Front Page Headlines
What game is Turkey playing?
Why did Turkey withdraw drillship from EEZ and then move on Varosha?
- Turkey condemns, Cyprus welcomes UN Varosha call
- Coffeeshop (opinion): Varosha and the five stages of grief: stuck at level three
City within the walls to follow
Famagusta a tool for Ankara to blackmail during negotiations. Building of tourist accommodation included in Turkish plans. They are getting ready to build a marina. Reaction measures: Veto on Ankara, litigation over customs union, demand for recognition.
- Serious dilemmas on the next day of the illegal elections
- Thursday, October 8th: When they entered the City…
- Pan-European value: Rare maps from siege of Varosha by Ottomans in 1570
- Security Council: Urgently asks restart of negotiations while Turks invade
- Savvas Iacovides (opinion): Famagusta is opportunity to stop Turkey’s path of accession to the EU
- Andreas Angelides (opinion): World residence day – Turkish occupation 1974 -2020
- Giannakis L. Omirou (opinion): Waterloo for EU’s credibility – Our responsibility
- Christos Iacovou (opinion): Questions on the Greek-Turkish dialogue
- Dr. Antonis St. Stylianou (opinion): Turkey’s provocation in Famagusta
Elections on survival of the Turkish Cypriots
How the election process of October 11th was turned into a race resembling a referendum with existential stakes for the Turkish Cypriots? For many Turkish Cypriots the “motherland” has turned into a potential threat for the existence of their community. There is also the “other” T/C community. The one that is bothered by Erdogan’s Turkey but believes T/C cannot survive financially without Ankara’s support. Triple intervention.
- Cooperation: Aims for moderate Centre
- Pavlos Fyssas: The person who beat fascism
- Analysis: Giannis Ioannou: Ankara’s “Varosha 0.5” card and the poverty of our strategy
- Analysis: Dionisis Dionisiou: Turkey’s two super-weapons and Akinci
Invitation by Guterres coming
Nicos Christodoulides interviewed by “Ph” in midst of dramatic developments. “Turkey’s move in Famagusta aims to create problems in Cyprus Problem”. “Ankara’s actions intertwined with today’s (electoral) confrontation”.
- Security Council: UN concerned over Varosha, asks for reversal of decision – Government welcomes (statement)
- On the basis of the six points from Crans Montana: UN: They run to organise Conferences in November – Merkel did not accept direct reference of Famagusta in conclusions – Yavuz departed after the drill and did not detect natural gas – Who blocked proposal for sanctions and what Macron told Anastasiades
- Interviewed by “Ph” – Liana Kanelli speaks in wake of Golden Dawn conviction
- Ballots in occupied areas point to Famagusta
- Nouris: Gaps for illegal migrants closing
- (Analysis) Erdogan’s attack will not stop
- Nicolas Papadopoulos (interview): President leading us to the worst capitulation
- Yiorgos Lillikas (interview): We respond to EDEK’s invitation positively
Negotiations sped up with Varosha in background
Foreign officials sent Nicosia message to be subdued until “elections”.
- Occupied areas: “Presidential” elections a referendum on federation
- Politics: The Right is in Bermuda’s triangle
- Editorial: On protaxi (pre-requisites for negotiations)
- A deep breath for Democracy
- Ioannis Kasoulides (interview): Negotiations will prevent settlement (of Varosha)
- Angelos Syrigos (interview): Erdogan does not want a solution for the Cyprus Problem
- Mehmet Ali Talat (interview): Varosha plan will be blocked by UN
Status quo does not allow further inaction
- Historic decision, no complacency
- Occupied areas: Turkish Cypriots go to ballots today
- (Opinions) Return to negotiations to save Famagusta and Cyprus
- (Achilleas Demetriades interview) Varosha is the beacon for a solution to the Cyprus Problem
- (Charis Psaltis interview) Citizens are more ready than politicians for solution of Cyprus Problem
- Developments a knife in hearts of Varoshans
Akinci: I am under threat from Erdogan!
Critical elections in occupied areas in shadow of Turkish threats. He sent message that he (Akinci) should withdraw candidacy for the benefit of himself and his family. Unbelievable accusations for mobilisation of Turkish state in favour of Tatar. 199.000 vote today to determine new Turkish Cypriot leader.
- It asks that Turkey reverse faits accomplis in Famagusta: Security Council hits hard – Reaffirms its adherence to previous resolutions and express deep concerns over Turkish actions
- Article – Intervention: Is Varosha fenced-off city being settled or not? By Christos P. Panagiotides
- Rising trend: Thirty five new cases in Cyprus yesterday
- Analysis: Why Erdogan is waiting to take revenge on Akinci
Main News
International actors speed up restart of talks in shadow of Varosha
Alithia, Haravgi, Kathimerini, Phileleftheros, Politis, Simerini, Sunday Mail
Negotiations Process, Property, Territory, EU Matters, Regional/ International Relations, External Security, Energy
Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides said in an interview for Phileleftheros that he expects UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to quickly move with a new initiative to solve the Cyprus Problem immediately after the T/c elections.
The Foreign Minister said that the government would have liked the process to have started earlier, but that this didn’t happen because of Turkey’s acts in the Eastern Mediterranean and is position that the process can only start after the T/C elections.
Christodoulides also points out that Turkey’s decision to reopen part of the fenced off city of Varosha is intimately tied with the T/C elections and that its aim is also to create issues ahead of the UNSG’s intention to restart the negotiations.
The Foreign Minister responded to criticisms levelled against the government on the Famagusta issue. He said that the government never underestimated the threat and that it had taken action ahead of time. He added that the President has tabled a proposal on Famagusta regarding a bicommunal technical committee that would assess the needs ahead of a possible permanent resettlement of the city, and recalled a US initiative from 2014 which did not move forward due to the Turkish side’s stance.
Responding to criticisms on Cyprus’s veto on EU sanctions on Belarus if sanctions on Turkey were not green-lighted, Christodoulides said that the government was obligated to insist on its interest and said that the country had a powerful and consistent stance with the aim of putting Turkey high on the agenda.
Christodoulides also said that in his experience in the EU, one has to use all tools in one’s reach and not worry about public image because some states will disagree due to their own interests.
Phileleftheros reports that German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is expected to visit Nicosia and Athens on Tuesday, citing information. Asked about the visit, the country’s Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson did not confirm or deny. More information is expected to be publicised on Monday. Maas will reportedly also visit Ankara during the week.
Phileleftheros also reports that the UN is considering calling two conferences in November, the first being a preparatory conference and the second being a full blown conference on the Cyprus issue. According to information cited by the newspaper, Guterres is expected to move ahead with the first conference regardless of the result of the T/C elections. Guterres is also expected to only move ahead with a second conference if the results of the first are promising.
The dailies also report on the UN Security Council’s statement on Varosha, which was not published by most newspapers on Saturday due to the fact that it was issued late at night.
Sunday Mail reports that the Turkish Foreign Ministry criticised the Security Council’s statement and reiterated Turkey’s support to the T/C “prime minister” Ersin Tatar’s statements on the issue. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the decision announced by the T/Cs on Varosha, which it notes is a territory of the “TRNC”, does not change the status of the region. Turkey urged the international community to take into account realities on the island and not G/C propaganda.
The Cypriot permanent representative to the UN Andreas Mavrogiannis said in a statement that the actions taking place are serious and render the prospects of a settlement very difficult. Mavrogiannis added that Cyprus is very grateful to the UNSC and its member states.
Kathimerini also reports that international actors have sent the Cypriot government the message that the best way to react to the Varosha move is to maintain low tensions and to speed up a return to negotiations immediately after the T/C elections.
In other news, Nicosia issued a NAVTEX countering the NAVTEX issued by Turkey regarding an area south of Limassol until November 20th.
In an interview with Kathimerini, former T/C leader Mehmet Ali Talat said that Turkey’s plans on Varosha will be blocked by the UN. Talat recalled that the Turkish side made multiple efforts to open Varosha from the time when Rauf Denktas was the T/C leader. However even limited moves had been stopped because of contravening UN resolutions.
Talat also said that he cannot rule out that the T/C side will take a step back on the issue in the future due to the UN’s reactions.
He also said that it is sad to see Turkey acting in that way and noted that Ankara has been focusing for a while in seeking solutions other than a federation for Cyprus. Talat said that Turkey’s aim is now to push for a two state solution, which finds the T/C right in agreement.
Turkish Cypriot leadership elections a “referendum” on federal solution
Alithia, Haravgi, Kathimerini, Phileleftheros, Politis, Simerini, Sunday Mail
Negotiations Process, CBMs, Governance & Power Sharing
All newspaper cover the upcoming elections for the new T/C leader extensively, reporting that 198,867 voters will be called to the polls. The dailies also report that the T/Cs will vote also in a referendum regarding a proposal to increase the number of “judges” in the north’s “supreme electoral court”.
Alithia and Haravgi also report on a statement made by T/C leader Mustafa Akinci on a message received by people connected with the Turkish government that he should withdraw his candidacy for the good of himself, his family and those close to him. According to information broadcast in the north, the person who said this to Akinci is a member of Turkish intelligence agency MIT.
Akinci made this statement during a televised debate on TV 2020. When asked if he had contacted Turkey on the issue, Akinci said that he had talked about this with the Turkish ambassador in the north. The ambassador had told him he would speak with Ankara but did not get back to him.
In a statement, the Turkish ambassador Ali Murat Basceri said that these claims did not correspond to reality and that Turkey is dedicated to ensuring the life and safety of every T/C as well as that elections are carried out in a safe climate.