Front Page Headlines
Nicolas again goes with “but I didn’t”
He does not respond on passports and Giovanni – Admission over quarantine. The revelation by “Politis” about the relationship between the family firm of Nicolas Papadopoulos with Christakis Giovanni annoyed the DIKO president. No response on the essence of the issue, but evidence speaks for itself and demands answers. Especially for a politician who was blasting others until his own involvement appeared. He admitted yesterday on Alpha that he broke the quarantine. He says he went to his office from a “special door” to… take his computer.
- Coronavirus: Consistently… complications
- Spy thriller in Greece: Those arrested were photographing ships and camps
Give-and-take over budget
Intensive processes and negotiations behind the scenes to convince some who’s support was seen as a given. Trade-offs with legislative elections in the background.
- Greek Navy as the target: A serious spy case
- Jane Holl Lute prepares her bags again
Nepotism in National Guard with a plan
So that the position of the deputy chief can be taken by one of their own. 15 colonels retired to empty positions. Complete disappointment in National Guard hierarchy.
- Elsewhere they quit, here… there is nothing wrong!
17 citizens and 3 priests arraigned, but not the bishop
Holy fines and discrimination in Morphou diocese. In other churches of the island the ordinances were applied and there were no arraignments.
- Head on political clash over naturalisations, with an eye to elections: Blaming our faults on the neighbour – Government spokesperson pointed out that while the president of DIKO accuses President Anastasiades that he has a law firm, he himself officially reported income from his family law firm.
- Coronavirus: Another death recorded yesterday
- Espionage in Rhodes: Information to Turkey
Main News
New checkpoint restrictions disproportionately affect G/C enclaved
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Human Rights, CBMs, Internal Security
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that the new decisions by the T/C authorities on crossings are expected to create problems, especially for the G/C enclaved, citing statements made by the government’s commissioner for human rights Photis Photiou to the Cyprus News Agency.
According to the new measure taken by the T/C side, from Monday no one is allowed to cross to the north without going into a seven-day quarantine. Until now there was an exception for people that would stay in the north for less than 24 hours.
Photiou said that the RoC has already contacted UNFICYP regarding the issue, informing the peacekeeping force that people will want to visit their elderly parents at Rizokarpaso during Christmas, and that many G/C enclaved will want to cross to the government-controlled areas to be with their relatives.
According to Photiou, the new measures which were to take effect at midnight Sunday, essentially prevent people living in the Karpasia peninsula and Maronite villages in the north from easily crossing. Photiou also said that the new measures do not affect teachers that travel to the north, but that the T/C administration should have taken into account the enclaved and people that have moved to the north.
Photiou also said that it is not enough for the other side to say that they take measures due to the epidemiological situation in the south, since it should have been possible to find appropriate measures to protect public health while taking special care not to discriminate against G/Cs and Maronites in the north.
G/C head of the Technical Committee for Health, Leonidas Phylactou, told CNA that his T/C counterpart informed him of the north’s decisions on Friday. He added that they talked again on Saturday and that he explained that there are practical problems regarding the enclaved. He noted that the message was sent, but that it is not the Technical Committee that makes the decisions.
Lute in Ankara this week, 5+1 meeting set to take place in Switzerland
Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process, Governance & Power Sharing, Regional/International Relations, External Security, Energy, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
UNSG envoy Jane Holl Lute will be in Ankara on Wednesday December 16 in order to speak with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu regarding the possibility of an informal 5+1 meeting (two Cypriot communities, three guarantors plus the UN) on the Cyprus Problem, Phileleftheros reports.
The most likely scenario according to the newspaper is that Lute will return to Cyprus where she will meet the two leaders and brief them on the results of her contacts in Athens and Ankara, as well as her conversations with British officials.
If her discussions in Nicosia bear fruit, Lute is expected to once again visit Athens before heading back to New York to brief UNSG Antonio Guterres. The UNSG will then decide whether to officially announce that the meeting will take place. If it happens, the 5+1 informal conference is expected to take place during the second half of January in Switzerland.
Phileleftheros also reports that Greek Foreign Minister Nicos Dendias called on the EU to live up to its geopolitical responsibilities and react to Turkish threats of war. Deciding on sanctions would be an encouraging signal to that part of Turkish society that is pro-EU and pro-modernisation.
The newspaper also reports that Turkey has issued a new NAVTEX which brings up the issue of the demilitarisation of six islands in the Aegean.