Front Page Headlines
The nightmare of drug gangs
Head of the Commission for Struggle with Drug Abuse Hasan Karaokçu makes blood-curling revelations. Karaokçu says that while the majority of young people try drugs for fun and out of curiosity, child addicts begin using substances as of eleven years of age. The use of psychoactive drugs among primary and secondary school pupils in North Cyprus shows a rising trend compared to previous years. However, the real danger is at the university level, particularly among foreign students,” he said.
There are irregularities and corruption in nearly 20 cooperatives
Kemal Deniz Dana, who is the Director of the Cooperative Companies Registrar, spoke to Kıbrıs regarding the ongoing inspections carried out on the cooperatives.
- A village in South Cyprus was evacuated due to a fire – The fire that broke out in Tala village in Paphos spread fast due to the strong winds. Many houses and vehicles were burnt.
We can’t compete
76 planes will land at Larnaca and Paphos today, only six at Ercan (Tymbou). While hotels in the South have stepped up their promotional campaigns for the summer, they’ve started to yield positive results. Hotels in Limassol are currently at 50 per cent capacity while hotels in Paphos are almost half full. According to information obtained by Diyalog, the number of flights that landed at Larnaca and Paphos yesterday was 71. This figure will reach 76 today. 61 at Larnaca and 15 at Paphos.
- Great panic was experienced – A fire which broke out in the village of Tala near Paphos and which quickly spread to nearby homes was put out with great difficulty.
- 5,000 Greek Cypriots – More than 8000 people crossed through the Derinya (Dherynia) crossing point in 20 days.
Tatar will also change if Turkey wants
AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou gave an exclusive interview to Avrupa. According to Kyprianou, Turkey needs to be convinced that the two-state solution is not in its best interest. “Once Turkey is convinced, Tatar will also follow suit, doing what Turkey wants,” Kyprianou said.
- Big fire in Paphos, people were evacuated – Homes and cars were also burnt in the fire in the Tala village of Paphos. Authorities have evacuated the people from the village.
- A new beachfront opened in Maraş (Varosha) – The beachfront with 500 sunbeds, changing rooms and shower facilities opened for the summer season.
Main News
Tatar: TCs are as sovereign as GCs on this island
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Saturday said he had found the opportunity to reiterate the Turkish Cypriot side’s position to UN Secretary-General in Brussels, adding that Turkish Cypriots were as sovereign as Greek Cypriots on the island.
Speaking during a press conference at Ercan (Tymbou) airport upon his return from Brussels, Tatar repeated his position that he will only negotiate a two-state solution based on the sovereign equality of the two sides.
He also said that a new process was highly unlikely before the UN General Assembly in New York in September. Tatar added that Turkish Cypriots will not agree to a settlement whereby they will be dominated by Greek Cypriots.
Also touching on the issue of the confidence-building measures (CBMs), Tatar stressed that the Turkish Cypriot side is willing to discuss any CBM that will have a positive impact on the daily lives of the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots.
“We will not discuss any CBM that might have an effect on the core of the Cyprus problem or derail the Turkish Cypriot side’s sovereignty claims,” Tatar concluded.
KEY ACTORS
Tatar
>> TC side will only negotiate a two-state solution based on sovereign equality.
>> No new process expected before UN General Assembly in September.
>> TCs’ will not agree to a settlement whereby they will be dominated by GCs.
>> TC side ready to discuss CBMs that will have a positive impact on the daily life of the two communities.
Equal status of the two sides needed for a solution
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The Office of the President slammed the conclusions adopted by the EU Council held in Brussels on June 24. According to a statement issued on Saturday, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar drew attention to the need for a “realistic basis for the negotiations,” adding that the efforts to reach a federal settlement have long been exhausted.
“The Turkish Cypriot side believes that accepting the Turkish Cypriot state’s sovereign equality and recognizing its equal international status are vital elements in a successful negotiations process,” the statement read.
It pointed out that it will not be possible to reach a realistic and sustainable settlement unless the sides’ statuses and legitimacies are based on equal ground. Urging the EU to revise its position on Cyprus, the statement stressed the Turkish Cypriot side’s goal is to develop collaboration between the two sides based on equality.
It also noted that referencing UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions will only mean supporting failed processes. Touching on the Maraş (Varosha) paragraph in the conclusions, the statement recalled the Greek Cypriot side has rejected all confidence-building measures (CBMs) on the fenced-off town to date.
“Therefore the EU should regard the Turkish Cypriot side’s moves on Maraş (Varosha) as a step taken in the right direction,” the statement said, adding that the Maraş (Varosha) Initiative is being carried out in line with international law and by respecting property rights.
The statement also highlighted that the EU disregarded the Turkish Cypriots’ legitimate rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean while encouraging the Greek Cypriot side’s unilateral and unlawful hydrocarbon activities. The statement recalled the Turkish Cypriot side’s hydrocarbon collaboration proposal dated July 13, 2019, adding that the said proposal is still at the table.
“We call on the EU to respect the legitimate rights and interests of the two sides and to honour its promise made in 2004 to lift the isolations imposed on the Turkish Cypriots,” the statement concluded.
KEY ACTORS
Tatar
>> Need for a “realistic basis for the negotiations,” adding that the efforts to reach a federal settlement have long been exhausted.
>> TC side believes accepting the TC state’s sovereign equality & recognizing its equal international status is vital for successful talks.
>> It will not be possible to reach a realistic & sustainable settlement unless the sides’ statuses & legitimacies are based on equal ground.
>> The EU needs to revise its position in Cyprus.
>> TC side’s goal is to develop collaboration between the two sides based on equality.
>> Referencing to UNSC resolutions will only mean supporting failed processes.
>> As the GC side has rejected all proposals on Maraş (Varosha) to date, the EU to regarding TC side’s move as a step taken in the right direction.
>> EU should respect the legitimate rights & interests of the two sides& honour is promises made to TCs in 2004.
Arıklı: Maraş (Varosha) is established on land owned by foundations
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Property, Territory
OVERVIEW
Maraş (Varosha) continues to remain on the daily agenda of Turkish Cypriot politicians. This time around, Rebirth Party (YDP) leader Erhan Arıklı together with his party’s executive board visited the fenced-off town on Saturday to inspect the ongoing works being carried out in the opened up section. He was accompanied by the Turkish Cypriot mayor of Famagusta İsmail Arter.
Arıklı also visited the Bilal Ağa mosque, which is being restored by the Evkaf administration of Cyprus currently under the control of the YDP wing of the coalition government.
Speaking during the visit, Arıklı pointed out that the Bilal Ağa foundation that owns the namesake mosque was established in 1821. He said in addition to the mosque, the foundation had seven shops, two coffee shops and one house.
“As the Evkaf administration, we will swiftly carry out restoration and repair work at these immovable properties,” the YDP leader vowed, adding that the Turkish Cypriot side should start with the Bilal Ağa foundation to prove that Maraş (Varosha) town was built on foundation properties.
He said after that the public areas must also be quickly opened for public use. “The Turkish Cypriots, who are one of the two owners of the island, have every right to use the public properties in Maraş (Varosha) and no one including the UN cannot prevent it,” Arıklı concluded.
Meanwhile, the leader of the National Unity Party (UBP) and Prime Minister Ersan Saner also touched on the Maraş (Varosha) issue during a visit to the Dipkarpaz (Risokarpaso).
“The government’s Maraş (Varosha) Initiative has foiled our neighbours’ plans,” Saner argued, adding that the Turkish Cypriot side has given “the best response” to the Greek Cypriot side, which has refused everything that might be in favour of the Turkish Cypriots in the past 53 years and that has refrained from going into any form collaboration with the Turkish Cypriot side.
Saner reiterated that the Turkish Cypriot side will only accept a two-state solution model based on sovereign equality.
KEY ACTORS
Arıklı (YDP)
>> TCs have every right to use public properties in Maraş (Varosha). Not even the UN can prevent this from happening.
Saner (UBP)
>> Government’s Maraş (Varosha) initiative has foiled GCs’ plans.
>> Government has given best response to GC side which has rejected all proposals to date.
>> TC side will only accept a two-state solution based on sovereign equality.
Kyprianou: Tatar will also change if Turkey wants
Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou, in an exclusive interview with Avrupa, said Turkey needs to be convinced that the two-state solution is not in its best interest. “Once Turkey is convinced, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar will also follow suit, doing what Turkey wants,” Kyprianou said.
He added AKEL believes that the solution in Cyprus should be a bicommunal, bizonal federal (BBF) solution based on the political equality of the two communities, and in line with the UN resolutions and international law, and with EU principles.
Kyprianou added that AKEL had been arguing since 2015 that Turkey will economically benefit from the solution of the Cyprus problem.
He said AKEL had presented the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades with a proposal to relay to Ankara first to establish commercial relations between Turkey and RoC on selling the natural resources and secondly to work on constructing a pipeline to transfer the natural gas to other destinations via Turkey.
Asked to comment on the future of the Cyprus problem, Kyprianou noted that AKEL believes Anastasiades must take on initiatives to divert pressure for the solution of the Cyprus problem to Turkey but it is not the case now. “If continues like this, the partition will become permanent, which will be devastating for all Cyprus,” Kyprianou said.
In response to a question on Turkey’s relations with the EU, Kyprianou noted there are serious democracy problems and human rights violations in Turkey. He argued that both the UN and the EU could have taken on a more active role to overcome these issues but they didn’t. Kyprianou added that Turkey had provocative acts against Greece and carried out actions against the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) in violation of international law.
“Nonetheless, the EU in response to Turkey’s actions acts with the migration and the Syrian issues in mind,” Kyprianou said, adding that the bloc should have had a principled stance against Turkey.
Responding to a question on Turkey’s plans to transform the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport into a base for its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Kyprianou said such a move was unlawful and unacceptable. Noting that AKEL is concerned about the increasing investments in armament on both sides of the divide, Kyprianou reiterated that AKEL wants a demilitarized Cyprus with the solution.
“AKEL is also against the doctrine of ‘preparing for war if you want peace.’ On the contrary, we believe if you want peace, you have to prepare for it and fight for it,” Kyprianou said.
KEY ACTOR
Kyprianou (AKEL)
>> Turkey needs to be convinced that a two-state solution is not in its best interest.
>> Tatar will follow suit if Erdoğan is convinced.
>> AKEL supports a BBF solution in Cyprus. Failure to reach a solution will result in a permanent partition.
>> Turkey’s plans for an aerial base in the north is unlawful & unacceptable.