Front Page Headlines
Measures intentions and “grey zones” Kastelorizo
Turkish NAVTEX creates a new front of tension with Greece and EU. K. Mitsotakis: Imposition of sanctions a one way street. Greece follows the situation with calmness and confidence hoping for the support of its allies. US and Germany call on Turkey to stop provocations in Greece and Cyprus. Solidarity from the German Presidency of the EU. Greek military forces put on alert yesterday, while Navy ships headed to area bound by Turkey in its NAVTEX.
- EU leaders agreement: We plan where the money will go
- Campaign for tourism: “Civil war” for Famagusta
- Hagia Sophia: Imamoglu and Kilicdaroglu will not go
Navy came out to the Aegean
Greek military forces on high readiness after Turkish actions. Nicosia and Athens keep open communication line.
- Support with preconditions: Cyprus’s share from EU’s decision is 2.7 billion euro
- Citizen protest today: Intense reactions in Aglandjia over asylum seeker reception centre
- Long way ahead, professor Diaitis says: Cyprus asked for 1.2 million vaccines for coronavirus
- Candidacies for Aglandjia municipality tomorrow
- Industrial units choke asylum centre
Turkey increases tension in East Mediterranean
Erdogan: We will be a world power in energy. Greek armed forces on alert. Egyptian troops sent to Libya.
- Clash of interests in summit of “27”
- Optimism over Oxford vaccine. Cyprus requests supply with 1.2 million vaccines
‘Turkey does not need permission’
Erdogan: Ankara can decide on drilling in East Med, Greece on high alert.
- Cyprus will need 1.2 million Covid vaccines
- Cyprus: President, FM say are ‘happy’ with EU deal
Erdogan increases tension
He sent the Oruc Reis to Kastelorizo. Aegean on war footing. Greek army on alert. Leaves of absence cancelled in Evros and Islands. K. Mitsotakis: An aggressive move, imposition of sanctions on Turkey a one way street. T. Erdogan: We do not need anyone’s permission for our seismic research vessels and our drilling ships.
- The 27 EU leaders finally achieved a deal on recovery plan: Compromise, but with winners and losers – Cyprus will draw funds up to 2.7 billion euros and considers deal particularly beneficial for the country
- Coronavirus: We reserved 1.2 million vaccines
Main News
Turkey issues Navtex for seismic research south of Antalya and Kastelorizo
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Oikonomiki Kathimerini, Phileleftheros, Politis
External Security, Energy, Regional/ International Relations, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
Turkey issued a NAVTEX binding an area south of the Greek island of Kastelorizo and the Turkish city of Antalya on Tuesday. Dailies report that Greece responded by putting its military on alert, indicating that the act will not go unanswered, while pointing to the need of EU sanctions.
The navigational advisory binds an area south of Antalya as well as south of Kastelorizo, between Cyprus and Crete, until August 2nd, for seismic surveys to be conducted by Turkish research ship “Oruc Reis”.
Phileleftheros also reports that the Greek military has observed increased activity by the Turkish air force, and that the Turkish navy has moved to the area where “Oruc Reis” is expected to operate. Politis points out that until late last night, the “Oruc Reis” had not left the port of Antalya
Diplomatic sources told Politis that the move could be an attempt by Ankara to scope out Athens’s intentions ahead and an attempt to create another “grey area”, or possibly to end to the effort begun by Germany to bring Greece and Turkey to the negotiating table. The same source pointed out that area bound by the new NAVTEX is not within the area defined by Turkey as part of its EEZ through its memorandum with Libya. It pointed out also that the area touches on the Egyptian EEZ and covers part of the Cypriot EEZ where no licences have been awarded.
Greek diplomatic sources also told Politis that they could not rule out the possibility that Turkey will not go forward with research in areas considered as a part of the Greek EEZ, and will focus on areas that Turkey can legitimately claim or areas within the Cypriot EEZ where it claims it conducts research on behalf of the T/Cs.
In a statement, Turkish President Tayip Erdogan said that Turkey is acting according to international law. “We do not depend on a licence from anyone, neither for seismic research ships nor for drill ships” Erdogan said.
Greece has put its navy on standby . According to Cyprus Mail and Phileleftheros, Greek defence sources say that 85% of the country’s fleet is in the Aegean, near Izmir, and closely monitoring the situation. Phileleftheros reports that the chief of the Greek army, Constantinos Floros, had been visiting Cyprus on Tuesday. Floros left Cyprus ahead of time to confer with Greek prime minister Mitsotakis and army leadership. Greek sources told Phileleftheros that Athens if following developments with calmness and readiness.
Mitsotakis said in a statement on Tuesday that “Turkey is unfortunately adding another link in (its) hostile actions against Greece, against Cyprus and the European Union as a whole” and added that Greece is anticipating the support of its allies. “As long as Turkey continues to take this path, sanctions on Turkey will be a one-way street” he underlined.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who had been visiting Athens on Tuesday, also called on Turkey to stop drilling for natural resources in the area. “Regarding Turkey’s drilling in the eastern Mediterranean, we have a very clear position – international law must be respected” Maas said. “Progress in EU-Turkey relations is only possible if Ankara stops provocations in the eastern Mediterranean” he added.
Politis reports that the US State Department called on Turkey to put an end to any plans in contested waters and avoid steps that would increase tensions in the region.
Phileleftheros reports that Greece and Cyprus are in constant communication and that the two Foreign Ministers, Nicos Dendias and Nicos Christodoulides talked on the phone on Tuesday.
In another development, President Anastasiades said in a statement following the end of the European Council which arrived on a deal on the Multi-annual Financial Framework and the recovery fund on Tuesday, that the deal includes a provision that the financing of third countries, including Turkey, by the EU, is subject to their respect for the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. Anastasiades said that this provision was included following his intervention.
KEY ACTORS
Kyriakos Mitsotakis (Greek PM)
>> Turkey is unfortunately adding another hostile action in a series of actions against Greece, Cyprus and the EU >> Greece is anticipating support from its allies
>> As long as Turkey behaves this way, sanctions are a one-way street
Tayip Erdogan (Turkish President)
>> Turkey is acting according to international law and within its rights >> We do not depend on licenses for seismic research or to use drill ships
Heiko Maas (German FM)
>> International law must be respected
>> Progress in EU – Turkey relations is only possible if Ankara stops provocations in East Med
US State Department
>> Turkey should put an end to plans involving contested waters and avoid steps that would increase tensions
Nicos Anastasiades (Cypriot President)
>> Agreement on MFF includes provision that funding by the EU to third countries, including Turkey, is subject to respect for principles of Charter of United Nations and international law
RoC reserves 1.2 million Covid vaccines for both G/Cs and T/Cs
Alithia, Haravgi, Cyprus Mail, Oikonomiki Kathimerini, Phileleftheros
EU Matters, Internal Security, CBMs
OVERVIEW
The Republic of Cyprus has informed the EU it will need 1.2 million Covid vaccines, the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday, Cyprus Mail reports. The ministry clarified that this number also covers the T/C community and pointed that the European Commission will negotiate on the entire EU’s behalf with the company producing the vaccines.
Meanwhile, the bicommunal Technical Committee on Health met once again on Tuesday to discuss the epidemiological situation on both sides, the issue of irregular migration and the prospect of reopening the remaining closed checkpoints.
According to an official announcement by the Ministry of Health, Cyprus will participate in an initiative by Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakidou to use 2.7 billion from the Emergency Support Instrument to invest in vaccine research.
The Commission is negotiating with AstraZeneca, the company cooperating with Oxford University for the development of a vaccine. Professor of microbiology and advisor to the government Petros Karagiannis had told the Cyprus News Agency earlier on Tuesday that the vaccine developed by Oxford University seems to be one of the most promising at the moment.
The ministry said that the Commission was informed three weeks ago of the island’s needs, and points out that the T/Cs were included in the quantity requested.
The ministry also underlined that there will be no separate negotiation for each member states and no separate order for each country, and that the joint negotiation strengthens the position of all countries regardless of size or bargaining power.
Cyprus Mail also reports that the T/C side raised the issue of reopening the Ledras street checkpoint and the problems created by the G/C side’s policy on crossings, during Tuesday’s meeting of the bicommunal committee on health. The newspaper recalls that the RoC requests a negative coronavirus test taken in the past 72 hours for each crossing.
The G/C head of the committee, Leonidas Phylactou, told the Cyprus News Agency that the meeting was of a technical nature and focused on the epidemiological report submitted by the T/C side on the situation in the north. He said the answers received were satisfactory but added that the government’s epidemiologists will also consider the situation.
Phylaktou also said that the issue of migrants arriving at the government-controlled areas through the occupied areas was discussed. The T/Cs pointed out that migrants usually arrive by sea and are usually immediately taken by traffickers to the buffer zone. They added that migrants that remain in the north are tested.
Karagiannis told the Cyprus Mail that the T/C experts pointed out that they have no way of tracking down the people who helped migrants cross to the south. The newspaper recalls that Karagiannis had raised concerns over traffickers being infected.
The dailies report on the ongoing process ahead of the upcoming vote at the UN Security Council to renew the mandate of UNFICYP, as well as on complaints by T/C politicians regarding efforts by the RoC to limit tourism to the north.
KEY ACTORS
Leonidas Phylactou (G/C head, Tech. Comm. on Health)
>> Meeting focused on T/C epidemiology report
>> Committee is satisfied, but government epidemiologists should judge
Petros Karagiannis (RoC scientific advisor)
>> T/C side it has no way of tracking people that came in contact with migrants taken by traffickers straight to the buffer zone
Tourism campaign causes strong reaction from Famagusta Municipality
Politis
Economy, Territory, Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Politis reports that the exiled Famagusta Municipality has reacted strongly against a campaign by Company for Development of Tourism and Promotion of Famagusta (which covers the government-controlled area of the Famagusta district) which uses the name of the city to promote local tourism to the villages and towns in the region.
In a statement, the Famagusta Municipality said that the campaign’s slogan “Famagusta, it is your summer” uses the name of the occupied city for commercial purposes and damages the effort to return the fenced-off area of Varosha to its legal inhabitants.
The Municipality notes that the use of the name of the city causes anger and disappointment due to the ease with which some communities erase the existence of the city in order to promote their area as a replacement. The announcement also notes that Famagusta has not seen real summer for the past 46 years and that majority of the city is under occupation and being gradually turkified.
The Famagusta Municipality points out in its statement that it will discuss this issue during the next meeting of the municipal council.
Historian and archaeologist Anna Marangou told Politis 107,6 radio that the use of the name of the city is unacceptable and pointed out that the usage of the phrase “Free Famagusta” would be more appropriate.
The Company for Development of Tourism and Promotion of Famagusta (ETAP) responded to the Famagusta Municipality with its own statement, arguing that the campaign aims to attract Cypriot visitors to the region to make up for the damage dealt to the tourism sector by the coronavirus pandemic. ETAP adds that it does not aim to erase the city of Famagusta from anyone’s memory and that it remains focused in the effort to return it to its legal inhabitants.
Asylum seeker reception centre plans met with call for protest
Phileleftheros
Migration & Citizenship, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
A group of citizens insist that a building in Aglandjia should not be turned into a reception centre for asylum seekers, Phileleftheros reports. The group, called Iniative by Aglandjia residents, reacts to the fact that migrants have already been moved to the “Palladio” building (which used to be a psychiatric clinic) without waiting for permits to be issued.
The group also says that they fear a downgrading of the area and argue that there have been no efforts to integrate migrants ahead of time, and calls for a protest outside the building on Wednesday afternoon.
A representative of the group, Stella Kokkinou said that the information that the building would be turned to a reception centre had been publicised since February. The group had collected 700 signatures in three days against the change. The representative insisted that the group is not moved by racism.
The municipal secretary of the Aglandjia municipality, Charis Tsaggarides, told Phileleftheros that there has been no request to change the character of the building and that the municipality had pointed out to the owners that they would need new permits for the building to be used as a reception centre.
He clarified that the permits required have to come by the Town Planning Department and from the municipality. Phileleftheros cites information that there have been no applications submitted to the Interior Ministry so far, and recalls that the Police found three migrants living in the building last Saturday.