Front Page Headlines
The second wave inundated us with cases
Surge with 416 new cases and two more deaths yesterday. We broke the record three times this week. For the sixth day in a row deaths from Covid-19 are recorded. Meeting of the president with the health minister after Constantinos Ioannou’s briefing by the members of the epidemiology team who are expressing concerns over the situation. Cabinet on Friday will discuss their suggestions. There might be earlier announcements due to the new rapid increase of cases.
- EU-Turkey: The FMs will leave decisions to the leaders
- Occupied areas: A ‘government’ is being formed based on Ankara’s standards
- Underage predators: Violence right out of a video game
Relaxations are becoming more distant
They see expansion of measures after Monday – Four ministers are meetings the president today. Another two deaths yesterday, 416 new cases and 20 in critical condition.
- The FMs yesterday found lack of improvement – The responsibility of the decision falls on Europe’s leaders.
- The two minors had planned on killing the 13-year-old – He had blocked them in the video game and they went there determined to take revenge. The murder attempt is shocking.
The measures are contradictory and that’s why they don’t pay off
The result shows that the recent measures taken by the government to combat the pandemic do not perform as well as they should. This is disturbing and dangerous while the government spokesman, instead of giving answers on the measures wonders, without anyone raising such a question, if the country should be left at the mercy of the pandemic.
- The issue on Turkey is in the hands of the ‘27’ – Arms embargo on the table.
- Historic truth must be safeguarded
EU: Turkey row has grown worse
German foreign minister says summit will decide action.
- Limassol student attacked at school with a hammer in video game dispute
Oh my God! Where are we headed?
Underage aspiring murderers. We have lived to see this as well: A 15-year-old and a 13-year-old armed with a hammer and a knife went to a Limassol school to kill a 13-year-old.
Main News
EU FMs: Turkey did not rise to occasion but EUCO will decide response
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
EU Matters, Regional/International Relations, External Security
OVERVIEW
While acknowledging a lack of significant progress by Turkey as regards deescalating tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) said it will leave any decisions to the EU leaders’ meeting on Thursday, the dailies report.
The European Council (EUCO) is expected to impose a mild punishment on Turkey, the dailies report.
According to the papers, after the FAC meeting in Brussels, High Representative Josep Borrell said: “We have not seen a fundamental change of direction in Turkey’s behaviour. On the contrary, in several aspects the situation has worsened.”
He added that the FAC spoke extensively about Turkey and the ministers’ assessment was not positive, as the seismic activities continue. The ministers, he said, will inform their governments about this assessment in view of the EUCO.
Replying to a question by the Cyprus News Agency on what should be expected from the EU27 leaders on Turkey, Borrell said the European Council “will do exactly what it said it would do.”
He added that EUCO will assess the situation and take the decision it deems appropriate.
He pointed out that it is not only Greece and Cyprus, but all member states that want a careful assessment.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said while entering the meeting that Germany has worked hard over the past few months to facilitate a dialogue between the European Union and Turkey, but there have been many provocations, while tensions between Turkey, Cyprus and Greece have prevented any direct talks. “We will therefore look at what all this means at this week’s EUCO,” he reportedly said.
After the meeting, Maas said that there will be a decision at the EUCO summit. “There have been repeated Turkish provocations. So, the EU summit will have to decide how to handle this,” he said, according to the dailies.
Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said that the FAC found that Turkey did not understand last October’s positive message from EUCO and continued instead its delinquent behaviour under a context which was completely unacceptable, with the threat of war against Greece if it extended its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles. Dendias said that UNCLOS, the convention that provides for the extension of territorial waters to 12nm, is part of European law and has been ratified by the EU itself, so Turkey’s stance is a provocation to the EU as a whole. He added that there should be a reaction against Turkey.
The Austrian Foreign Minister, Alexander Schallenberg, also called for a very clear language towards Turkey, hoping that at the forthcoming EUCO, clear decisions would be taken. Ankara’s policy cannot be accepted, he said.
Alithia and Phileleftheros, citing diplomatic sources, reported that everyone expects the EUCO will decide on some measures against Turkey but the issue is what these measures will be and whether they respond to the extent of Turkish provocations. Alithia reports that the most probable scenario is a decision for mild sanctions against Turkey and mediation once again by Germany.
Haravgi, also citing diplomatic sources, reported that no one can predict how things will evolve. Citing information in Brussels, the paper also reports that difficult and tough negotiations are taking place based on the interests not only of Germany but also countries such as Spain, where Borrell comes from. The Greek prime minister is expected to call for an arms embargo and in particular regarding the sale of German submarines to Turkey.
KEY ACTORS
Borrell (EU High Representative)
>> The EU FMs did not see improvement in Turkey’s behaviour, but rather a deterioration in several aspects.
>> The EU leaders will assess the situation and take the decision they deem appropriate since all member states want a careful assessment, not just Greece & Cyprus.
Maas (German FM)
>> Despite Germany’s hard efforts to facilitate a dialogue between the EU and Turkey, there have been many provocations & at the same time tensions between Turkey, Cyprus and Greece that prevented any direct talks.
Dendias (Greek FM)
>> Calls for action against Tukey by the EU
>> Turkey’s threat to wage war on Greece if it extended its territorial waters to 12 miles is a provocation to the EU as a whole, since Athens is acting based on UNCLOS, which is part of European law & has been ratified by the EU itself.
Schallenberg (Austrian FM)
>> Calls for actions against Turkey by EU as Ankara’s policy cannot be accepted.
AKEL honours resistance fighters
Haravgi
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
The daily reports that main opposition AKEL honoured December 7 as a day of resistance and democracy.
On December 7, 1974 President Makarios returned to Cyprus and resumed his duties after the coup against him by the Greek junta in July of the same year.
The paper reports that December 7 is marked as a day of honour for those who defended democracy and the freedom of the country.
AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou, along with a party delegation and people who fought against the junta, laid wreaths at the Monument of Resistance near the Presidential Palace.
Kyprianou then went to ‘pentadromos’ in Kaimakli, where he met with people who had fought there against the coupists but also from the old Laiko Kafekoptio building.
Andreas Savvoulis said on behalf of the resistance fighters that they were able to stop the team of coupist Tanos from entering Kaimakli, that way giving time for better organisation and resistance within the community against the tanks and machine guns of the junta and of EOKA B, the daily reported.
“Unfortunately, the 1974 betrayal has opened the back door at Cyprus’ expense and the country has since been under the boot of the Turkish invasion,” Kyprianou said. He added that Cyprus continues to face enormous problems while the struggle continues for its freedom and reunification.
“It is our duty to continue the struggle to free our country, reunite it and create those conditions in which GCs and TCs will live in harmony in our common homeland, the Republic of Cyprus,” Kyprianou said, according to the daily.
Kyprianou also raised another issue. He said the state ought to realise that it should honour those who resisted the treacherous coup d’etat and who gave their lives defending democracy and the country. “Unfortunately, we live in an age of absurdity, where the protagonist of the great betrayal of 1974, Grivas, is honoured by the state itself, while the resistance has become small print,” he said.
Member of the Democratic Resistance Fighters Association, Vladimiros Charalambous, said they would stand up to those in power and the Archbishop who lay wreaths for Grivas “who brought so many evils to our country.” He said they honour the resistance fighters who gave their lives for democracy and to those who fought against Grivas’ legacy, EOKA B and the junta.
DIKO and EDEK mark December 7 as a landmark moment for Cypriot history, the daily reported.
KEY ACTORS
Kyprianou (AKEL)
>> The state ought to honour the people who resisted the junta & not Grivas, who was a leading figure of the coup.