Front Page Headlines
Ottoman reversion in Istanbul
A show in Hagia Sophia and expecting navies for Oruc Reis in Kastelorizo. Erdogan prayed at Hagia Sophia with swords and curtains. K. Mitsotakis said this is a sign of Ankara’s weakness. Concern over changes to the monument. Greek navy waiting in the Aegean as one cannot preclude moves by the Turkish research vessel, despite international interventions towards Ankara.
- Natural gas: Door closed for Energean
- Xenophobia: Aglandjia a new Zygi
From one provocation to the next
Erdogan the protagonist of provoking fiesta he set up inside Hagia Sophia. France puts its weight in reactions against Turkey.
- Mourning for Hagia Sophia: Historical desecration with provocative show – Bells in churches in Cyprus and Greece tolled mournfully
- Green light for works: EuroAsia Interconnector has all permits at hand
Digital transformation proceeds randomly
We paid 60 million euro in contracts and 115 million extra. Contracts assigned without competitive process. Negotiation process abused.
- A blow to inter-religious dialogue
- Modern slaves at farm in Liopetri
- Situation in Aegean heading to de-escalation. Greece on alert
- Kostas Kortas: Aglandjia should be away from misanthropic behaviours
First prayers at Hagia Sophia
Church bells toll for five minutes in Cyprus and Greece at noon.
- Cyprus: Furore over migrant centre in Aglandjia
The crime was committed
First Muslim prayer yesterday in Hagia Sophia. Tayip Erdogan put down in history yesterday as the most sacrilegious leader of Turkey. The show was transmitted worldwide, bells in Cyprus and Greece tolled mournfully. Fanatic Muslims shouted “Allah is great” and “knock, knock for Greece to hear”.
- Ankara furious with Emmanuel Macron after his meeting with President Anastasiades: Sends message that his statements were “null and void” – N. Christodoulides: The best meeting the President ever had with Mr. Macron, there are agreements for which I am not allowed to speak
- Two more yesterday: Concerns and alarm over “orphan cases”
- Displeasure over K. Kortas: The event at “Palladio” lit up fires for AKEL
- Defence Ministry makes clear that it did not withdraw a book about 1974
Main News
Turkey reacts over Macron statements on East Mediterranean situation
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
External Security, Energy, Regional/ International Relations, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a comment condemning French President Emmanuel Macron’s Thursday statements regarding the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the dailies report. Alithia also reports on statements by Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides which called the meeting the best the President Anastasiades has had with Macron.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hamit Aksoy said on Friday that Macron’s threats to impose sanctions are null and void for Ankara and will not bring results. Aksoy said that with every statement Paris is losing the opportunity to be a factor towards stability in the region.
Aksoy also called on France to stop seeing itself mirrored in Turkey and to follow a rational policy by withdrawing support from coupists in Libya and those that act as if they are the only owners of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Also on Friday, Erdogan’s advisor Ibrahim Kalin said during an online event organised by a Brussels-base think thank, that the language of sanctions will never be accepted by Turkey and that the country will insist on its national interests.
Alithia reports that Christodoulides told CyBC that important agreements were reached between Anastasiades and Macron during the visit to Paris, but that he is not able to say more at the moment. He added that the current situation calls for calm and collected action.
Christodoulides also said that France is taking specific initiatives to reverse moves made by Turkey, and pointed out that the meeting of the FMs from southern EU countries that France has requested will focus on this issue. He also said that the only way out of the crisis is dialogue, and pointed out that since Turkey says it is acting based on international law it should be able to come to the table.
Meanwhile, the dailies report that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and EU High Representative Josep Borrell have agreed to pursue de-escalation in the East Med and to meet before the EU’s Foreign Ministers’ unofficial Berlin meeting (Gymnich) which is expected to take place towards the end of August.
Borrell tweeted that he had a telephone conversation with Cavusoglu regarding the decisions taken by the recent meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. He said that they both agreed that there is a need to de-escalate in the East Mediterranean and to meet before Gymnich. The two also agreed to cooperate towards a cease fire in Libya according to the terms of the Berlin process.
Haravgi also reports that the Greek prime minister’s national security advisor, Alexis Diakopoulos, told Greek TV station SKAI that he does not expect a hot incident and that he expects de-escalation to take place. The newspaper also sites sources from the Greek army that spoke to Greek media, pointing out that the country’s armed forces will nevertheless remain on alert until August 2nd when the NAVTEX for research ship “Oruc Reis” expires.
Diakopoulos said that the de-escalation was a result of German pressure and Greek decisiveness, pointing out that Greece’s behaviour helped highlight that the crisis was caused by Turkey while Berlin’s intervention proved to be a salvation since it helped do away with Turkish excuses. He also pointed out that Greece has set its terms and clarified it will not negotiate under pressure.
Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas also called on Turkey to cooperate in order to decrease tensions on Friday. He also welcomed the role played by chancellor Merkel and President Macron in preventing a crisis.
Meanwhile, all dailies extensively report on the Muslim prayer that took place in Hagia Sophia for the first time in decades on Friday. Greek Cypriot political parties from across the spectrum condemned the move, with AKEL pointing out that this is a blow to inter-religious dialogue that has been criticised by Turkish political forces as well, and with DISY pointing out that the decision is a sign of an inward turn in Turkey and a turn away from respect to cultural monuments. Church bells in the government-controlled areas tolled in mourning at noon, as was done in Greece.
KEY ACTORS
Hamit Aksoy (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
>> Macron’s statements are null and void for Turkey and prevent France from being a stabilising force
>> France should stop supporting coupists in Libya and those that think they own the Eastern Med
Josep Borrell (EU HRVP)
>> We agreed with Cavusoglu that there is a need for de-escalation in the East Med
>> We will meet before August’s Gymnich
>> We agreed to cooperate for a cease fire in Libya in accordance with the Berlin process
Alexis Diakopoulos (Greek PM’s national security advisor)
>> De-escalation was a result of German pressure and intervention and Greek decisiveness
Margaritis Schinas (Commission VP)
>> Called on Turkey to de-escalate and welcomed Merkel’s and Macron’s role in preventing a crisis
Aglandjia migrant centre protest causes clash among candidates
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Politis
Migration & Citizenship, Internal Security, Human Rights, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that the issue of a centre for vulnerable asylum seekers to be opened in Aglandjia has become a controversial issue due to the reactions of a number of citizens.
Nicos Peristianis, the head of the consortium of NGOs (Hope for Children, Universitas Foundation, Doctors of Cyprus) that has won a government tender to run the centre at the Palladium building, a former psychiatric centre, told the Cyprus Mail that protesters seemed to be inadequately informed.
Peristianis said that the centre had been approved by the state and will receive 90% of its funding from the EU, and will receive about 40 to 50 people at a time coming from vulnerable groups, including single parents, children without parents, pregnant women and abused women, for a limited time of up to four months. He also pointed out that there is no issue over the permits of the building since it was originally registered as a psychiatric institution.
The newspaper points out that four of the five candidates for taking over as mayor of Aglandjia (after Charalambos Petrides was appointed Defence Minister) had spoken out against the centre, and that only Green Party candidate Efi Xanthou came out in support to the centre.
Meanwhile, a protest held earlier in the week against the centre was attended by members of ELAM as well as some DISY MPs and some candidates, including Kostas Kortas who is supported by AKEL and DIKO.
Kortas responded to criticism by differentiating himself from ELAM, Haravgi reports. The candidate said that he condemns the attempt by ELAM to use a social issue and local events to serve its far-right agenda. He underlined that Aglandjia should be kept away from fascist and misanthropic behaviours, as required by the values of democracy and liberty.
ELAM responded by issuing a statement asking citizens not to vote for Kortas. Haravgi recalls that in a statement on Thursday, AKEL had underlined that the majority of Aglandjia residents do not put blame on migrants for the failure of the government’s migration policy.