Front Page Headlines
They changed the criteria to give passports
Revelations by “P” about how the process to approve naturalisations was stretched open. The Christofias government Cabinet of Ministers changed the criteria in order to approve the naturalisations of Alexander Bondarenko and Vladimir Stolyarenko, who are today wanted by Russian authorities, on 16/5/2012. 48-year-old Zhag Shumin is wanted for grand fraud involving gold bars. He presented adulterated gold to banks as security deposit for loans and managed to get about 1 billion euros before he disappeared. We gave him five passports in 2015.
- EU Foreign Ministers: Meeting with sanctions on the menu
Dialogue with escalation
A week of decisive developments on tensions in Eastern Mediterranean. Tactics from Ankara.
- AKEL against Phaidonas over T/C (properties)
Battle in parliament for divestitures postponement
200 sales after end of moratorium. Unbearable pressures by debt buying companies. An increase of 199 million in loans late for 90 days.
- Illegal interventions by Paphos mayor in T/C properties. He evicts refugees (displaced)
- Low percentage of exhumation. 809 persons still missing
- World Peace Day. G/C and T/C struggle to reunite our homeland continues
- Foreign students couldn’t pay off their tuition and return to their countries
Time for Europe, but…
For the issue of sanctions on Turkey. Foreign Ministers briefed today and leaders of the EU decide on Thursday and Friday – Erdogan: We will give space for diplomacy. Foreign Minister: Cyprus outside the de-escalation equation.
- Damage to the economy expected after leaks for naturalisations: Al Jazeera kills investments – What is left to see is the size of the problem added to coronavirus
- Archbishop on teacher: He does not belong, he has to go
- Coronavirus: Ten cases yesterday
- With the help of the International Organisation on Migration: 84 foreigners repatriated
Main News
EU Foreign Ministers meet to discuss Turkey – Belarus Sanctions
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
External Security, Energy, Regional/ International Relations, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros reports that Turkey is increasing the tension in the seas around Cyprus, which means, according to the newspaper, that the RoC has no other option than to insist on the imposition of further sanctions during Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council and Thursday’s European Council.
The newspaper also reports that Cyprus is expected to be the recipient of pressure due to the possibility of Greece and Turkey entering a dialogue over their bilateral issues. According to Phileleftheros, Germany is expected to insist on its iniative to bring Greece and Turkey to the negotiating table.
Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides told Greek website iefimerida that Turkey’s decision to renew its NAVTEX regarding the activities of seismic research vessel Barbaros is indicative of its real intention. He added that the sanctions that have been agreed by the EU regarding people and companies involved in illegal actions in the Cypriot EEZ need to move ahead without delay.
Turkish Presidency spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said in a statement to the DHA news agency that the G/C and T/C side can discuss issues regarding “contested areas” in the Eastern Mediterranean, and added that if energy sources are found then the two sides can develop a model on sharing the income. Kalin added that the Turkish side is ready to share something found in “our area” as he said.
He accused the G/C side of being the one that always leaves the table and of refusing to talk about natural gas on the basis of non-recognition, while refusing to submit an alternative proposal on the issue.
Regarding Greek – Turkish relations, Kalin said that the two countries had been conducting exploratory talks from 2002 to 2016 when they were halted by then prime minister Alexis Tsipras. Kalin added that the climate today is more conducive to these negotiations, and added that this could have a positive influence on discussions ahead of Thursday’s European Council.
Kalin added that the European Council will discuss three issues relating Turkey: the updating of the Customs Union, the updating of the migration agreement and visa liberalisation for Turkish citizens. Kalin also referred to Emmanuel Macron’s Saturday tweet, in which the French President said that Turkey has heard the EU’s message and that it is time for dialogue. Kalin said that Macron’s post in Turkish was a nice touch but that in essence he does not read the situation correctly.
AKEL clashes with Paphos mayor over handling of T/C properties
Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Property, Human Rights, CBMs
OVERVIEW
AKEL’s Paphos district committee has expressed its disagreement over recent actions taken by Paphos mayor Phaidonas Phaidonos regarding the usage of T/C properties in the city.
AKEL accused Phaidonos of intervening in houses and properties leased by refugees (i.e. internally displaced G/Cs) from the Interior Ministry, without first coordinating with the Municipal Council or the users themselves. Phaidonos is reported by AKEL to have intervened so that the Municipality takes control of these properties.
The opposition party called on the Minister of the Interior (who is legally the guardian of T/C properties in the government-controlled areas) and the parliament’s internal affairs minister to intervene.
Phaidonos told Phileleftheros that an AKEL MP told him in front of the director of the Guardian for T/C Properties as well as citizens that he agrees with his iniative. He also accused AKEL of playing party politics with the issue, and pointed out that the party should forget using T/C properties as a tool to benefit their “clientele”.
He also said that political parties are responsible for the bad handling of T/C properties over the years, as well as for the lack of infrastructure works in T/C neighbourhoods of the city.
2020 the worst year so far in search for missing persons
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
CBMs, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The government’s human rights commissioner Photis Photiou said on Sunday that 2020 seems to be the year with the least amount of exhumations and identifications of missing person, the Cyprus News Agency reports.
Photiou said, in a speech read out during an event of the Greek Association of Parents and Relatives of Undeclared Prisoners and Missing of the Cypriot Tragedy, that only seven persons have been identified up to September 2020, which is the lowest yearly number. Photiou draws special attention that only one of the persons detected was G/C and that the rest were T/Cs. He added that the findings of digs in the occupied areas have so far been poor to non existent.
Photiou also said in his speech that out of a total of 1,510 G/C and Greek missing, the remains of 701 have been identified and returned to their relatives, while another 809 remain missing.