GCC Press Review 2 Nov 2020

Front Page Headlines

Politis

They dust off political interventions for “golden passports”

(Parliamentary) Watchdog Committee asked the Interior Minister to give it access to list of naturalisations. They want to ascertain, as part of parliamentary oversight, whether there are cases of state or elected officials connected or involved in KEP (Citizenship Investment Programme). Interior Minister’s reaction expected with interest, since one can rule out that he would ask the attorney-general again for advice. In parliament they rush to submit law proposals or discuss long-forgotten existing proposals in an effort to “achieve” transparency.

  • 197 cases: They decide on Wednesday over new measures
  • Turkish economy: Heading to a new fiscal crisis
  • Izmir earthquake: Hopes dissipate…
  • Greece – Turkey: NAVTEX diplomacy only brings tensions
  • New measures: Draft dodgers without hunting weapons

Phileleftheros

Noose tightens further

Data to be analysed today – Preparation of suggestions for additional restrictions. One out of 4 that were recorded as contacts were found positive to the coronavirus.

  • Hopes are reduced: Samos and Izmir live in a nightmare
  • Area bound by Turkey: NAVTEX on the rubble from the earthquakes
  • Possible involvement of more persons: Parliament asks for data on naturalisations
  • Cyprus one step from EU court: Republic exposed for inefficiently defining Natura 2000 network – Commission sent a reasoned opinion
  • Mass graves of Greek Cypriots from invasion in Varosha

Haravgi

They hid thousands of “golden” passports

They tried to muddy the waters up to the last moment. They deflated the numbers, but were caught in the act. Heavy indictment by Commission against Cyprus.

  • Scenarios of a mini-lockdown
  • Situation in the Cyprus Problem critical and dangerous
  • Asylum seekers blocked from driver’s licence
  • Earthquakes and rubble on land, NAVTEX in the sea – Victims increase, hopes reduced – Illegal NAVTEX and reaction from Athens and Nicosia

Alithia

Another 197 cases yesterday – More measures coming

Coronavirus continues to dominate – Citizens do not toe the line as much as they should. Cypriot company developed a coronavirus test with results within four minutes.

  • Bicommunal committees: Turkish Cypriots asked for postponement of activities until further notice: Frozen expecting instructions from Tatar – The stance chosen by Ersin Tatar will be another indication of his intentions
  • Without Pyroi and Kokkina, no further checkpoints will open
  • AKEL secretary general on Cyprus Problem: Dangerous situation

Main News

New Turkish NAVTEX in East Med condemned by Greece

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

OVERVIEW

Turkey issued a new NAVTEX connected to the activities of seismic research vessel Oruc Reis in an area south of Rhodes, the dailies report. Most coverage focuses its analysis on dashed hopes that the earthquake that hit Samos and Izmir would have caused a drive for positive diplomacy between the two countries.

Haravgi reports that the NAVTEX is for ships that are accompanying the Oruc Reis, which is in the area from November 1st to November 14th. The newspaper cites statements by Turkish President Tayip Erdogan who said that the country will continue research with Oruc Reis, as well as with Barbaros and Fatih. Erdogan reportedly also said that when gas reserves are discovered, the situation will change.

Greece responded by issuing a NAVTEX calling Turkey’s announcement illegal and asking that it cancels it. In a statement, the Greek Foreign Ministry announced that Greece will be issuing a diplomatic démarche to Ankara.


Work of bicommunal Technical Committees frozen due to Tatar

Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process, Governance & Power Sharing, CBMs

OVERVIEW

The T/C members of the bicommunal Technical Committees have asked for the temporary suspension of new meetings until further notice, Alithia reports.

The newspaper also reports that persons involved in the committees believe that Tatar will not move towards ending the work of the committees since they do not necessarily come into opposition with his own position that there should be a confederal or two-state solution. The same sources believe that Tatar could also choose to boost these committees in order to prove that there can be cooperation in a two-state framework.

Alithia adds that T/C members of the committees asked from their G/C counterparts to postpone meeting for the time being until the new T/C leader meets with them to clarify his intentions. The only committee that will continue to operate after the insistence of the G/C members will be the one on Cultural Heritage, since there are multiple projects that are currently under way which use European Union funds.

The newspaper recalls that the T/C members in the committees on gender equality and culture, both created during Mustafa Akinci’s leadership of the community, had quit in protest over Tatar’s election. The third committee that had been created by Akinci, that on education, remains unchanged. Its T/C head, Meltem Onurkan Samani, will continue in her place, but will no longer be the coordinator of the committees on behalf of the T/C leader.

Alithia also reports that one of the Technical Committees that had stopped producing results was the one on opening checkpoints. The newspaper recalls that that the T/C side was promoting the opening of new checkpoints in Nicosia, while not accepting to discuss the opening of passageways in Kokkina and Pyroi due to the opposition of the Turkish army.

The newspaper notes that the T/C side has often disagreed citing opposition by the Turkish army, but that it later agrees after negotiations, which is what happened before the openings of the checkpoints at Ledras street, Deryneia and Limnitis. The newspaper also notes that the Kokkina and Pyroi proposals are not checkpoints in the traditional sense, but passageways that would cross occupied territories.

Meanwhile, opposition AKEL secretary general Andros Kyprianou said in a statement before travelling to Athens that the situation regarding the Cyprus Problem is critical and dangerous. Kyprianou said that the situation needs to be dealt with effectively but also in a substantial way, and that the G/C side should not be limited to moves that seek only to impress public opinion.

Kyprianou added that during his visit in Athens he wants to listen to their approach on how to respond to unacceptable statements made by Turkey and to the efforts for new faits accomplis in Famagusta. He said that it is particularly important to achieve a return to negotiations on the same basis as before.

The AKEL leader also commented on statements made by former Greek Foreign Minister Nicos Kotzias during an interview on CyBC last Thursday. Kyprianou said that Kotzias confirmed in his statements that during the Crans Montana conference the issues of the abolition of the guarantees and the withdrawal of Turkish troops were on the table.

He added that what Kotzias said about what took place leading up to the last dinner coincide with what AKEL had been saying and contradict the President’s narrative.

In Athens, Kyprianou will be leading an AKEL representation which will meet with the country’s prime minister, President and Foreign Minister, as well as the leaders of opposition parties SYRIZA and KKE.


RoC sources raise possibility of mass graves of G/C missing in Varosha

Phileleftheros
CBMs, Territory

OVERVIEW

Phileleftheros reports, citing information from the office of the RoC’s commissioner for human rights and the missing, that mass graves of missing G/Cs might be located inside the fenced-off city of Varosha.

The newspaper notes that according to the office of the commissioner, Photis Photiou, the UN should take note of this seeing as the Committee for Missing Persons has not been allowed to conduct investigations so far due to the fact that the area is part of a military zone.

The newspaper also notes that the opening of the fenced-off city as well as Turkish President Erdogan’s intention to visit it contradicts this narrative.

Phileleftheros explains that during the second phase of the Turkish invasion in August 1974, several G/Cs had remained in Varosha since they could not or would not flee with the majority of the population. The Turkish army is then reported to have advanced into the city and to have killed the unarmed inhabitants that were still in the area.

UN reports from that time speak of dead bodies in the street, the newspaper notes, adding that UNFICYP buried some of the bodies. Others were buried by the Turkish military and T/C paramilitary groups.


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