GCC Press Review 27 September 2020

Front Page Headlines

Sunday Mail

Excess ops put strain on Gesy

Some procedures may even be unnecessary as private hospitals plan according to payout.

  • Legal service instructs police to launch probe into seven passports
  • Cyprus at 60: Changes in politics since the island gained independence from UK
  • Cyprus: Cyprus trapped over Belarus
  • Comment: Ditching blasphemy law long overdue
  • Coffeeshop (opinion): Hopes of being world power dashed, Cyprus becomes a nuisance

Simerini

The Guterres road map

We disclose the plans for restarting negotiations on the Cyprus Problem. The role of Germany and Brussels and the requirements set by Nicosia.

  • Turkish noose on Cypriot veto through EU
  • (Editorial): The Sultan’s wet cats
  • Savvas Iacovides (opinion): “Spoiled” Cyprus is obliged to insist on sanctions on Turkey
  • Petros Th. Pantelides (opinion): If Turkey accepts end of guarantees?
  • Andreas M. Vasiliou (opinion): The pirate drills
  • Dr. Ant. St. Stylianou: The President of the Republic’s main points in front of the UN General Assembly

Politis

Big stakes for the Turkish Cypriots

How the pandemic affects the T/C “elections”. Pre-election period sets up a final showdown between two people, Mustafa Akinci and Tayip Erdogan. It is now taken for granted among the T/C community that the Cyprus Problem has ran its course and that the G/C community is primarily responsible. The “TRNC” does not only gain security from Turkey, but Erdogan wishes it to also provide security to Turkey. Awkward pre-election campaign.

  • Naturalisations: Holes in control practices for lawyers and accountants – Bar Association and Institute of Certified Accountants knew for years
  • Cypriots: They want a solution in both communities

Phileleftheros

A letter with list of demands

What Erdogan asks of EU leaders a little before critical Council. Revealed: Dialogue with Greece and co-decision over natural gas without a solution to the Cyprus Problem.

  • A difficult situation in the EU: Battle in the summit over equal treatment
  • In front of Turkish tactics: A set-up reminiscent of 2004 with a cocktail of pressures on Cyprus
  • Twenty cases in total: Entirety of Ethnikos Ahnas in quarantine!
  • The ten changes made: How we went from 25 million to 2 million for every investor naturalisation
  • Politically exposed persons: Now they go through intense screening before opening account
  • (Turkey) throws smokescreen for Europe
  • (Analysis) Greece and the policy of Enosis

Kathimerini

Germany – Cyprus in secret diplomacy over Cyprus Problem

Berlin sends message to Nicosia to forget about sanctions and focus on restarting negotiations.

  • Kalogirou report: Findings in hands of police
  • Alexandros Diakopoulos (interview): August crisis had positive repercussions for Greece
  • Greece: Armaments and Souda on the agenda
  • Cyprus Problem ahead: Ankara’s 5 points and Akinci’s 3 terms
  • Andreas Paraschos (opinion): Berlin, Nicosia and “veto”

Haravgi

Turkey sanctions softly dropped

  • The self appointed controllers of… our morality, art and expression
  • Majority of G/Cs and T/Cs in favour of a BBF solution, according to UCy poll
  • American Secretary of State M. Pompeo visits Athens
  • 30th of June a benchmark for oil installations

Alithia

Guterres rolls up sleeves

He starts work immediately after “presidential elections” in occupied areas. UNSG support to Akinci with a teleconference a little before the “elections”. Annoyance in Turkey over continuation of process from Crans Montana.

  • Concerns over Ethnikos Ahnas cluster – 21 cases so far: People positive to coronavirus went to a gathering – Thirteen cases were found yesterday after 3,220 diagnoses – Tragic situation in Greece with 315 new cases and seven deaths
  • While he seeks dialogue…: Erdogan provokes again with Navtex and threats regarding “Blue Homeland”
  • Analysis: The explosions caused by the Cypriot veto

Main News

Germany favours Cyprus-Turkey de-escalation and rejects sanctions


Alithia, Haravgi, Kathimerini, Phileleftheros, Simerini
EU Matters, Regional/ International Relations, External Security, Energy

Kathimerini reports that Germany has sent the message to Nicosia that they will not concede to further sanctions against Turkey, arguing they will not be effective and will not change Turkey’s behaviour but instead push it to more extreme positions.

Foreign diplomatic sources told the newspaper that Germany focuses on a positive agenda on EU-Turkish relations and that it is in coordination with France on how to handle the Cypriot “veto” on a decision to impose sanctions on Belarus.

Berlin reportedly believes that adding names to the list of sanctioned persons and companies has no practical use and is only a symbolic move. It accepts that sectoral sanctions could have an effect but note that now is not their time.

This stance has reportedly encouraged a lot of countries to criticise Cyprus over its stance regarding Belarus. Germany has told Cyprus that it should focus on restarting negotiations after the elections in the north, and not limit its efforts to the list of sanctioned individuals.

The newspaper recalls its report that, according to sources, German chancellor Angela Merkel had suggested to President Anastasiades in a phone call before last Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council that she intervene for the quiet withdrawal of Yavuz from the Cypriot EEZ. Anastasiades had reportedly also asked for the withdrawal of Barbaros.

Kathimerini also reports that it is unlikely Anastasiades will veto Belarus sanctions during Thursday’s European Council, due to the isolation experienced by Nicosia and also the call by France’s Minister for European Affairs on the country to green-light the decision.

Phileleftheros reports that Turkish President Tayip Erdogan has sent a letter to the leaders of all EU member states except Greece and Cyprus, ahead of Thursday’s European Council, in which he reiterates his country’s positions. The newspaper cites parts of the letter which has come into its possession.

According to the report, Erdogan mentions the actions of the G/C side since 2003 regarding energy and accuses the G/Cs and Greece of wanting to trap Turkey in its coast. Erdogan also repeats his proposal for G/Cs and T/Cs to share natural gas before a solution of the Cyprus Problem, and calls for the creation of a mechanism for cooperation that would also equitably apportion future incomes from natural gas.

Erdogan points out that since both sides on the island work with international companies in their respective areas, this means that natural gas exploitation can proceed without a solution. He adds that only the two peoples on the island can decide together whether to continue or pause their activity.

The Turkish President also writes that he is ready for dialogue but not with the RoC which Turkey considers to no longer exist. He says that he aims to achieve the delineation of maritime borders for Turkey and to ensure T/C rights to Cypriot natural gas.

He also suggests the creation of a regional energy forum that would include the T/Cs. The newspaper notes that this could refer to European Council President Charles Michel’s proposal for a regional conference, and points out that Ankara disagrees with the participation of the RoC but instead asks that both G/Cs and T/Cs are represented.

In a statement on Saturday, German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Adebahr reiterated that the negotiations which will take place between Greece and Turkey will only focus on the issue of the maritime zones between the countries, Phileleftheros reports citing the Cyprus News Agency. Adebahr had been asked by CNA to comment whether Germany asks Greece to also discuss issues such as the demilitarisation of Greek islands.

In her response, Adebahr pointed out a statement issued several days ago by the German Chancellor’s spokesperson, Stephen Seibert. Seibert had said that Greece and Turkey will only negotiate on their maritime zones.

Alithia reports that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be meeting Greek Foreign Minister Nicos Dendias on Monday in Thessaloniki. Dendias and Pompeo are going to discuss bilateral and regional issues, including on the US-Greece strategic dialogue and developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. Pompeo will then meet prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Crete. He will also visit the Souda military base on the island.


Survey shows G/Cs and T/Cs supporting federation but not optimistic


Alithia, Haravgi, Kathimerini, Politis, Simerini
Negotiations Process, CBMs, Governance & Power Sharing

A majority of G/Cs and T/Cs want an agreed federal solution, though T/Cs are more positive towards it, while a strong majority in both communities wants a solution that will satisfy the needs of both communities, a survey reported by Politis and Haravgi found. However, a majority in both communities considers it unlikely that a mutually beneficial solution will be found.

Asked whether they wish for a commonly accepted federal solution on a scale of 1 to 6 (1 indicating no desire and 6 indicating intense desire), 63% of T/C respondents selected 6, compared to 34.1% of G/C respondents. However, only 16.6% of T/Cs and 16.5% of G/Cs selected 1. A significant percentage of G/Cs selected 3 (12%), 4 (15.9%) and 5 (16.5%), boosting the overall support to a federation among the community.

When asked to rank their desire for the Cyprus problem to be solved in a way that covers the basic needs of both communities, 70% of G/Cs and 71.6% of T/Cs selected 6, while 4.9% of G/Cs and 9.1% of T/Cs selected 1.

However when asked to assess the probability of such a solution being reached by ranking it from 1 (no possibility) to 6 (very possible), 31.6% of G/Cs and 38.1% of T/Cs selected 1. 4.3% of G/Cs and 23.2% of T/Cs selected 6, showing T/Cs to be more optimistic, while G/Cs showed overall pessimism with 26.4% electing 2 and 22% selecting 3, compared to 11.1% and 11.5% for T/Cs.

Also, the majority of T/Cs are reported to be positive towards the G/Cs, with 33% respondents saying they harbour positive feelings, 29% negative and 38% neutral.

The respondents also agree that Greek-Turkish tensions could lead to further tensions (57% of G/Cs and 46.7% of T/Cs), with the majority believing that such a scenario would lead to bicommunal violence on the island (45.2% of G/Cs and 52.9% of T/Cs). However the majority seem to not believe that this could lead to a military confrontation on the island (51.1% of G/Cs and 62.3% of T/Cs). They do however believe that further tensions will affect inter-communal relations negatively (75% of G/Cs and 82.9% of T/Cs).

53.3% of G/Cs believe it is likely that in case of an escalation the checkpoints could be closed, while 51.3% of T/Cs think this would be unlikely. Only 38.2% of G/Cs believe citizens can contribute to changing the political situation, while 61.7% of TCs believe this is possible.

At the same time, 53.8% of T/C respondents and only 24.7% of G/Cs said they feel a lack of hope, and despair over the situation. 24.8% of T/Cs say they are optimistic.

Also, 64.2% of G/Cs and 71.8% of T/Cs responded that they are ready to support initiatives towards peace on the island. 42.2% of G/Cs and 64.9% of T/Cs responded they are ready to support a party or a candidate that will work towards peace.

When asked about the upcoming T/C leadership elections, the respondents gave Mustafa Akinci the lead in the first round with 25.8%, followed by Ersin Tatar (16.9%) and Tufan Erhurman in the third place. In a possible second round, Akinci is selected by 36.4% and Tatar gets 21.6%, but 33% said they were undecided.

The survey was funded by LSE’s Hellenic Observatory and the A.G. Leventis Research Innovation Programme and was conducted the Centre for Field Research of the University of Cyprus and private T/C company LIPA Consultants Ltd Research Group. Academics from Cypriot, British, Australian and Israeli universities coordinated the survey. 536 G/Cs and 527 T/Cs respondents over 18 which were selected through random sampling participated in the survey through the telephone. The results have an error margin of 4%.

Meanwhile Simerini reports on the roadmap for the restart of negotiations to be followed by UNSG Antonio Guterres, citing information. According to the newspaper, the first step is for Guterres’s advisor, Jane Holl Lute, to return to the island after the T/C elections, towards the end of October. After Lute has sounded out the leaders, the second step would be a preparatory meeting similar to Crans Montana involving the UNSG, the two leaders and the three guarantor powers, which would set the 2014 Anastasiades – Eroglu declaration, the convergences so far and the Guterres framework as the basis for negotiation. This would happen in December or January.

The third step would be the preparation for meaningful negotiations through a technical meeting which would lead to a process of de-escalation and to the appointment of a new Special Advisor on Cyprus which would replace Espen Barth Eide. The final step would be another conference similar to Crans Montana for essential negotiations, initially with the participation of the Foreign Ministers of the guarantors and later with government leaders.


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