Front Page Headlines
(Attorney-general) Costas Clerides’ last battle
The correspondence on his pay and retirement date. In February he ruled he should retire on July 8 but in June he changed his mind and wants to stay for 23 more days. He served his pre-retirement leave and claimed compensation that exceeds his monthly salary of €12,000.
- Borrell-Greece: We will defend the EU’s borders
- Mini (cabinet) reshuffle with surprises – He chose ‘from within’ but not politicians. The president moved fast, catching by surprise even his associates. The appointments are deemed technocratic in their majority.
Balances with a horizon
We reveal the backstage on the president’s choices as regards the new government formation. He gave the opportunity for guesses for 2023 (presidential elections).
- Borrell arrives in Cyprus for an autopsy of the Turkish provocations
- Tensions at crossings – Anticipation on the opening of the Limnitis crossing, protests by TCs at Pergamos.
New appointments settle old scores
The president cashed cheques, settled old scores… with the appointment of the new faces in cabinet. The loudest example is the appointment of lawyer Emily Yiolitis as justice minister. New face-surprise is the appointment of Charalambos Petrides as defence minister. Natasa Pilides’ appointment at the energy ministry was expected.
- Relief at Limnitis, tension at Pergamos
- Borrell suggests dialogue with Turkey: In Cyprus today for contacts
‘Visa’ turf war in old Nicosia
Fatal stabbing caused by rival agents charging thousands to enter Cyprus.
- (Photo caption) Demonstration at Pergamos crossing point on Wednesday after a TC family were not allowed back because their children did not have health certificates.
The president put a stop to rumours
With his moves on the cabinet reshuffle and the changes at the Legal Service.
- Limnitis crossing opens tomorrow – Intervention by Anastasiades.
- (Greek FM) Dendias to Turkey: Yes to dialogue but not under threats
Main News
Top EU diplomat on a two-day visit to Cyprus
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
EU Matters, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell will be on the island on Thursday on a two-day official visit for contacts to discuss Turkey’s illegal activities in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), among other things, the dailies report.
The papers also report that Borrell was in Greece on Wednesday where he also visited the Greek borders of Evros, accompanied by Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.
According to the papers, Borrell, during his contacts in Cyprus will discuss Turkey’s activities off the island, the EU-Turkish relations and the latest developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Borrell will meet Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides and they are also expected to hold extended consultations with the participation of officials from delegations of the ministry of foreign affairs and the European External Action Service. The consultations are expected to focus on Turkey’s ongoing illegal activities in the maritime zones of the Republic of Cyprus and the wider context of the EU’s relations with Turkey from that angle.
Other issues related to the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, including the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) are to also be discussed.
Borrell is to also have a meeting with President Nicos Anastasiades.
The dailies also report that, during his Greece visit, Borrell said that the EU is determined to protect the external borders of the European Union and to strongly support Greece’s sovereignty.
He said he expedited his visit to Greece because the European Council talked a lot about the situation in Greece, because Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and also the President of Cyprus explained to their colleagues the situation of the relationship with Turkey.
During his visit to Evros, Borrell said he
was briefed about Turkey’s overflights and the violations of the Greek
national airspace and territorial sea and stated that the EU is “determined to
protect its external borders and to strongly support Greece’s sovereignty”.
At the same time, he highlighted the importance of opening communication
channels with Turkey for stopping the dynamics of escalation. He added that it
is in the interest of the European Union and Turkey and Greece, to try to solve
the current difficulties and improve their relations.
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said that Turkey blatantly disregards Europe’s repeated calls for respect of international legitimacy. He also said Athens has tangibly demonstrated its willingness and ability to solve long-standing differences with its neighbours, based on international law, the Law of the Sea and the principles of good neighbourly relations. He added that Greece is always open to dialogue, but is not prepared to discuss under duress or help legitimise Turkey’s persistent violations of legality.
Pointing out that dialogue between neighbouring countries with opposite coasts for the delimitation of their EEZs and continental shelves is the way forward, according to international law of the sea, Dendias said Greece has repeatedly stressed, at the highest level, its willingness to discuss this issue in good faith with Turkey but strictly in the framework of international law and international law of the sea.
KEY ACTORS
Borrell (EU)
>> The EU is determined to protect its external borders and to strongly support Greece’s sovereignty.
>> It is important to open communication channels with Turkey since it would help defuse tensions in the East Med & because it is in the interest of the EU, Turkey and Greece to try to solve the current difficulties & improve their relations.
Dendias
>> Turkey blatantly disregards Europe’s repeated calls for respect of international legitimacy.
>> Athens has proved its willingness and ability to solve long standing differences with its neighbours based on international law & the principles of good neighbourly relations and is always open to dialogue, but will not discuss under duress or help legitimise Turkey’s violations of legality.
>> Athens is willing to discuss maritime border issues with Turkey but strictly in the framework of international law & the law of the sea.
Limnitis crossing to open on Friday
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
CBMs, Economy, Internal Security
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that Limnitis crossing is expected to open on Friday, while tensions rose at the crossing in Pergamos over the refusal by British bases’ police to allow TC children to cross from the north without a Covid-19 certificate.
The dailies report that Kato Pyrgos community leader Nicos Cleanthous announced on Wednesday that President Nicos Anastasiades informed him that the Limnitis crossing will open on Friday, bringing relief to the Tylliria area’s residents.
Cleanthous welcomed the development and thanked the president for his intervention which led to the opening of the crossing. The community had warned they would take measures if the crossing was not opened.
Phileleftheros reports that Friday will show if the TC side’s promises as regards Limnitis crossing will be kept.
It also reports that the government has given instructions that TCs working in the public sector and semi-governmental organisations and who were not able to get to their workplaces due to the closure of the crossings, receive their full salaries.
All dailies also report on the protest held at Pergamos crossing by TCs living in Pyla after the refusal by the bases police that runs the crossing to allow a family cross from the north back to the village because the children were not tested for coronavirus.
The papers quote a bases spokesperson saying that they are advising anyone wishing to use the Pergamos crossing point into the north that they will need to present a negative coronavirus test certificate to return to the south. The spokesperson also said that the bases are in step with the measures in place by the Republic of Cyprus and that anyone wishing to cross without the test certificate is subject to enforcement action.
Israel asks Cyprus’ help to mitigate EU reaction to US peace plan
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Phileleftheros, Politis
Regional/International Relations, EU Matters, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that Israel asked Nicosia during this week’s visit of Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides to Tel Aviv to help moderate the EU’s response to the Israeli plan to pursue the Donald Trump peace plan for the Middle East.
The request was made during Christodoulides’ meeting on Tuesday at Ben Gurion airport with his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi who asked Nicosia to help moderate the EU’s response to the Israeli plan to pursue Donald Trump’s peace plan for the Middle East which envisages the annexation of 30 per cent of the West Bank, including all the settlements and the Jordan Valley.
Cyprus Mail reports, however, that the Cyprus government has appeared reluctant to satisfy Israel’s request. Citing Christodoulides’ statements to Politis radio, the paper reports that the minister said that for the moment, the plan does not align with Cyprus’ views on the matter, “so we cannot give our support to it and vouch for its effectiveness in front of the EU.”
Christodoulides was quoted as saying, on his return, that the Cyprus Republic was aligned with the position of the EU on the West Bank and that any solution could not deviate from the framework of the UN resolutions. “The annexation of land in a foreign country, initiated by a plan by the US president is not an issue for the Republic of Cyprus,” Christodoulides told Politis radio, the daily reported.
The Israeli foreign ministry also issued an official statement calling on Cyprus to serve as a moderating voice in the discourse with European countries.
KEY ACTORS
Christodoulides (RoC FM)
>> Nicosia cannot back the US ME peace plan at EU level since it does not align with Cyprus’ views on the matter.
>> Nicosia adopts the EU’s position on the West Bank that any solution cannot deviate from the framework of the UN resolutions.
Ashkenazi (Israeli FM)
>> Israel wants Cyprus to serve as a moderating voice in the discourse with European countries on Trump’s peace plan.
Claims by Arabs of TC roots a headache for authorities
Phileleftheros, Politis
Migration & Citizenship, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that a court case concerning the request by a woman from Jordan to be granted the Cypriot citizenship after getting married to a naturalised Cypriot, has brought to light another issue, that of claims by Arabs that they have TC roots.
The woman was forced to seek legal recourse after waiting for 10 years to receive an answer for her citizenship application because the competent state services linked her case with that of scores of people from Arab countries who claim to have TC ancestors and want to be granted Cypriot citizenship.
Politis reported that the woman had filed a citizenship application in 2010 as the spouse of a man, also from Jordan, who had been naturalised after stating he was the grandson of a TC woman.
After the immigration department did not examine her application, the woman took the case to court complaining of unjustified delay.
But the wider issue, according to the papers, are the scores of citizenship applications the government has received by Arabs claiming to have TC ancestors, the veracity of which, in most cases, is not easy to confirm.
Phileleftheros reports that these applications have been pending since 2009. This is because the Civil Registry and Migration Department, based on information received from diplomatic missions of the Republic of Cyprus abroad and by the state security authorities, cannot verify whether these individuals are in fact descendants of TCs. The migration department learned that in some cases, the authorities of the Arab countries from which most of the applicants come from, issue birth certificates and other similar documents based on the testimony of those concerned and not according to the information they have in their files, while it discovered forged documents from a specific Arab country.
The delay was also due to the fact that there are many such applications, which are processed only by three officials, according to Phileleftheros.