Front Page Headlines
This is how I decided I will open Varosha
First exclusive interview by Ersin Tatar to “Politis” and “Ta Nea”. Turkish Cypriots elected me with the mandate to seek a two state solution. I strongly believe that this is the most realistic and viable solution. My people’s decision needs to be accepted by all. N. Anastasiades describes himself as a “proud Greek” and even adds he has no problem if we describe ourselves as “proud Turks”. Before Greek Cypriots can speak about settlers they need to look at their own performance in naturalising tens of thousands of Greeks and Pontic Greeks from Russia. The issue of “golden” passports has taken scandalously large proportions.
- Rooting out corruption: Moves by Presidential Palace on three pillars
- Occupied areas: “Boiling” over Erdogan’s interventions
- Another 224 cases: Optimistic despite increase in numbers
Cyprus in danger zone
Coronavirus causes shock to health system – They open new wards and create beds. “We hold back on measures because we don’t know what will happen”, scientists underline.
- Boundless nerve by occupation regime: Instead of “invasion” they demand term “intervention” by United Nations
- Five measures for decongestion of prisons: “Sentence” at home with ankle monitor and deportation of illegal migrants
- Lute began work for five-party meeting
- Exercises with testing of new weapons at Akrotiri
- Al Jazeera case complicated and serious
Treatment wards emptied in a rush
Operating rooms closed, even for emergency cases. Government was inert ahead of second wave. Danger to mourn victims from other illnesses.
- Today we march against corruption
- The President “discovered” Commission, GRECO and Moneyval reports
- Limassol in red zone, essential public services “paralysed” and together the whole city
‘We had no other choice’
Govt’s scientific team weighs in, offers reasoning behind the latest restrictions.
- Cyprus – France drill (photo caption): Cyprus and France held a joint search and rescue operation at sea on Friday coordinated by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Larnaca. Taking part were the French frigate Lafayette, a Cyprus military helicopter and specialised nurses from the state health services organisation
- Cyprus: Action plan to create 200 Covid beds
They prepare for the worst
OKYpY (state health services) asks for commandeering of private doctors. Hospitals empty to receive patients – Famagusta Hospital evacuated, 5th floor of Limassol General Hospital prepared while Nicosia is on hold.
- New meeting on Monday with non-governmental organisations: Measures to root out corruption – President Anastasiades’s measures will be announced next week
- New reactions: Turkey intervenes also on UBP leadership in occupied areas
- From the Commission: Cypriot MEPs ask for protection of Omer Celik (correction: the paper meant to write ‘Sener Elcil’) from Tatar – Erdogan
- EU sanctions on two people for Turkish drilling extended
- Al Jazeera testimonies are catalysts
Main News
Tatar interviewed in Politis, offers opinion on passports scandal
Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process, Governance & Power Sharing, Territory, Property, Regional/ International Relations, Migration & Citizenship
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar was interviewed for the Saturday edition of Politis as well as Greek newspaper Ta Nea on his intentions regarding the future of negotiations and the future of the fenced-off city of Varosha. Tatar responded to written questions due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, Politis points out that Tatar did not provide answers to questions related to how he perceives the T/Cs fitting in to the EU or what his relations with G/Cs are.
Tatar said that his first meeting with President Anastasiades was honest and friendly but avoided going into specifics. When asked whether he would be willing to discuss a federal solution if the G/C side is open to discussing the chapters of governance or guarantees, or whether he believes that the prospects of a federal solution are dead, Tatar said that T/Cs elected him with the mandate to seek a two-state solution.
Tatar said that he believes that this would be the most realistic and viable solution, pointing out that it wasn’t possible in the past for the G/Cs and the T/Cs to be good partners and that now it is time to discuss new ideas on the basis of good neighbourly relations.
The T/C leader insisted that the federal model is dead in Cyprus and that this is not due to the positions of the T/Cs. He pointed out that his side was discussing this model since 1977 but that the G/C side rejected it every time things moved close to a settlement, drawing once more attention to the rejection of the Annan Plan and the collapse of the Crans Montana conference.
Regarding Varosha, Tatar said that the T/C side will concentrate on developing the “TRNC” to the greatest extent possible while waiting for the world to accept that there will be two states on Cyprus. Tatar pointed out that opening Varosha is a part of this process, and that this will be done by opening the fenced-off city to the former residents on the basis of international law and through the Immovable Property Commission which is recognised by the European Court of Human Rights.
On a question on whether he sees himself as a Turk, a Turkish Cypriot or a Cypriot, and what role he sees religion playing in Turkish Cypriot affairs, Tatar said that identity issues should not be used to draw political conclusions. He added that the two communities have maintained a unique identity for centuries as an extension of the motherlands without developing a joint identity.
Tatar argued that a Cypriot identity remained a geographical term and invoked a statement made by Archbishop Makarios in 1963, in which he had said that he would never work for the creation of a Cypriot national identity and that the establishment Treaties created a state and not a nation. He added that today President Anastasiades says he calls himself a proud Greek and that he has no issues with T/Cs calling themselves proud Turks.
Tatar also brought up the golden passports scandal when asked to comment on the issue of settlers and of T/Cs feeling they are losing their identity as the north becomes a part of Turkey. Tatar said that issues of human rights, religion and migration should not be used to feed political propaganda. He compared the arrival of Turks to the north to migration in the south, and called on the G/C side to also look at what it has done by giving citizenship to tens of thousands of Greeks, Pontic Greeks from Russia and citizens of other countries. He also said that the golden passports scheme which is being investigated by the EU shows that this practice by the G/Cs has scandalous repercussions.
Phileleftheros writes that the UNSG’s envoy, Jane Holl Lute, has started to work towards organising an informal five-party meeting, but that it is still early to say whether she will be travelling to Cyprus. Diplomatic sources told the newspaper that the situation is expected to clear up in the coming days.
A spokesperson for the UK High Commission in Cyprus told Cyprus News Agency that the British government welcomes exploratory efforts towards an informal five-party conference, Haravgi reports. The spokesperson called on all sides to continue to talk constructively towards a solution, and that the UK continues to support a comprehensive, fair and lasting solution on the basis of Security Council resolutions
Meanwhile, Phileleftheros reports that the Turkish permanent representation to the UN has transferred to the UN a letter by the T/C administration, responding to a letter sent by the Republic of Cyprus regarding the partial reopening of the fenced-off city of Varosha.
In the letter, signed by “TRNC” permanent representative Mehmet Dana and sent by Turkey’s permanent representative Feridun Sinirlioglu, the T/C side disagrees with the use of the terms “invasion” and “occupation” in the Cypriot letter and points out that is not used in any of the UN’s resolutions on Cyprus.
The letter lays out the argument that the invasion was a legal intervention in accordance with the Treaty of Guarantee, and points out that Archbishop Makarios accused Greece, and not Turkey, of invading Cyprus in a speech at the UN on July 19th, 1974.
The T/C side also reiterates its argument that the partial opening of Varosha was made in order to assess the situation of the buildings in the city, and that the decision does not contravene UN Security Council resolutions as the property rights of former residents is respected.
EU extends legal framework for targeted measures over Turkish drilling
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
EU Matters, External Security, Energy, Regional/ International Relations
OVERVIEW
The Council of the EU decided on Friday that the existing legal framework which allows targeted sanctions against persons and companies involved in illegal research and drilling in the Cypriot EEZ will be extended for a year, up to November 12th, 2021, the dailies reports.
According to an official announcement reported by the Cyprus News Agency, this decision means that the EU retains its ability to impose targeted measures if that is deemed necessary. Targeted measures include a ban on travel to the EU, freezing of assets in Europe, and a ban on EU persons and entities from funding the persons and companies in the sanction list.
Two Turkish Petroleum officials are currently on the sanction list of the EU. The decision to impose sanctions on the two persons was initially adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council of October 14th, 2019 and ratified by the leaders of the members states in the European Council of October 17th and 18th.
Haravgi also reports on Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay’s statements on the US approach to the hydrocarbons dispute around Cyprus and in the Aegean. Oktay, who was speaking to Turkish channel A Haber, said that Turkey is ready to work with whoever is elected President in the US. He called on the US to take into account Turkey’s sensitivities, adding that the country will maintain all channels of diplomatic dialogue.
Cyprus Mail reports that Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also said that a friendship with President Trump has helped the US and Turkey get through turbulent times, but that regardless of who is elected, Turkey will pursue a sincere approach to improve relations.
Cypriot MEPs call on Commission to protect Sener Elcil
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
EU Matters, CBMs, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
Cypriot MEPs have submitted parliamentary questions to the European Commission pointing out that the EU should take action to protect the head of the T/C teachers union, Sener Elcil, from attacks and intimidation coming from the Turkish government, Phileleftheros reports.
The MEPs appealed to the Commission in two different letters. One was signed by MEPs Lefteris Christoforou and Loucas Fourlas (DISY – EPP), Costas Mavrides (DIKO – S&D) and Demetris Papadakis (independent – S&D). The other was signed by AKEL – GUE/NGL MEPs Giorgos Georgiou and Niyazi Kizilyurek.
In the first letter, the four MEPs point out that Elcil is the recipient of the 2016 award for European Citizen and that he has been receiving threats from Turkey and the T/C administration due to his criticisms against Turkey’s intervention in T/C affairs. They point specifically to a statement by Turkish governing AKP spokesperson, Omer Celik, who said that political and legal measures will be taken.
In the second letter, the AKEL MEPs also repeat that Elcil received threats and intimidation. They also point out that Elcil’s accusations that Turkey is intervening in T/C affairs are confirmed by its meddling in the process to elect the new leader of the National Unity Party (UBP) after Ersin Tatar’s election as T/C leader.