Front Page Headlines
Holidays over, going for a “liberal” lockdown
High number of cases and overcrowded hospitals leave no other options. It is a new type of lockdown with limitations in going out, but without SMS for movements of citizens. Retail shops, barber shops and institutes to close. Epidemiologists suggest closing schools for about a month, but Education Ministry has objections. Decisions taken by cabinet meeting tomorrow Tuesday. Hospitalisations dramatically increasing every day reaching 182, out of which 45 are in a serious condition. Health Ministry announced another two deaths and 529 new cases yesterday.
- Ersin Tatar: Anastasiades wants two states
- Spy van: “Heavy” file to the Attorney General
Tough times for hospitals
Great difficulties on Saturday night – Number of hospitalised reached 195. Lockdown is coming, but different compared to what we lived through in the spring.
- President’s interview in “Ph”: Targeted fire from AKEL and DIKO
- Reaction from Ersin Tatar: “Anastasiades should not chase after impossible dreams”
- Visits that send messages: Ministers from China and the US in Cyprus today
Coded messages for intermediaries
Blackout (redacted text) only concerns regular citizens. They left data that only brokers know. Drug trafficking, violence, money laundering and corruption.
- Lockdown due to fear of hospitals collapsing – 12 cases of the mutated virus detected – 182 hospitalised, 45 in serious condition
- Tatar: “Anastasiades also told Cavusoglu about a two-state solution“
New virus has come, mutated and faster
Alarm due to discovery of new coronavirus strain. Health Ministry confirmed that new more easily transmitted strain was detected in 12 people from Britain. Emergency meetings and Cabinet – Two deaths, 529 new cases and new negative record for hospitalised with 182 patients yesterday. 45 in a serious condition. Planet hits the off switch again because of the coronavirus.
- With (acting) US Secretary for Homeland Security present: Cyprus – USA put foundation on cooperation with CYCLOPS – The centre that will be American-funded has annoyed Turkey – Foreign Minister of China also in Cyprus today
Main News
Government mulling new, less strict lockdown to contain coronavirus
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
The coronavirus situation in the government-controlled areas continues to be serious, with the dailies predicting that the imposition of a new lockdown is inevitable.
The dailies report that according to the Health Ministry, two more people died and 529 new cases were detected on Sunday. According to the same information, 182 patients are currently hospitalised, and 45 of these patients are in a serious condition.
Out of these, 19 patients are intubated, 9 are hospitalised in an Intensive Care Unit (but are not on a ventilator) and 17 are treated in high dependency units.
Out of the cases detected on Sunday, 325 were found through rapid tests and 131 through contact tracing of confirmed cases.
Politis reports that epidemiologists believe that if the cases do not stabilise, a new lockdown is inevitable. The Council of Ministers is due for an emergency meeting on Tuesday and will consider two scenarios.
The first would be to extend current measures to the end of January, and the second would be to bring a new lockdown. According to information cited by the newspaper, a new lockdown would not be as strict as the one imposed in March, since the scientists advising the government propose measures similar to those imposed during the local lockdowns on Limassol and Paphos districts in November. These would include a curfew after 8pm, the closure of retail shops, barber shops and beauty institutes, but without the system in which citizens had to send an SMS in order to exit their homes.
The Health Ministry has also announced that the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics found that the new strain of the coronavirus initially detected in the UK was also found in Cyprus.
Tatar insists Anastasiades believes in two-state solution
Alithia, Haravsgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on comments made by T/C leader Ersin Tatar regarding an interview of President Anastasiades published in two parts on Friday, January 1, and Sunday, January 3, in Phileleftheros.
In his interview, Anastasiades responded to Archbishop Chrysostomos, who told Politis in an interview published on December 27, that the President had talked to him of the prospect of a two-state solution.
Archbishop Chrysostomos told Politis that President Anastasiades had suggested a two-state solution during a private conversation, without specifying when that conversation took place. Chrysostomos added that he disagreed with President Anastasiades and that the people would not accept such a solution.
The Archbishop also said that since then, Anastasiades has changed his mind because a two-state solution would not be accepted by the EU. It would lead to the island being inundated by Turks from Turkey. The EU will not give such a permission, and so, the north would have to leave the EU.
Anastasiades said during his interview for Phileleftheros that he had never suggested a two-state solution, and that this narrative was pushed by former UNSG envoy Espen Barth Eide. Anastasiades said that Eide leaked these stories to create this impression after Crans Montana, and accused the Norwegian diplomat of downplaying negative Turkish positions.
When called to comment on the Archbishop’s statements, Anastasiades said he believes Chrysostomos has good intentions but misunderstood which positions he himself supports.
Anastasiades also said that the people will decide on the solution of the Cyprus Problem, and added that he is pragmatic enough to know that the people would never accept a two-state solution. He added that he would send a letter to the UNSG with specific suggestions for confidence-building measures (CBMs).
During the interview, Anastasiades also pointed out that his CBM proposals do not include the recognition of Tymbou airport.
According to the Cyprus News Agency, which quotes reports from the T/C press, Tatar said in a written statement that after the Archbishop’s recent statements and while the discussion on two states continues in the south, President Anastasiades has chosen to repeat that he would not negotiate anything other than a federation, that he is bound by the agreements reached at Crans Montana, and that Anastasiades attempted to put the blame on Eide.
Tatar said that it is well known that Anastasiades believes a two-state solution is realistic and that everyone involved in the Cyprus Problem is well aware of this. He added that Anastasiades had said so when he spoke to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
The T/C leader noted that Anastasiades retracted this position due to reactions from the Church, AKEL, ELAM and others. Responding to Anastasiades’s statements that Turkey had worked to ensure the 1960s constitution collapsed, Tatar accused the President of attempting to hide the reality that the G/C way of thinking is to act as if the island is Greek and the T/Cs are merely a minority.
He repeated that this is the reason why the Cyprus Problem hasn’t been solved and the reason the T/C side is bringing forward a two-state solution. He called on Anastasiades to stop chasing dreams that cannot become reality and heed the T/C call to dialogue. He added a wish that 2021 will be the year when a solution of two sovereign states will be achieved.
Phileleftheros reports that opposition parties AKEL and DIKO chose not to comment on Anastasiades’ statements regarding the Cyprus Problem published on January 1, but focused instead on his statements on corruption that were published on Sunday.
KEY ACTORS
Archbishop Chrysostomos
>> Anastasiades suggested a two-state solution during a private conversation
>> Archbishop disagreed with such a proposal, noting the people would not accept it.
>> Anastasiades has since changed his mind because EU doesn’t want a two-state solution, which would lead to Turks inundating the island.
Anastasiades
>> Never suggested a two-state solution himself, this was an impression created by Espen Barth Eide through leaks after Crans Montana.
>> The people will decide on a solution and they could never accept two states.
>> CBM proposals do not include recognition of Tymbou airport
Tatar
>> All international actors aware that Anastasiades sees two-state solution as realistic.
>> Anastasiades stepped back from this position due to reactions from the Church, AKEL, ELAM and others.
US Homeland Security chief, Chinese Foreign Minister in Cyprus
Alithia, Phileleftheros
Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
The US acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf will inaugurate the Cyprus Center for Land, Open-seas, and Port Security (CYCLOPS) in a ceremony with Cypriot Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides, Phileleftheros reports.
Phileleftheros reports that the US is sending a message to Turkey through Wolf’s visit, a few days after the US Senate rejected outgoing President Trump’s veto on sanctions against Turkey.
According to the newspaper, Wolf will be in Cyprus for the foundation ceremony of CYCLOPS, based in Larnaca. Wolf and Christodoulides will make statements to the press on Monday, and will have an official meeting on Tuesday morning.
During the meeting, attended also by officials of the two countries, Wolf and Christodoulides will discuss bilateral cooperation, including in security matters, and Cyprus’s progress towards taking part in the US Visa Waiver Programme. They will also sign a statement of intent on bilateral cooperation on border security.
Alithia recalls that CYCLOPS will run training programmes for Cypriot officials, who will then be able to train officials from other countries in security processes. Cyprus is hosting the centre, which is funded by the US. The newspaper recalls that Turkey has expressed its annoyance with this project, and that the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that this US-Cyprus agreement does not serve peace and stability in the region.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will also be visiting Cyprus on Monday, the dailies report. According to an announcement issued by the Foreign Ministry, Wang will make a stop in Cyprus while heading for a visit to Africa, and will meet Christodoulides on Monday afternoon.
The Cypriot Foreign Ministry writes that Christodoulides and Wang are expected to exchange views regarding bilateral relations, the Cyprus Problem and EU-China relations.
Phileleftheros also reports that Christodoulides will be visiting Lisbon ahead of a meeting with the Portuguese Foreign Minister on Wednesday. Portugal has taken over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. The newspaper also reports, citing information, that the Foreign Ministers of Turkey and Greece are also expected to visit Lisbon shortly.
Spy van case to reach Attorney General by end of week
Politis
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
Politis reports that the Police is expected to hand over the file of the investigation regarding the Israeli spy van to the Attorney General by the end of this week, or the latest by the end of next week.
According to the report, the investigation was carried out by police and private experts regarding the way Wispear, a company run by Israeli businessman Tal Dilian, was active in Cyprus. The investigation also looked into the activities of the president of Cyprus’ Hebrew Community, Shahak Avni, but the warrant against him was cancelled about a month ago.
The newspaper cites information that the investigation points to possible criminal offences and that the Attorney General will decide who will be prosecuted and on what charges.
According to Politis, private persons, state and police officials were found to have been involved in the arrival of the spy van to Cyprus. Police officers from the Drug Law Enforcement Unit (YKAN) and the intelligence service (KYP) are reported to have been aware of the van’s activities and to have used it.
Politis reports that after the story broke in Cyprus, Wispear created a subsidiary company in Greece in order to continue its activities there. The van remains seized by the Cypriot authorities and is not likely to be returned to Wispear as it is considered as evidence.
The newspaper notes that Dilian did not return to Cyprus when the story broke. He instead returned in March and was arrested but released on the same day without appearing in court and without any restrictions.
Politis also cites a story by Israeli newspaper Haaretz regarding Dilion’s legal troubles with his former business partner, Avi Rubinstein. Rubinstein sued Dilion after the latter was interviewed by Forbes regarding the spy van, accusing him that his statements undermined the trustworthiness of Aliada Group (of which both are shareholders) causing it to lose a multi-million private contract.