Front Page Headlines
One in three is poorer
Almost half made it through the pandemic without facing economic repercussions. Pandemic had strong effects on finances of Cypriot households. According to a survey by the European Parliament, 33% states that they have lost income while 24% was left out of the job market. 46% says they didn’t face economic difficulties due to outbreak of pandemic, which shows the increase of inequality in the population.
- 46 years from the crime: The “president” was a “ridiculous person”
Tourism blocked because of the test
Savvas Perdios: Tour operators do not accept coronavirus test to bring tourists. We now shift to individual travellers.
- Moves to overturn Turkish plans – Athens and Nicosia agreed on response to Turkish acts – President informed over Greece and Turkey meeting with Germany in Berlin
- Testimony about the coup d’etat: 15 July 1974: When the voice of a free Cyprus was heard
- Increased flow of migrants again, 333 at Pournara, 69 in quarantine
- They close their ears over Hagia Sophia
Bloodshed and betrayal leave open wounds
Dark memories awake. 46 years after the betrayal, wounds remain open.
- Event to condemn the twin crime
- Cyprus Problem missing from discussions
Cyprus, Greece ‘in perfect sync’
Anastasiades meets Greek PM, says dialogue, peace and stability sought.
- Legal view: Could a Truth Commission work for Cyprus’ missing people too?
Fear of unemployment
Effects of pandemic still to come. Unemployment: Today the situation does not raise concerns but what will happen when special programmes end? Zeta: It’s unacceptable to fire employees when we gave 500 million euros to support employment. Labour ministry: Prepares new incentives to businesses for hiring of unemployed from November to February.
- Full coordination during yesterday’s discussion between President Anastasiades and K. Mitsotakis in Athens – They expect more from Europe – President: We will not allow Turkey’s goal of creating an unnecessary crisis to prevail
- Erdogan unfazed: Muhammad also a leader for the Orthodox, he says
- In Berlin: Secret meeting between Greece, Turkey and Germany
- Ozersay – Tatar: They see an effort to harm their economy
- Coup anniversary: Makarios’s escape from the Presidential Palace on July 15th 1974
Main News
Greece coordinates with Cyprus and has consultations with Turkey
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Oikonomiki Kathimerini, Politis
External Security, Energy, Regional/ International Relations, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
President Anastasiades met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on Tuesday, in order to coordinate ahead of Friday’s European Council and chart a joint strategy regarding Turkey, the dailies report.
Meanwhile, the Greek media confirmed that three top level advisers from Greece, Turkey and Germany met in Berlin on Monday. Phileleftheros reports that Anastasiades was briefed on the meeting by Mitsotakis on Tuesday. According to the newspaper, Greece had decided not to publicise the meeting since it constituted of discussions on a technocratic level.
Also on Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu confirmed that the meeting had taken place. After a meeting with the Maltese FM, Cavusoglu said that the two countries are again having a dialogue after Mitsotakis and Erdogan spoke over the phone. Cavusoglu said that Turkey was forced to take unilateral steps because it had been left out, and that it is ready to come to an arrangement for the fair sharing of Cypriot hydrocarbons among the two communities.
Alithia reports that according to a report by Greek channel Open TV, the meeting was called by Germany a few hours after the announcement of Turkey’s decision to allow the Hagia Sophia to be used as a mosque. Ibrahim Kalin, the Turkish President’s top adviser, Eleni Sourani, the Greek P<’s diplomatic adviser and Jan Hecker, the German chancellor’s foreign affairs advisor, participated in the meeting.
According to sources cited by the Greek TV channel, the purpose of the meeting was to promote de-escalation, so that the two countries can negotiate regarding their EEZs.
This was not the first time Kalin and Sourani had contacts, as they had prepared the phone call between Mitsotakis and Turkish President Tayip Erdogan which took place on June 26th.
During Tuesday’s meeting in Athens, Anastasiades and Mitsotakis agreed on the need for a joint intervention towards the EU, asking the bloc to effectively stand up to Turkish provocations. The two leaders also said that they would react to further moves by Turkey, but that pursuing dialogue remains their priority.
Phileleftheros reports that Mitsotakis intends to focus on issues related to Turkey also during his upcoming meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, on the margins of Friday’s European Council in Brussels.
Kathimerini reports that the two governments have decided to avoid giving the impression of any disagreements, and that Cyprus has decided to follow Greece’s line to lower the tensions. According to the report, both countries realise is that Germany is not prepared to push for harsh measures against Turkey but prefers to focus on a positive agenda on all issues, including migration.
In his statements after the meeting, Anastasiades said that Turkey cannot be allowed to create an unnecessary crisis. The President pointed out that Turkey’s actions do not befit its status as a candidate for accession to the EU, and said that Cyprus and Greece strive for dialogue, peace and stability and are not the ones doing the provocation but are being provoked.
Mitsotakis said that the EU needs to have a joint, unified approach to relations with Turkey. The Greek prime minister pointed out that Turkey’s actions infringe on Cyprus’s as well as the EU’s sovereign rights. Mitsotakis added that the EU has to prepare a list of specific sanctions. He insisted that Greece has never said no to dialogue.
The two leaders also expressed their concern over the Hagia Sophia decision. Mitsotakis said that Greece is considering how it will respond to this move and said that the monument, which is a symbol of religious tolerance, will not remain hostage to politics.
The Turkish Foreign Minister responded on Tuesday to the FAC’s decision and statements made by High Representative Josep Borrell regarding hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean. Spokesperson Hamit Aksoy said that Turkey wants the creation of a mechanism for cooperation over Cypriot hydrocarbons. This, he said, would be the first step towards reopening lines of communication and create preconditions for cooperation.
In another development, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will be visiting Cyprus in September. Sakellaropoulou announced this during a meeting with President Anastasiades in Athens.
Phileleftheros also reports that Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have issued a note verbale to the UN Secretariat, asking that the Turkish-Libyan memorandum not be registered by the UN. The five countries note that for an international agreement to be registered it needs to first be ratified by both sides, which has not yet happened.
Meanwhile, Greek Cypriot parties reacted to the results of Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council regarding Turkey. DISY spokesperson Nicos Tornaritis said that the governing party notes that the discussion will continue in August and expressed the hope that European solidarity will be implemented on the ground. AKEL pointed out that the prospect of sanctions to Turkey was once again postponed since a large percentage of European governments are not ready to move against Turkey, and called on the government to clarify its expectations from the EU in a clear and specific way.
DIKO deputy president Christiana Erotokritou said that even though the EU’s solidarity is welcome, what is needed is action, and added that the government needs to push for sanctions against Turkey. EDEK called for a joint national strategy between Greece and Cyprus that would boost their ability to act preventively, the Greens expressed the hopes that the EU moves from words to action, as did Citizens’ Alliance. Solidarity leader Eleni Theocharous said the EU is breeding a new dangerous HItler and pointed out that it was apparent from the start that there would be no real result from the EU’s efforts.
Spehar meets Akinci ahead of Security Council vote on UNFICYP mandate
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process, Internal Security, CBMs
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on the ongoing process ahead of the upcoming vote at the UN Security Council to renew the mandate of UNFICYP, as well as on complaints by T/C politicians regarding efforts by the RoC to limit tourism to the north.
The newspapers report, citing the Cyprus News Agency and PIO translations of articles in T/C media, that T/C leader Mustafa Akinci submitted written comments to UNFICYP head Elizabeth Spehar
on the draft to the upcoming UNSG report on the Cyprus Problem. This was the first live meeting between Akinci and Spehar since the start of the pandemic.
In statements after the meeting, Akinci said that him and Spehar discussed how to develop cooperation between the two side regarding the coronavirus. Akinci also said that he underlined the need to reopen the checkpoint at Ledras street, citing the economic benefit for two sides.
Akinci said he also brought up the issue of the RoC preventing European tourists from crossing to the occupied areas citing the pandemic. He said that the UN needs to take this issue seriously.
This issue has been also picked up by “foreign minister” Kudret Ozersay who has sent letters to UNSG Guterres as well as to Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. “Prime minister” Ersin Tatar also called on the RoC to stop blocking tourism in a written statement.
Meanwhile, epidemiologist Leontios Kostrikkis said during an interview on Sigma TV that there should be concerns regarding crossings since some people crossing are found to be carrying the coronavirus but that the numbers reported in the north do not increase. He also said that there have been testimonies that some of the tests used in the occupied areas are not reliable.
The dailies report on the developments that followed the decision by inhabitants of Kato Pyrgos Tillyrias to block the road leading to the Kokkina enclave on Monday, as a protest over the T/C “government’s” changed policy on crossings.
Evkaf says it was overlooked during British Bases deal with RoC
Alithia, Cyprus Mail
Property, Territory, Regional/ International Relations
OVERVIEW
T/C religious endowments foundation Evkaf has expressed concerns over the deal to allow the development of private land in the Sovereign Base Areas, which was reached in June between the UK and the RoC.
The SBAs gave reassurances that all T/C land is being safeguarded and will not be developed without the consent of its owners, the Cyprus Mail reports.
Evkaf had questioned the validity of the agreement in a written statement, pointing out it had property rights in the area that cannot be ignored, as well as that the fact that the agreement was signed without the consent of the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey violates the principles of the establishment of the RoC.
The foundation added that it has the deeds to thousands of acres of land in both Dhekelia and Akrotiri, and that for any development to take place a lease must be signed with Evkaf.
In a statement to the Cyprus Mail, a spokesperson of the SBAs said that the administration has engaged with the T/C community since the beginning of the non-military development (NMD) process and will continue to do so so. The spokesperson noted that under the NMD agreement, T/C who own land in the SBAs will also be able to benefit from developing their land by applying to the SBA Area Offices.
Migrant flows increase again, coronavirus cases detected
Phileleftheros
Migration & Citizenship, Human Rights, Internal Security, CBMs
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros reports that 333 migrants and asylum seekers are currently being held at the Pournara reception centre. Out of these, 69 people are being quarantined in a special area in the centre. According to the report, all recently arriving migrants are tested for coronavirus and then put in quarantine for 14 days regardless of whether they test positive or not.
The newspaper reports, citing information from the Interior Ministry, that the number of migrants arriving at the government-controlled areas had decreased but has picked up again in the last few days. The report does not cite specific overall trends and numbers. The article points out only that three days one asylum seeker arrived at the Omorfita police station, while the previous day 12 migrants arrive.
According to the report, most economic migrants in the past few months have been arriving from African countries through the occupied areas, and that only a small amount comes from Syria. Traffickers on both sides reportedly take migrants directly to the police station and in other cases they direct them to unguarded sections of the buffer zone through which they cross.
The report points out that asylum seekers are tricked by traffickers into thinking that they can move from Cyprus to any other EU country. Most wish to move to Germany or Italy but end up trapped in Cyprus.
Also, it is reported that Civil Defence is expected to hand over the management of the Pournara reception centre to the Asylum Department on July 31st. Civil Defence had been managing the centre for the past six years.