GCC Press Review 11 Jan 2021

Front Page Headlines

Politis

Auditor General offering services

The second part of the President of the Republic’s interview with “Politis”. The President says that the situation with the Auditor General constantly gets worse, and he points out that “everything is being examined”. He states that he put the issue to him as well. He explains what he suggests as “a meaningful CBM” in the Cyprus Problem on the Tymbou airport and Famagusta. What he says about decentralised central administration. We have a deterrence force to defend the Republic of Cyprus up to where our financial situation allows, he responds to party suggestions for armaments.

  • Coronavirus Official premiere for quarantine no. 2
  • Cyprus Problem – Lute: She tries to lock in a positive result

Phileleftheros

Struggle for survival

Over 25,000 small and medium-sized businesses that had to shut down are going through rough test. Construction sector holds on with engines turned on.

  • We count available beds with fingers of one hand – 55 patients in critical condition – 36 in ICUs, 32 of which intubated – 19 in HDUs (high-dependency units) – 208 people with coronavirus in total in hospitals
  • No reference to BBF (bizonal bicommunal federation): Worry in Nicosia
  • Resorting to walking, biking and the beach: All of Cyprus in state of lockdown
  • EDEK: Will go to the brink over budget

Haravgi

Lute in Cyprus in the shadow of two states

AKEL: Guterres’ draft report a negative step. DIKO: “New realism” dangerous and partitionist. Tatar: He sends the message again that the solution will refer to two states.

  • Failure to handle the pandemic emptied the streets
  • Clear corruption over “golden” passports
  • Another 3,960 appointments for vaccination starting today, through vaccination portal

Alithia

Lute: Begins contacts today aiming for “one step forward”

Guterres’ envoy starts work. She will look into whether she can begin building on the result that could come out of the unofficial five-party meeting. Erdogan attempts to rekindle the relationship of his country with the EU, with the Cypriot government hoping that there will be a change in Ankara’s stance on the Cyprus Problem.

  • There was compliance to new measures to a large extent: 82 complaints out of 7,075 checks – Around 200,000 messages for movement sent yesterday
  • Covid-19: Number of hospitalised hits red

Main News

Anastasiades explains his CBM proposals ahead of Lute meeting

Politis
Negotiations Process, CBMs

OVERVIEW

In the second part of his interview with Politis, President Anastasiades enumerates his proposals for confidence-building measures (CBMs) which are contained in a letter he sent to UNSG Antonio Guterres ahead of the visit of his envoy, Jane Holl Lute, on Monday.

Those CBMs include: the reopening of Varosha under UN administration, accepting the legal operation of the Tymbou airport under UN administration (with the understanding that the island has a single FIR – Flight Information Region), the opening of the Famagusta port under protocol 10 of the EU and the acceptance of Cypriot ships in Turkish ports.

Anastasiades said that CBMs should not be superficial, but should bring real benefits that restore trust, which is why radical steps such as the return of Famagusta are needed. The President pointed out that T/C leader Ersin Tatar complains about the lack of contact between the T/Cs and the world, and that if he is really interested in this then there are specific measures to address this concern.

Responding to a question on the accusations against him that he promotes a two-state solution, he said that this impression was created by a misinterpretation of his proposal for a decentralised federation. He rejected claims that he told Mevlut Cavusoglu or the Archbishop that he is ready for a two-state solution.

What he said, he added, was to analyse how two states would never be accepted by the international community or the EU. He insisted that his point was for the need of devolution and for the central state to have as little power as possible. According to Anastasiades, the less powers the central state has, the easier confidence will be restored.

Anastasiades referred to discussing the non-encroachment rule with former T/C leader Dervis Eroglu, which provided that the central government could not interfere in regional state affairs and that the states could not interfere in central affairs or in those of the other state.

In this context, he had suggested that in those issues that the T/Cs believe that a Cabinet decision could negatively affect their interests, decisions should be taken with at least one T/C positive vote. Any abuses of this system should be corrected through a deadlock-breaking mechanism.

This, according to Anastasiades, is the meaning of political equality: taking one side’s concerns into account, without applying the one positive vote mechanism on all decisions. The second approach would have allowed for one state to govern the country, despite being controlled by a country on which it is dependent, such as Turkey.

He also said that the issue of security did not first come up for discussion in Crans Montana but that the discussion began in a meeting with then British prime minister David Cameron in 2014. The UK’s position since then had been that if even one of the two states didn’t want guarantees, then the UK was ready to stop being a guarantor power.

On the progress in Greek-Turkish relations despite the lack of progress in the Cyprus Problem, Anastasiades said that he would support Athens if it manages to settle its differences with Ankara since this would also help improve the climate in the Cyprus Problem. When asked whether the two could move ahead in parallel, he said that we should assess whether Turkey is ready to solve differences it has created with its revanchism.

On hydrocarbons, he said that the CBMs include CBMs that were submitted in the past. When asked about the government’s insistence that it had protected the country’s EEZ, Anastasiades insisted that because of the government’s handling, Israel and Egypt did not consider entering bilateral maritime deals with Turkey at Cyprus’ expense.

Responding to a point that the EEZ might be legally safeguarded, but that doesn’t stop Turkey from drilling, Anastasiades said that it is important to remember that Cyprus managed to bring huge international companies to its EEZ. He repeated his statement that Turkey drills only on the periphery of areas where those companies have interests.

Regarding defence and the proposals by some parties that the National Guard’s armaments should be increased, Anastasiades said that the RoC has deterrence up to the point allowed by its financial state. He pointed out that the goal is not to solve problems through war but through dialogue.

He pointed out that what is needed is for Turkey to allow the RoC to function as an independent, friendly state after it evolves into a federation.

Responding to questions over relations with the US and Russia and accusations by AKEL that he is tying Cyprus too close to US interests, Anastasiades said that he wants to have a multi-dimensional foreign policy which has proven to be successful.

He pointed out that the government follows the EU’s approach on foreign policy while also upgrading relations with regional neighbours such as Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and all of the Gulf countries. This approach aimed to use the geographical position of the country to safeguard its interests.

He added that this policy included developing relations with all Security Council permanent members, including the US and Russia, and that because of this approach the government achieved the end of the US arms embargo on Cyprus, while not neglecting further deepening relations with Russia.

Responding to a question on whether Cyprus’ relations with Russia are affected by Russia’s relations with Turkey, Anastasiades said that Cyprus would not benefit by its friends being hostile towards Turkey. Regarding relations with Russia, he said that as a member state of the EU, Cyprus is following its common foreign policy while maintaining excellent relations with third countries.

A large part of the interview is also dedicated to the difference in opinion between the President and Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides.

KEY ACTORS
Anastasiades
>> CBM proposals include reopening Varosha & Tymbou airport under UN, with one FIR for island, opening Famagusta port under EU’s protocol 10, opening Turkish ports to Cypriot ships. 
>> He had not suggested a two-state solution but a decentralised federation, and did not tell Cavusoglu or the Archbishop that he wants two states.
>> What he said is that international community and EU will not accept two states.
>> The less power the central state has, the easier confidence will be restored.
>> In the past he had discussed with Eroglu the non-encroachment rule which meant that federal government could not intervene in regional affairs.
>> In this context Anastasiades suggested one positive vote requirement in specific issues and deadlock-breaking mechanism.
>> One positive vote on all issues would make one state able to govern the country, even if it is dependent on other countries, such as Turkey.
>> The need to end guarantees was first discussed between him and Cameron in 2014.
>> The RoC has sufficient deterrence given its financial means, and the aim is peaceful resolution and not war.


Reaction to Georgiades article and UNSG draft reports

Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

DIKO president Nicolas Papadopoulos said in a statement that DISY deputy president Harris Georgiades should further explain his positions on the need for “a new realism” as laid out in his recent Kathimerini article.

Papadopoulos said that Georgiades’ article was dangerous bordering on partitionist, and called on the government to take a position on the issue. According to the opposition party leader, Georgiades’ comments during a subsequent interview with Kathimerini point to an agreed partition through a confederal solution.

Papadopoulos said that Georgiades accepted that the “realist school” is admitting that its approach of continuous concessions has failed, leading to the acceptance of partition.

He also criticised the CBMs proposed by President Anastasiades. According to DIKO, accepting the operation of the Tymbou airport as legal would be a big mistake as it would cede sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Phileleftheros columnist Costas Venizelos writes that with his article on a “new realism” and his interview in Kathimerini, Georgiades attempted to convince people that they should accept the confederal solution that is being prepared ahead of the unofficial 5+1 conference. Venizelos points out that UNSG Guterres does not mention the federal solution in his report because he follows a scenario that has began from the UK that aims to get the two sides to agree on a middle way between a federation and a two-state solution, which will really be a confederation but will be called a federation.

The dailies point out that the lack of references to a federal solution in the UNSG’s draft reports has caused concerns in the G/C side, since Antonio Guterres is seen as maintaining equal distance from the positions of the two sides instead of insisting on a bizonal bicommunal federation.

AKEL official Christos Christofides said that if these drafts remain as they are then that will be a further negative development on the path towards partition of the past few years.

In another development, the Turkish Presidency issued a statement regarding a teleconference conducted between Turkish President Erdogan, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and High Representative Josep Borrell on Saturday. The Turkish Presidency said that Erdogan had told Von der Leyen and Borrell that Turkey wants to turn a new page in relations with the EU and that the EU should overcome the capricious behaviour of some member states.

Phileleftheros reports that Cypriot Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides had a telephone conversation with Borrell on Sunday, according to a tweet by the Cypriot MFA. The two officials discussed the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the efforts to restart negotiations and the upcoming European Council on Turkey.

KEY ACTORS
Papadopoulos (DIKO)
>> Harris Georgiades should explain his positions on realism which are bordering on agreed partition through confederation
>> Georgiades’ statements are admission that “realism” through concessions has failed and leads to partition.
>> Accepting operation of Tymbou airport would be a big mistake as it would cede sovereignty.

Christofides (AKEL)
>> If the UNSG’s draft reports do not change then we continue moving towards partition.

Turkish Presidency
>> In teleconference with Von der Leyen and Borrell, Erdogan repeated that Turkey wants to turn a new page with EU, but EU shouldn’t be distracted by caprices of some member states.


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