GCC Press Review 17 Jan 2021

Front Page Headlines

Sunday Mail

Raging war in healthcare

At a time of peak hospitalisations for Covid, the health service is mired in internal conflicts.

  • Cyprus re-evaluates country categories, effective Monday
  • Comment: The US federal model is the best for Cyprus
  • Business: Russian effort to control hydrocarbons touches Cyprus

Simerini

Proposal for mutual lifting of embargo

Turkish positions under a UN hat. British did not believe that G/Cs would accept federation in ‘74 because they considered it partitionist as well as because Turkey would exert influence through the federal government. They disclose at the same time the history of the rotating presidency and how they misjudged the intentions of the G/Cs. We are going for negotiations with three Turkish positions… The CBMs and the President’s positions to the UNSG. Turks want a time frame to move to new faits accomplis.

  • “Relaxations” coming in February
  • The old and the new “realism”: The ideology of adapting to the occupation’s faits accomplis
  • Enosis referendum: From self-determination – Enosis to Zurich
  • The mousetrap syndrome: The partition of Cyprus as… pragmatism
  • Migration: The “end” of Chloraka for migrants
  • Nihat Erim reports: Turkey’s strategic plans at Cyprus’ expense
  • Defence and solution: Cyprus’ security in informal five-party conference
  • Bloody Christmas of 1963: The living testimony of an ELDYK sergeant
  • “Two-state” solution: Historical flashback of Turkish demands
  • (Editorial) God help us!
  • Savvas Iacovides (opinion): The right wing’s “realism” as submission and the left wing as giving up to the Turk
  • Dr. Christos Achilleos Theodoulou (opinion): The case of Turkey
  • Loria Markides (opinion): The stance of UN officials
  • Vasilios L. Constantinopoulos (opinion): The Lausanne Treaty and the demilitarisation of islands
  • Petros Th. Pantelides (opinion): Corruption and blackmail for concessions in national issue

Politis

Going to five-party conference with the Guterres Framework

Jane Holl Lute managed to distance the two sides from well known maximalist positions. The UN emphatically rejected a solution of two independent states in Cyprus. How and why Turkey is forced to change its agenda internationally, but also on the Cyprus Problem? Return to Denktas.

  • Interview: Andreas Paraschos speaks to “P”: “The day is still young”: “Ask him (the President) whether he transferred money to the Seychelles. Ask him if it’s true that as soon as the airplane landed the suitcases were taken to the bank”
  • Greek-Turkish relations: Dialogue in cloudy waters
  • Van case: Criminal prosecutions proposed

Phileleftheros

”Tsunami” of pressures coming

“Political equality” the key, messages to Nicosia with threats for a “last chance”. Assurances by Ankara to the EU.

  • Focus on epidemiological situation: Next two weeks a big test – More than 10,000 have been vaccinated since early January.
  • Law of the Sea: Turkish own goal at UN General Assembly
  • Anna Marangou (interview): The loss of Famagusta is the beginning of the loss of Cyprus
  • George Pagoulatos (interview): Joe Biden more strict and consistent regarding Turkey
  • Michalis Giorgallas (interview): Elections are behind give-and-take over budget
  • Passports: Melco ready to help the investigative committee
  • Caught in tendrils of energy game
  • American sanctions on Turkey
  • New ideas and evolutionary path to a solution

Kathimerini

EU bulwark to Turkish plans for two state solution

Turkish side prepares a revised agenda on the basis of principle of sovereign equality.

  • Editorial: The three words of our mission
  • Nicos Christodoulides (interview): Neither refugees are gone, nor properties are lost
  • Turkey: Biden brings a change of behaviour
  • Greece – Armaments: After the Rafale, Hellenic Navy is next
  • Al Jazeera: Hot evidence from the investigation

Haravgi

Censorship with President-virus against freedom of press

  • Is “Pournara” our own Moria?
  • (Ioannis Kasoulides interview) Diverging in any way from BBF would be a huge mistake
  • (Toumazos Tsielepis interview) The extended divergence is related to the most important issue, which is the basis for negotiations

Alithia

Demetra Kalogirou: Unfortunately there is harmful political exploitation

“High-risk” files being examined. “In February the first interim report will be submitted and in June the work of the investigative commission on naturalisations will be complete”. “The Tax Commissioner and the Auditor General can move ahead with additional investigations on the basis of the preliminary findings of the Ad Hoc three-member committee.

  • DISY deputy president clarifies “new realism”: Charis Georgiades: Let’s confront reality, not recognise it – We do not seek a federation for the sake of a federation, but a federation that secures Cypriot Hellenism.
  • Article – intervention: Cyprus Problem: The moment of truth has come – by Christos Panagiotides
  • Coronavirus: One dead and 202 cases on Saturday
  • Analysis: An “informal” but critical five-party conference
  • They exchanged letters: Friendly gesture from Erdogan to Macron

Main News

Reports: UN speaks of last chance & EU rejects two-state solution


Alithia, Haravgi, Kathimerini, Phileleftheros, Politis, Simerini
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

Phileleftheros reports that the G/C side should expect new pressures ahead of the informal 5+1 conference (two sides, three guarantors plus the UN) to be held in February.

According to the report, the UN and other international players have sent the message to the G/C side that this effort will be the last and that one cannot rule out the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) abandoning the Cyprus Problem after a new failure.

Phileleftheros also reports that one of the messages that can be read in UNSG envoy Jane Holl Lute’s contacts in Nicosia is that the UN is open to new parameters for the solution if the sides want it, while the UK insists behind the scenes that there can be a compromise between a loose federation and two states, which would point to a confederation, as long as continued EU membership of a unified country is assured. This is how Phileleftheros explains the fact that the UNSG’s draft report does not contain references to the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) but to G/C authorities and T/C authorities.

At the same time, the newspaper cites information that the Turkish side has told the EU that it would not rule out continuing negotiations from where they stopped in Crans Montana, as long as political equality is accepted by the G/C side. Phileleftheros points out that if the Turkish interpretation of political equality is accepted, then that would point towards a confederation.

Kathimerini reports that the EU is the only obstacle to any plans for a two-state solution. Also, Brussels and Turkey are reported to be on a path of rapprochement on multiple levels, with the EU seeing the resumption of talks between Greece and Turkey and the resumption of talks on the Cyprus Problem as two steps in the direction of a reset of EU-Turkish relations.

In an interview with Kathimerini, Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides points out that the solution will not be ideal but that it should not be acceptable to turn the status quo into a permanent state of affairs or to opt for confederation, two states or have the north taken over by Turkey.

Christodoulides also insisted that the EU has sent a clear message to Turkey and the T/Cs that it will not accept other solution models and that a two-state solution is a “no go”. He repeated that the EU intends to send a representative that will take part in negotiations.

On the question of a “new realism” advocated by DISY deputy president Harris Georgiades, Christodoulides said that a bizonal bicommunal federation (BBF) is the only option and that, regardless of what is being said, the refugees are not gone and properties are not lost.

When asked why the draft of the UNSG’s latest report includes no reference to a BBF and speaks of a G/C administration, Christodoulides said that the government has pointed out the issue to the UN. He added that the draft includes a reference to the November 2019 leaders’ meeting with the UNSG in Berlin, which had focused on a BBF.

The newspaper also reports that the T/C and Turkish side’s approach changed since 2017 when, according to the newspaper’s sources from the other side, Turkey and the T/Cs had worked for solving the Cyprus Problem on the basis of political equality, introducing cooperation on energy and creating a new security system that would help T/Cs feel safe with the military presence of Turkey on the island for a certain period.

According to the same sources, the Turkish side saw Crans Montana as an indication that the gap between the two sides was unbridgeable on political equality, the prospect of Greek-Turkish cooperation and the insistence of the Greek and G/C side to limit Turkish presence on the island.

This led the Turkish side to reconsider its strategy and to move from the principle of political equality to that of sovereign equality, and that of a limited cooperation of two sovereign states on the island under the umbrella of a confederation or cooperation of two neighbouring states. This approach will be paired up with closing the property issue through exchange of properties.

In an interview with Alithia, Harris Georgiades attempted to clarify his position on the need for realism. Responding to a question whether he proposes a two-state solution, Georgiades said that is not the case and that what he suggests is that G/Cs should deal with things as they are, but not accept them as they are. He said that practical goals should be set and that generalised references to a solution are not enough. He also added that G/Cs should be ready to handle the lack of a solution as well as a solution.

Meanwhile in two separate interviews with Haravgi, former Foreign Minister and former DISY MEP, Ioannis Kasoulides, as well as AKEL’s expert on the Cyprus Problem, Toumazos Tsielepis, point out the dangers of diverging from a bizonal bicommunal federation.

Tsielepis says that the UNSG’s latest reports show that the UN is worried about the T/C side’s talk of two states and the G/C side’s lack of consistency regarding the UN’s parameters. He also points out that the UNSG makes clear that the two sides will be responsible for a new failure and not the UN. Tsielepis also says that the President’s proposals on CBMs are not new but were discussed without success in the past.

Responding to a question on Georgiades’s article on a “new realism”, Kasoulides said that there is no such thing as a new realism and that the party’s position is the one put forward by its president. He added that it would be a mistake to diverge from a bizonal bicommunal federation.

Also, Kasoulides said that he agrees with the President’s CBM proposals, and added that AKEL’s proposals on the Cyprus Problem are also moving in the right direction. He pointed out that the two big parties are obliged to cooperate if the negotiations lead to a strategic agreement on the basis of a decentralised bizonal bicommunal federation.

Phileleftheros also reports that Turkey failed to gather support for a vote in the UN General Assembly against the international convention on the Law of the Sea. According to the report, Turkey, which has the presidency of the UN General Assembly this year, attempted to turn the annual approval of the Law of the Sea Convention which is carried out without a vote, into a vote with which it wanted to cast doubt on international law.

The result however was that 152 voted in favour of the UNGA resolution, four abstained, and only Turkey voted against. According to the report, Turkey then took the opportunity to explain its position in the plenary.

KEY ACTORS
Christodoulides
>> The solution will not be ideal but it should not be acceptable to turn the status quo into a permanent state of affairs
>> EU has sent a clear message to Turkey and the T/Cs that a two-state solution is a no go
>> The government has pointed out to the UN its concern over the lack of references to the RoC in the UNSG’s draft report
>> The draft does mention the Berlin meeting where the leaders agreed to proceed to a solution according to the known parameters

Georgiades (DISY deputy leader)
>> Does not suggest a two-state solution, but suggests that G/Cs tackles things as they are, but not accept them as they are

Tsielepis (AKEL)
>> UNSG made clear that the two sides will be responsible for a new failure and not the UN
>> President’s CBM proposals are nothing new

Kasoulides (DISY)
>> DISY and AKEL need to cooperate if the negotiations lead to a strategic agreement on the basis of a decentralised bizonal bicommunal federation


Paraschos says Seychelles accusation not impossible to prove


Politis
Negotiations Process, Internal Security

OVERVIEW

In an interview with Politis, former Kathimerini director Andreas Paraschos explains his version of the events that led to his resignation. Paraschos tells Politis that the clarification posted by the newspaper owners under his article, in which he accused the President of abandoning the prospect of a solution in order to continue enriching himself with income from the country’s passport scheme, left him exposed and that is why he quit.

Paraschos also added that according to his sources, once the airplane that carried the President to Seychelles landed, his suitcases were taken straight to the bank.

The veteran journalist pointed out that he cannot expose his sources, and indicated that it is others that are now in a difficult position and not himself. Regarding the political leaders who are said to know about Anastasiades’s actions, Paraschos wondered why they do not speak about the issue in public, and especially wondered at the stance of the opposition. He repeated that AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou, DISY leader Averof Neofytou and DIKO leader Nicholas Papadopoulos all were informed. He wondered whether the government has more scandals concerning AKEL in its drawers such as Dromolaxia and whether it is blackmailing the opposition.

Paraschos said that when looking into the reasons that the President abandoned Crans Montana one cannot not look into accusations that this was connected with the continuation of the golden passport scheme. He said that in this context, where Al Jazeera is ridiculing the government through exposing its corruption, a journalist has the remit to bring up these issues.

Asked whether he should have proven his accusations, Paraschos said that casting doubt on the motives of a politician does not require evidence. He responded that it is the President that should be asked why he left the Mont Pelerin conference when he was offered Varosha and Morphou and why he gave a call by Andros Kyprianou as the excuse.

He added that the President should also be asked about the information he transferred money to the Seychelles and whether his suitcases were taken immediately to a bank.

When asked whether the Seychelles accusation can be proven, he said that he has learned that investigation is difficult but not impossible and added in English the expression “the day is still young”.

Asked why this reference to 300 million euros allegedly carried by the President to the Seychelles on a private airplane was the one that bothered Nicos Anastasiades, Paraschos said that he suspects that it is the first piece of information that can be proven, as opposed to information regarding conversations the President had with people on a two-state solution.


Anna Marangou speaks of new party focused on Famagusta & solution


Phileleftheros
Governance & Power Sharing, Territory

OVERVIEW

Archaeologist and historian Anna Marangou was interviewed by Phileleftheros regarding her participation in a new political movement named “Only Famagusta” that aims to focus on the return of Varosha and the solution of the Cyprus Problem as a central political issue.

Marangou said that losing Famagusta will be the beginning of losing the entire island, and added that now is the moment for all to unite. She pointed out that the weight of the developments should be lifted by the state, but that the government has instead shown indifference and a lack of reactions.

The historian points out that the name of the political movement comes from the writings of Giulio Savorgan, the Venetian who built Nicosia’s walls, who had said that only Famagusta (“solamente Famagosta”) can save Cyprus.

She added that despite the name, the movement will cover all of Cyprus and expressed the hope that this will be the start of a wave that will strive for reunification.

Marangou called the displaced from Famagusta to be decisive after years of being held down by the dominance of their parties and the narrative that the Cyprus Problem should not be turned into a Famagusta issue.

Marangou also noted that successive governments have rejected the return of the city and now the government rushes with old CBMs that were rejected by the G/C side itself years ago.


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