Front Page Headlines
Aiandas (the police water cannon) turned into a … lamb under the fear of riots
Planning so as to avoid tensions, with discreet police presence at tomorrow’s event. Police cite ‘information’ about “troublemakers” who will try to infiltrate tomorrow’s events but police will intervene only if people’s physical integrity is threatened or public or private property. The government-DISY and AKEL are swinging bats over the implementation of the decrees on the restrictive measures. The government sends out the message that those who violate or urge people to violate the measures will be held responsible for possible deterioration of the epidemiological situation. AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou asked yesterday the president for easing of the restrictions and Yiolitis’ dismissal. Andros Kyprianou calls on the party’s members to act on will in connection with their participation in the rally. DISY accuses AKEL of encouraging disobedience.
- Informal five-party: The appointment has been set for the end of April
- The EU Commission is warning Cyprus with a referral (to the European Court of Justice over unfair commercial practices)
“Put a stop to the feast”
Arestis on Co-op Bank: Some are making fortunes and are becoming millionaires while the people are suffering. The chairman of the investigative committee is calling on parliament to stop what is happening at the expense of borrowers. The auditor-general pointed out the risk of limitation of civil liability in two months.
- Difficulties over setting the date of the five-party summit – Announcements are constantly being pushed back.
- Cyprus is just one step away from being taken to the European Court (for the delay in strengthening national rules on the environmental impact of public and private projects)
Limitation of Harris’ and others’ liabilities over the Co-op Bank
The “feast” was great after all and the efforts to cover for it.
- Cyprus problem: Backstage procedures with the informal five-party summit in the first half of April
‘Rule breakers will be to blame’
The govt ‘respects civil liberties’ but if Covid situation worsens it will be fault of violators.
Risk of altercations!
Concerns over the new protest to take place tomorrow at Kolokassis Park. Police have information that some troublemakers will infiltrate the event and try to cause problems. Andros (Kyprianou) had a different stance on the illegal anti-occupation rallies in Dherynia.
- The invitation for the five-party summit is expected to arrive very soon, to “determine whether there is common ground for a viable, lasting solution to the Cyprus problem” – Moscow supports a BBF and rejects strict timeframes.
- The collapse of the Co-op Bank: (Head of the investigative committee) G. Aresti against Harris Georgiades, Nicolas Hadjiyiannis and Yiannos Stavrinides.
Main News
Five-party summit set to take place in April now
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process, EU Matters, Territory
OVERVIEW
The informal five-party summit on the Cyprus problem has been pushed back to April while the president’s contacts ahead of the event are underway, the dailies report.
In the meantime, Turkish daily Hurriyet reveal the UK’s alleged proposal on the settlement of the Cyprus problem that provides for two communal states under a confederate state.
The dailies cite statements to the Cyprus News Agency by the spokesman of the UNSG, Stephane Dujarric, who said Antonio Guterres intends to convene an informal meeting on the Cyprus issue very soon. Replying to a question, Dujarric said that “the purpose of the meeting will be to determine whether common ground exists for the parties to negotiate a sustainable, lasting solution to the Cyprus problem within a foreseeable horizon.” He said that following the consultations conducted by senior UN official Jane Holl Lute over the past several months, “the Secretary-General intends to convene an informal five-plus-one meeting on the Cyprus issue very soon. A formal announcement will follow.”
Most papers report on statements made by the Greek foreign ministry’s spokesperson Alexandros Papaioannou during a press briefing in Athens, saying that the summit is expected to take place in the first half of April. Meanwhile, Politis cites information saying that the summit is expected to take place towards the end of April, with the UN set to announce the date and place within the coming hours. All dailies report that the summit will take place after the March European Council where EU leaders will discuss the bloc’s relations with Turkey.
The dailies also report that President Nicos Anastasiades on Thursday had a telephone conversation with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, with whom he discussed the forthcoming meetings of the European Council: the first one taking place on February 25-26, via teleconference, and the second with the physical presence of the EU leaders in Brussels, on March 25-26.
Anastasiades also briefed Michel on developments as regards the five-party summit and discussed the need for an EU representative to be present at the meeting. Anastasiades is to also have a telephone conversation with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Saturday late afternoon.
Alithia and Politis cite a report in Turkish daily Hurriyet, on Britain’s so-called bridging proposal for the Cyprus issue for two communal states under a confederation concerning a unitary state, as an EU member that will have a single international personality. However, the states will be able to conclude bilateral agreements on security, economy, issues of foreign policy areas and will be able to participate in international sports and education events and make arrangements in the field of health. It is not clear which powers and responsibilities will belong to the central government.
This proposal appears to have been presented orally by the British Foreign Secretary to TC leader Ersin Tatar during his recent visit to Cyprus. The Cypriot government, however, has not yet confirmed this oral submission of the British proposals, Alithia reports.
The British proposal also reportedly includes the withdrawal of Turkish troops immediately after the agreement, abolition of the right to unilateral intervention by Turkey and the abolition of the system of guarantees on the 10th anniversary of the approval of the plan through a referendum. On the 10th anniversary, Turkey will have to withdraw all its troops from the island.
On the territorial adjustment issue, the proposal is roughly based on the Annan Plan provisions and some convergences agreed upon in the Crans-Montana process. The British plan proposes that 28.2% to 29.2 % of Cyprus’ territory will be under the TC communal state, Hurriyet reported, according to the two dailies.
Alithia also reports that Moscow made yesterday an intervention in the Cyprus issue with the Russian foreign ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova stating that her country was against the imposition of ready-made recipes for the settlement of the Cyprus issue. She also stressed Moscow’s opposition to the introduction of strict timeframes to the negotiation process. She stated that her country supports a bizonal bicommunal federal (BBF) solution with a single international personality, sovereignty and citizenship on the basis of agreements reached by the two communities in Cyprus. She pointed out that any change in the basic parameters was obviously subject to consideration by the Security Council, the dailies report.
Phileleftheros, citing Anastasiades’ contacts with the EU leadership – Michel, von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell – reports that diplomatic movement ahead of the summit continues with the EU showing interest in participating in the process. On the other hand, the Turkish side continues actions aimed at torpedoing the process by promoting the position on two separate sovereignties on the island, said the paper. Citing reports in TC dailies, Phileleftheros reports on Ankara’s provocative moves in Varosha, the decision by the TCs to lease land for 49 years to Turkey for the construction of a ‘consulate’, the redevelopment of the old Kyrenia port but also the expression of interest by the TCs to take part in the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games that will take place in Konya, Turkey, in September. The TCs had taken part in the 1st Islamic Solidarity Games that took place in Izmir, in 1980, the daily reported.
KEY ACTORS
Dujarric (UN)
>> The five-party summit, to be convened by the UNSG very soon, aims to determine whether common ground exists for the parties to negotiate a sustainable, lasting solution to the Cyprob within a foreseeable horizon.
Zakharova (Russia)
>> Russia does not agree with the imposition of ready-made recipes for the Cyprob settlement or the introduction of strict timeframes to the negotiation process.
>> Russia supports a BBF solution with a single international personality, sovereignty and citizenship as per the agreements reached by the two communities in Cyprus.
>> Any change to solution’s basic parameters are subject to consideration by the UNSC.
DISY calls for US support on Cyprob, warns Varosha could soon be lost
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that ruling DISY leader Averof Neophytou called for US support to the efforts for the solution of the Cyprus problem during a meeting with the US Ambassador to Nicosia, Judith Garber.
The meeting was part of the DISY leader’s round of contacts with the heads of foreign missions to brief them on the Cyprus problem.
Neophytou said after the meeting that he called for US support for solution efforts and that he also clarified DISY’s positions on the matter. He reiterated that for DISY, the sole national priority was solving the Cyprus problem and that the solution framework should not stray from the unanimous decisions of the UN Security Council for a single state and the transformation of the Republic of Cyprus into a bizonal, bicommunal federation (BBF) with political equality. He warned that the risk is not from the informal five-party summit, but from the possibility of such a summit not taking place, “and we will find ourselves in the summer, losing also Varosha.”
Neophytou called on all political parties to support the government’s efforts arguing that a different stance would send out the message that the Cyprus problem was not among the parties’ priorities.
KEY ACTORS
Neophytou (DISY)
>> Calls for US support for efforts on the Cyprob solution.
>> Reiterates DISY wants a BBF solution with political equality in line with UNSC decisions.
>> Warns that if 5+1 doesn’t take place, risk of losing Varosha by the summer.
>> Calls on other GC parties to support current solution efforts to avoid sending out the message abroad that they don’t care.
Cyprus’ new Perm Rep to UN presents credentials
Alithia, Phileleftheros, Politis
Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
The papers report that the new Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the UN, Andreas Hadjichrysanthou, presented his credentials to the Secretariat on Wednesday via the UN e-credentials system.
Hadjichrysanthou replaced Andreas Mavroyiannis who had to give up the post to fully dedicate himself to his duties as chief negotiator of the GC side.
The new Permanent Representative is set to present his credentials in person to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday. Before his latest appointment, Hadjichrysanthou was Cyprus’ Ambassador to Germany from April 2017 while he served as Director of the Cyprus Question and Turkey Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2017.
Greece protests new Turkish Navtex for hydrographic survey in Aegean
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Phileleftheros
Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
According to the dailies, Greece protested to Turkey on Thursday over its deployment of the research vessel Cesme in the Aegean Sea.
Athens called the Navtex advisory issued by Turkey for the Cesme hydrographic survey vessel from February 18 until March 2 in an area of international waters, as “an unnecessary move.”
Greek government spokesman Christos Tarantilis said this was an unnecessary move which does not help positive sentiment. Government officials said that the Greek foreign ministry has made a verbal complaint and that the so-called Navtex advisory was illegal as it was issued from a station with no such jurisdiction.
Cyprus Mail reports that this move by Ankara follows a meeting by Greek and Turkish officials in Istanbul last month to discuss the delimitation of their maritime zones. The two sides had agreed to meet again in Athens.
Phileleftheros also reports that the spokesman of ruling Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP), Omer Celik, referred to the exploratory talks between Ankara and Athens, and accused Greece and Cyprus of organising the Philia (friendship) Forum but failing to invite Turkey and the TCs. Celik also said that the Greek foreign minister’s statements at the forum had nothing to do with friendship but were rather an approach that cultivates hostility against Turkey under the guise of the cloak of friendship, Phileleftheros reports.