parties start planning ahead of 2021 legislative elections
Alithia, Haravgi, Kathimerini, Phileleftheros, Politis
Governance & Power Sharing, Negotiations Process
Kathimerini reports that AKEL is facing political dilemmas ahead of the legislative elections of 2021, including the dilemma over its potential alliance with DIKO for the 2023 Presidential election. In an analysis, the newspaper that the opposition party is in a difficult position regarding the economy since it has been unable to formulate a new proposal.
The newspaper points out that the party had been able to effectively point out issues regarding to corruption before the pandemic, but that the largely succesful handling of the coronavirus crisis by the government has completely changed the agenda. This shift caught AKEL unprepared, leading to mistakes in the handling of the discussion over the government’s support package.
Party sources told the newspaper that ahead of the elections, AKEL aims to reclaim voters it has lostover the years and regain the prospect of returning to power. However the dilemma lies on whether to ally with citizen groups and the progressive right-wing that support a push towards solution, or whether to ally with DIKO and the politica center.
Both Politis and Alithia analyse the party politics dynamics ahead of the looming pre-election period. DISY aims to maintain first place by retaining more than 30% of the vote, by attracting voters that had chosen Solidarity or ELAM in previous elections. However the difficulty will lie in balancing this with the need to attract more progressive voters. DISY also wants to involve more members of civil society into its leadership.
AKEL meanwhile, is reported to be currently focusing on its ideological conference in November. The aim in the opposition party however is to regain lost voters by focusing on corruption, social security and the Cyprus Problem.
DIKO faces the challenge of giving its election ticket a forward looking profile, while also holding together voters that are tempted with voting other centrist parties including splinter party DIPA. DIKO is also expected to include candidates in its ticket that have left other parties such as Solidarity of Citizens’ Alliance. The party is expected to start discussing the elections in autumn.
EDEK also aims to maintain its percentage after a period filled with internal struggles, especially during the public spat with MEP Demetris Papadakis. The leadership of the party wants to show that the party can turn a new page, and is expected to approach candidates from other parties
The Greens are expected to run without their Yiorgos Perdikis, with the party chosing to focus on younger candidates known for their active participation in civil society. In fact, the Greens are expected to start discussing a possible change in leadership in June.
Meanwhile, the plans of Solidarity and Citizens’ Alliance remain unclear since the collapse of their effort to find common ground and run on a joint ticket. Yiorgos Lillikas is reportedly reconsidering his intention to leave the leadership of Alliance ELAM is expected to focus on localities and regions where the far-right group is stronger, while DIPA is still expected to define its political positions by the end of autumn before setting up its ticket.
Phileleftheros and Haravgi report on a joint statement issued by AKEL, leftist T/C parties and G/C citizen iniatives of the left and the progressive right, regarding the need for cooperation after the end of the pandemic. The organisations call for the two sides to use the advise of experts through the bicommunal Technical Committee on Health in order to push through the reopening of the checkpoints as soon as possible.
The parties also point out that they support the restart of negotiations after the elections for T/C leader in October.