Front Page Headlines
List-fiasco with shadows upon the righteous and unrighteous
For two years they dragged it back and forth in Parliament and they did not ask for clarification and a clear picture. Downpour of reactions from political persons for mistakes and misleading information. Possibility that legal recourse will be taken. Names, companies and amounts “sloppily thrown in” causing confusion and not providing answers to questions regarding complicity. Public interest trumps personal data, the competent commissioner states, who however highlights that there are serious legal issues.
- Harsh criticism by Juncker: “They didn’t have the courage for a solution”
- Combatting corruption: Announcement of measures with… asterisks
- Supreme (Court): Slap to Police and Yioliti for the warrant
- Ferry (link): Covid ‘sunk’ plans
On fire over corruption
The political scene a war zone over citizenships and responsibilities – President announced measures. With five new committees and education of members of the civil service and society, the government responds to criticism.
- Mobility from the three guarantors
- Nicosia not troubled by Guterres’ statements
- Yiorkadji list becomes prey on the internet: Politicians give clarifications on loans
- Fines of up to €40,000 for illegal pesticides
- Yioliti stays put, period
- Indications and suggestions for vaccinations in Cyprus
- Sea connection with Greece shipwrecked: Zero interest in the advertised tender
The President unremorseful and out of touch with reality
Nice-sounding slogans on tackling corruption. People’s rage will explode, AKEL warns. ‘Measures’ just for show, Chr. Erotokritou states.
- Juncker holds Anastasiades responsible
- “I am the President, there is no question of accountability on the part of Yioliti”
- Yiorkadji list… with many gaps and confusions
- There was no interest for bids for the Cyprus-Greece ferry link
‘No question’ of axing BBF
Anastasiades responds to UN, British foreign secretary to visit ahead of talks
- ‘Clamping down on corruption’: ‘Full support’ for minister after top court says Twitter case was botched
- No bidders for Cyprus-Greece ferry link
Anastasiades… “both a thief and a traitor”
Opposition from AKEL oversteps limits. Defamatory post by candidate MP Christos Christofides against the elected president of the Republic. They’re using language that resembles Golden Dawn, fascism and thuggery. They’ve overstepped every limit. They’re mimicking the thuggery of Donald Trump.
- Ersin Tatar: Determining with Cavusoglu the stance on the five-party
- The list concealed a lot: Astonishing debts of millions. One denial by a politically exposed person after another – Nobody knows if and when the loans were being serviced.
- Announcement of measures: Three pillars against corruption – Rule of Law, transparency, accountability.
- Supreme Court: Warrant issued after Yiolitis’ complaint declared null and void. Support from President Anastasiades
- Change to decree: Visits of up to two people at homes regardless of relations
- Deputy Shipping Ministry: Not even one bid for Cyprus-Greece ferry link
Main News
Coordination efforts underway ahead of ‘5+1’
Alithia, Haravgi, Cyprus Mail, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that the guarantor powers are jumping into action to coordinate positions ahead of informal five-party summit that will likely take place in early March.
Next week, the Foreign Ministers of Turkey and the UK will travel to Cyprus, while Phileleftheros reports that the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) is in contact with Greece in view of a possible visit by the Greek Prime Minister in mid-February. The paper notes that it may also turn out that Anastasiades flies to Athens instead. Beyond official visits, Phileleftheros reports, the month leading up to the summit will see coordination efforts from all sides on the level of technocrats.
Alithia reports that Melvut Cavusoglu is expected in the north on February 2 for meetings with the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and with the TC negotiating team in view of coordinating tactics.
The British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will on Thursday be holding a string of meetings with officials from both sides, including Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides, President Nicos Anastasiades, and Tatar, as well as with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General Elizabeth Spehar.
Anastasiades says he won’t consent to changing UN mandate
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on statements issued on Friday by President Nicos Anastasiades, who said the GC side will not consent to a change in the mandate as regards the sought-after solution to the Cyprus Problem.
Anastasiades said that in order for the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres to appeal to the UN Security Council (UNSC) to alter his mandate, which includes a clear reference to a bizonal bicommunal federation (BBF), the UNSG must have the consent of both sides.
“Our position is clear and therefore there is no question of such a consensus being raised in any way,” he said.
Citing diplomatic sources, Phileleftheros reports that Anastasiades is not concerned over the UNSG’s statements regarding his willingness to allow space to both sides to table their ideas, as Nicosia chooses to latch on to the positive aspects of the situation, which is the UNSC’s mandate. The diplomatic sources told the paper that Nicosia is especially happy over the UNSC’s decision to retain its reference to a BBF despite the intense diplomatic efforts exerted by Turkey to see this reference taken out of the resolution.
KEY ACTORS
Anastasiades
>> No question of UNSG getting consensus from both sides to take to UNSC in order to change his mandate regarding basis of Cyprus solution.
Juncker: Erdogan ready to ‘take a step’ toward solution in 2017
Haravgi, Politis
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Politis and Haravgi report on comments made by former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker regarding his disappointment over the two sides’ failure to reach a solution to the Cyprus Problem during the Crans Montana talks in 2017.
In an interview with Euronews, Juncker laid blame on both President Anastasiades and the former TC leader Mustafa Akinci for not seeing talks through to the end, despite the fact that from his contacts with the Turkish President, he was convinced that “Erdogan was largely ready to take a step” toward resolving the Cyprus Problem.
The reason for the collapse of talks in 2017, Juncker said, was a “lack of courage. From both sides”, Haravgi reports. “I am disappointed. They had all the possibilities and support, but they both failed,” Juncker told Euronews.
Haravgi also reports that when asked to comment on whether the issue of natural resources could assist in reaching a solution, Juncker replied that “Turkey does not have the right to conduct these drillings in this section of the Mediterranean. You see that Cyprus is there. And we keep making it clear that it is wrong and it is wrong.”
KEY ACTORS
Juncker (EU)
>> Erdogan was ready to work towards resolving the Cyprus Problem at Crans Montana.
>> Crans Montana talks collapsed due to lack of courage on the part of both sides to see talks through.
>> Turkey does not have the right to conduct drillings in areas around Cyprus.