Front Page Headlines
No deal on UK university fees
No special status for Cypriot students, but hopes for deal over soldiers forced to defer.
- President says government not bugging former advisor
- Fake students: How the proposed measures to clamp down on illegal immigrants will work
- Famagustan hits back at claims of 1974 exodus
- Water shortage in the north
- Comment: Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia should stay a museum
Nightmare scenarios for labour issues
Support programmes end in October and business will make critical decisions. Unemployment estimated to increase for the first time after 2013 in November, with the possibility of going over 20% in the worst case scenarios.
- Hagia Sophia: Prey to Erdogan’s whims – He decides on coup anniversary
- Merger at Foreign Office: Dominic Cummings again involved…
- Greco-French alliance: “Yellow warning” in Eastern Mediterranean
- Examples and plans: The “islamisation” of the European Union
- After his travels to Greece and Cyprus, he goes tomorrow to Erdogan to figure it out…: Borrell’s “broken wings”
- (Editorial) A prayer to Allah…
- Analysis by Ph. Klokkaris: The reasons for the downgrading of the Republic of Cyprus’s defence
- Analysis by A. Pentaras: The search-and-rescue obligation and defence
- Antis Loizou (opinion): The blame for bad state of Cypriot defence
- Savvas Iacovides (opinion): Hellenism and the militarisation of Turkish foreign policy
- Dr. Eleni Theocharous (opinion): You do not negotiate with pirates
Auditing Council to replace Auditor General
Andros Kyprianou: We will bring back AKEL’s proposal. Tripartite auditing organ with six-year term that can be renewed only once. No institution and no state official can be above control. The issue was discussed with the President as well since constitutional amendments are needed. Terms also for Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General to avoid the creation of vested interests. They throw gauntlet at DISY.
- European Union: Germany at the forefront
Secrets in Berlin
Erdogan’s advisor had lengthy discussions in Chancellery about Eastern Mediterranean. Germany does not want a crisis during its EU Presidency.
- Two strong arguments: Varosha properties issue goes to new Attorney General
- Michalis Kontos (analysis): The importance of defence for Cyprus
- Continental shelf and EEZ in the Aegean
- The Diaskeptiki conference and intransigence
EU – USA intervention to Turkey to avoid crisis
Moves within the next few days, President Anastasiades reveals in an interview with “K”.
- Varosha: Approaching sensitive issues for Famagusta with care
- Occupied areas: Concerns over opening to Turkey
- Libya: Erdogan’s plans tested in Sirte
- Hagia Sophia a tool for propaganda
- Editorial: EU’s principles
- Andreas Paraschos (opinion): From Imia to Nicosia
Big con over state supported loans
- International: Turkey a difficult partner for the EU
- (Stefanou) Three years of drought in Cyprus issue left negative results
A new era in transport
Starting today in Nicosia and Larnaca. A new fleet of hyper-modern buses will make transport more comfortable, safer and with more precise timetables. The new buses have a unique sterilisation system that is applied in an EU country for the first time. Other districts and intercity transport wiating because of objections and ongoing procedures.
- Nicos Dendias: Appealing to The Hague a distant possibility
- Analysis: Is the military option a possibility for Cyprus?
- Article- intervention: Homesickness for Famagusta
- Coronavirus: Three new cases yesterday in Cyprus
Main News
Anastasiades expects US and EU to appeal to Turkey for de-escalation
Kathimerini
Negotiations Process, External Security, EU Matters
President Anastasiades told Kathimerini in an interview that he expects the EU and the US to take specific steps and to appeal to Turkey in order to prevent further escalation in the region. Anastasiades underlined during his interview that Cyprus chooses the path of diplomacy to solve problems instead of military escalation because that is the way of patriotic realism.
According to Anastasiades, the EU has progressively made some steps against Turkey, initially giving its verbal support and later agreeing for the first time on sanctions. He admitted that there are strong interests that worked against the decision to take more intense measures, but added that the EU has no other option than to actively support its Cyprus against Turkey’s behaviour.
Anastasiades also responded to criticism that he failed in taking advantage of the opportunity to solve the Cyprus Problem during the Crans Montana conference. He pointed out that it was during his term that the EU for the first time participated in the negotiations, that the T/Cs submitted a proposal on the chapter of territorial adjustments and that Turkey was brought to the negotiation table. Anastasiades pointed out that he had asked Mustafa Akinci to jointly announce all achieved convergences, but that the T/C leader had refused.
The President insisted that the G/C side had expended all necessary efforts to arrive at a comprehensive solution in Crans Montana, and added that the failure of the conference was due to Turkey intervening in the process and the inability of the T/C side to stick to commitments made during the negotiations process.
He added that he is saddened that some have been carried away by intentional leaks by “circles close to the UN” and have adopted other narratives.
Germany works for de-escalation for sake of Turkey – EU relations
Phileleftheros
External Security, Energy, EU Matters
Phileleftheros reports that Turkish President Erdogan’s advisor, Ibrahim Kalin, had secret meetings with the office of German chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of the discussion on Turkey – EU relations in the Foreign Affairs Council and during the next European Council.
Germany has the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU for the next six months, the newspaper recalls. According to Phileleftheros, Germany does not want tensions with Turkey to escalate during its presidency of the EU, and it is for this reason the country is making contacts with all concerned parties. Berlin sees the situation in Libya as an immediate priority, with Greco-Turkish relations and the Cypriot EEZ following suit.
According to information cited by the newspaper, Kalin visited Berlin about 10 days ago in order to discuss EU – Turkish relations as well as bilateral relations with Merkel’s team. Phileleftheros reports that these meetings had no immediate results as Kalin kept to his government’s approach regarding Turkey’s rights in the region.
However, it is reported, Germany will continue to work on a dialogue with Turkey, as seen during a telephone conversation between Merkel and Erdogan, as well as during Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visit to Berlin where he saw German counterpart Heiko Maas to discuss issues related to tourism.
Phileleftheros reports that when it comes to the Eastern Mediterranean, Germany prioritises the effort to contain the situation in Libya and avoid a further escalation of the war which could include other countries in the region. Germany is reportedly especially concerned regarding an increase in refugee flows. Also, Germany is said to partly share French concerns that Turkey is attempting to dominate the situation in Libya.
Germany also wants to avoid Turkey and Greece escalating their tension into a military tension, which is why Greek Foreign Minister Nicos Dendias is also expected to visit Berlin.
The situation in the Cypriot EEZ is the third issue on Germany’s radar. Germany does not believe that there will be a conflict in the area, but is sending a message that involved countries must find a formula to defuse tensions.
The newspaper points out that so far Germany had prevented the imposition of sanctions on Turkey due to the two countries’ economic relations. This was done through the help of a network of allies in the European Council, Phileleftheros recalls.
Phileleftheros also points out that currently a lot of countries in the EU prefer for Turkey to take the initiative in Libya rather than Russia.