Front Page Headlines
Back to being inside after 11 at night
New measures and call on the young to protect the elderly. Restaurants and recreation venues will close shutters after 10.30 at night. No movement until 5 in the morning. Gyms in Limassol and Paphos padlocked and strict measures imposed in the two districts maintained. End to congratulations and cocktail parties for weddings and christenings. Only dinner with up to 150 persons and six persons per table. Constantinos Petrides and Zeta Emilianidou announce measures for the economy and to support employment and businesses.
- Cyprus Problem: Hopes now are on Guterres
- Odysseas (Auditor General): He backed away from appeal
- “Holy” quartet: In… Russian mode plagal
- Ierokipia: Red light for “holy” hotel
We stay at home after 11
“If we don’t react immediately, consequences will be disproportionately large”, President warned. Additional measures in Limassol and Paphos.
- They will wait for a move from Guterres
- Strolls in the Cypriot EEZ also in winter
- Synod members rail against Patriarch – Archbishop
Those in government are blaming the citizens again
COVID-19: Another 166 cases and 57 hospitalised. Another address for public consumption by the President. Full churches and sports fields without audiences!
- We do not put up with corruption, we react!
- Turkish seismic surveys inside EEZ
- Ersin Tatar: “We should live next to each other, but also as joint owners of the island”
- Hail of criticism over hidden “golden” passports. Meeting between Auditor General – Attorney General
Late night curfew is now islandwide
All restaurants and bars to close at 10.30pm, new measures for Paphos, Limassol.
Mini lockdown
New measures against the coronavirus. Central measure: It is forbidden for people to move outside from 11 at night to 5 in the morning the following day. In addition to other measures, in Limassol and Paphos all open and closed playgrounds and gyms are to suspend operations. Anastasiades: Talked to citizens as a father and grandfather.
- Nicos Christodoulides: Denktas and Eroglu said the same things – All will be decided on the negotiation table
- Over Church of Ukraine: 4 metropolitans fight back – How they respond to the Ecumenical Patriarch
- Attorney – Auditor (General): Met out of the spotlight and found a solution…
- Ersin Tatar wants two states and solutions out of the box. Waits for everything to be cleared in five-party meeting
Main News
Turkey issues NAVTEX for Barbaros research up to February 16
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Energy, External Security, Negotiations Process, Governance & Power Sharing, Regional/ International Relations, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
Turkey issued a new NAVTEX on Wednesday regarding seismic research to be conducted by Barbaros. The new NAVTEX covers areas in blocks 5 and 6 of the Cypriot EEZ and will end on February 16.
European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano told the Cyprus News Agency that this decision increases tensions and is a sad development. These sort of acts do not contribute to permanent solutions. Disagreements should be discussed and overcome on the negotiation table, Stano said.
The Republic of Cyprus condemned the issuance of the new NAVTEX by Turkey in a statement. The government notes that blocks 5 and 6 were delineated through a deal between the RoC and Egypt, and that block 6 has been legally licensed to European companies.
The government accuses Turkey of continuing to contravene international law and refusing to adhere to the EU’s and the international community’s calls to end its illegal actions and respect the RoC’s sovereignty. It also notes that Turkey is snubbing the European Council which recently announced it would examine Turkey’s behaviour in December.
Meanwhile, Phileleftheros reports that government sources are expecting UNSG Antonio Guterres to make the next move regarding the possibility of a return to the negotiation table. Guterres has two options, according to the same sources: either send his envoy, Jane Holl Lute to the island to further scope out the prospects of an informal five-party conference, or proceed to convening the conference regardless.
The newspaper’s diplomatic sources believe that the most likely scenario is for Guterres to call for the informal conference without sending Lute to the island, with the aim to encourage the sides to submit specific positions that will help clarify the situation.
However the same sources believe that the UNSG will not rush to call for the conference, since he is aware that in Crans Montana the parties met without being sufficiently prepared.
At the same time, Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides pointed out to Alpha TV that Tatar’s statements are not very different from those of former T/C leaders Rauf Denktash and Dervish Eroglu, Alithia reports.
The Foreign Minister admitted that Tatar’s call for alternative models to be brought to the table is not a positive development, but recalled that Denktash and Eroglu had said similar things. He underlined that all will be decided on the negotiation table.
Christodoulides said the fact that both sides called the UNSG to convene an informal conference is a positive development.
Phileleftheros also draws attention to the fact that Tatar went to Tuesday’s meeting with President Anastasiades wearing a pin on his lapel displaying the TRNC flag, citing coverage by T/C media online.
Meanwhile in a statement on Tuesday, US ambassador Judith Garber reiterated her country’s support to a solution based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation, Phileleftheros reports. Garber said that the country’s support to this model is a trademark of American policy, and added that the US supports a Cypriot-led process.
Garber, who was speaking during an event on the US elections, said that regardless of who wins the contest, the US will continue to support Cyprus’s efforts to limit the economic effects of the pandemic and to build on bilateral cooperation in security issues.
G/C political parties expressed concern in their statements regarding the Anastasiades – Tatar meeting, Politis reports. Governing DISY said that the situation is difficult but that the G/C side needs to remain focused on a dialogue within the parameters set by UNSG Antonio Guterres. Opposition AKEL said that the only path to restarting negotiations is continuing from the point reached at the Crans Montana conference. AKEL called on the government to take initiatives that would cancel all efforts by Turkey to change the basis of the solution, and called on the President to continue sending the message that he is ready to discuss a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality.
DIKO focused on the question of who the five parties participating in an informal summit would be, implying that the Republic of Cyprus would not be present. EDEK called for an end to illusions and an end to the gradual shift to Turkish positions while Solidarity called for an urgent meeting of the National Council. Citizens’ Alliance said that they expect to be briefed in the National Council on what was said in the meeting. ELAM said that the meeting had no other result than the upgrade of the occupation regime, and DIPA said that the effort to reach a solution has been set back.
KEY ACTORS
Peter Stano (Commission spokesperson)
>> New Turkish NAVTEX increases tensions and is a sad development
>> These acts do not contribute to permanent solutions
>> Disagreements should be discussed and overcome on the negotiation table
RoC foreign ministry
>> Condemns the NAVTEX on blocks 5 and 6, which were delineated with an agreement between the RoC and Egypt
>> Block 6 in particular has been legally licensed to European companies
>> Turkey refuses to adhere to the EU’s and the international community’s calls to end illegal actions and snubs the European Council which will examine Turkey’s behaviour in December
Nicos Christodoulides
>> Denktas and Eroglu made similar statements to Tatar, and though Tatar’s positions are a negative development, all will be decided on the negotiation table
>> The fact that the leaders agreed to call for an informal five-party conference in a positive development
Judith Garber (US ambassador)
>> The support of the US to a bizonal, bicommunal federation is a trademark of American foreign policy
>> The US supports a Cypriot-led process
>> Regardless of who wins the US election, US will continue to support Cyprus’s efforts to limit economic effects of pandemic and strengthen bilateral cooperation on security
DISY
>> Situation is difficult but that G/C side needs to remain focused on dialogue within UNSG-set parameters
AKEL
>> Only way to restart negotiations is from point reached at Crans Montana
>> Government should take initiatives that cancel efforts by Turkey to change the basis of the solution
DIKO
>> Who are the five parties participating in an informal summit?
EDEK
>> We should end illusions and gradual shift to Turkish positions Solidarity
>> Urgent meeting of National Council needed
Citizens’ Alliance
>> Expect to be briefed in the National Council
ELAM
>> Meeting had no other result than upgrade of occupation regime
DIPA
>> Efforts to reach a solution has been set back
Strict new measures announced but fall just short of second lockdown
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Internal Security, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on the new measures announced by the government to combat the spread of the coronavirus and President Anastasiades’s televised address.
The government has announced that there will be a curfew lasting from 11 at night to 5 in the morning starting on Thursday and until November 30. Dining establishments, bars and cafes will have to close by 10.30pm, and the maximum number of people per table is reduced to 6. No more than ten people can congregate in houses and elsewhere.
Until January 15, restrictions such as the use of a mask and restrictions on the opening times of shops and public gatherings remain obligatory. Cocktail parties are prohibited in weddings and christenings and a maximum of 150 guests will be allowed.
Meanwhile, strict measures remain in Limassol and Paphos district. Until November 16, all mass sports and social events for children are prohibited, and playgrounds and gyms will have to close.
Auditor – Attorney General shelve disagreements on passports
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Migration & Citizenship, Internal Security
OVERVIEW
Attorney General George Savvides and Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides met on Wednesday to talk about their disagreements on the investigations surrounding abuses of the “golden passport” scheme brought to light by a recent Al Jazeera documentary, the dailies report.
According to an official announcement released by the two institutions, the two reiterated their disagreements, but Michaelides accepted that he would not be receiving additional files for the moment, and added that he would not appeal to the Supreme Court.
Savvides reiterated his position that while the special investigating committee is working on the case then it would not be correct for the Audit Office to run a parallel investigation, and that the Auditor should postpone its work for later.
Michaelides insisted on the fundamental issue of the independence of the Audit Office and added that as a principle his office should continue the audit it has began regarding the citizenship-through-investment programme.
In the joint announcement, the two officials state their agreement that the two services have a long history of cooperation which should be safeguarded. According to the text, the Auditor General repeats he respects the Attorney General and his legal opinions, and recognises that despite his disagreements the Audit Office will not be receiving additional files on the issue.
As things stand, the Auditor General will not be appealing to the Supreme Court, Michaelides has decided according to the announcement. Michaelides added that he is ready to contribute to the work of the investigative committee.