GCC Press Review 29 Apr 2021

Front Page Headlines

Politis

All will be determined today in Geneva

Attempt being made by Antonio Guterres to save the process with a new meeting of the plenary.

  • Syllouris-Giovani: They declared their innocence and shut their mouth
  • Vaccinations: When will Cyprus become Hungary?
  • Polis-Paphos: Signatures dropping for the highway

Phileleftheros

Looking for a way out with proposals

The UNSG is determined to leave Geneva today with a result. Interventions to prevent a shipwreck.

  • Akinci in the crosshairs over statements against Tatar
  • Not even one answer to the Investigative Committee: Criminal investigations against Syllouris-Giovani a priority
  • British strain showing its teeth: 40 children with coronavirus in two months

Haravgi

Thriller to keep the process alive underway

A potential scenario is the appointment of a special envoy by the UNSG

  • ‘Golden’ passports: Evidence building for institutional involvement of Anastasiades and ministers
  • Giovani-Syllouris chose the right to remain silent before the Investigative Committee
  • COVID-19: 3 dead, 285 patients, 845 cases (2.07% positivity). Vaccinations for ages 39-40
  • European Parliament: Green light for trade deal between EU and Britain

Cyprus Mail

Long day but no movement

Talks stalling: Guterres calls off bilateral meetings.

  • Syllouris, ex-MP refuse to testify before passport inquiry
  • Distrustful EU lawmakers back trade deal with Britain

Alithia

Last-ditch suggestion by Guterres: Appointment of permanent Cyprus problem representative

Geneva thriller: Turks remain firm on two-state solution. Anastasiades: We remain consistent in our positions.

  • EOKA fighters 55-59: AKEL gets a prize for propaganda and distortion
  • They submitted their… silence!: Syllouris and Giovani at investigative committee on naturalisations
  • Many vaccines coming: We’ll be vaccinating 85,000 people per week
  • BioNTech/Pfizer founder: Europe will achieve ‘herd immunity’ by August

Main News

Day two wraps up in Geneva with Anastasiades ‘very disappointed’

Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

The second day of the informal summit in Geneva was jam-packed with meetings, beginning with a plenary session before the UN Secretary General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres held separate meetings with the island’s two leaders and the Foreign Ministers of the three guarantor powers, while Guterres also convened an extraordinary second plenary before the working dinner.

The dailies report that overall, Wednesday showed no signs of progress as all parties remained firm in their initial conflicting positions, with Guterres expected on Thursday to declare the outcome of the summit and indicate steps forward. Indicative of the lack of progress, the dailies report that Anastasiades told media late on Wednesday that he was “very disappointed” by the TC side’s positions.

Papers said the dwindling chances that progress could be achieved became evident during the plenary session scheduled for Wednesday morning, which kicked off with TC leader Ersin Tatar submitting a six-point proposal calling for recognition by the UN Security Council (UNSC) of the northern part of Cyprus as an independent state which will then negotiate with the other state on the island, the Republic of Cyprus, on their future relationship. Politis reports that Tatar argued that TCs are co-founders and co-owners of the Republic of Cyprus, and therefore negotiations, on matters such as security, territory, relations with the EU, and so on, can only take place after their sovereign equality has been recognised.

Cyprus Mail reports Tatar also suggested the continuation of the system of guarantees arguing that the two states will mutually recognise each other, and the three guarantors will support this. Tatar said that any agreement reached during these negotiations will be submitted for approval in separate referenda in the two states.

Haravgi reports citing information but also TC media that during the separate meeting held later in the day between Guterres and Tatar, Guterres told the TC leader that a two-state solution falls outside his mandate and as such he cannot discuss it, nor would the GC side, the UN, or the international community accept it. The paper writes that Guterres also told Tatar that all the years of work and convergences cannot simply be written off.

Cyprus Mail reports that Anastasiades said in the evening that the Greek Cypriot side would submit its own positions to Tatar’s suggestions “with scientific documentation and not only the political view of things”. Phileleftheros reports that Anastasiades followed through on this.

Phileleftheros reports that Anastasiades’ points during the first plenary session were based off a 13-page document which he did not submit.

Politis reports that the TC side’s stance may have been extreme, but said this was to be expected at the onset of discussions, noting that a more positive stance from the GC side could have granted the UN more wiggle room. Politis reports that the GC side was also unwilling to retreat in any way from its position of steadfastly backing UNSC resolutions, with Anastasiades even reminding the UNSG that he was obligated to abide by the resolutions. Politis writes that though Anastasiades claimed he would accept political equality and a TC positive vote, he said this could only be implemented in cases which could affect the interests of TCs, with Politis reporting that this interpretation of political equality is very far from what TCs are seeking.

Anastasiades also said during the plenary that there are safeguards for both communities post-solution, through the ratification of the solution by the Security Council and the EU and the establishment of a council of emergencies and a friendship pact between Cyprus, Greece and Turkey, Cyprus Mail reports. The paper writes that Anatasiades added that all problems can be overcome through the convergences and the Guterres Framework. Alithia reports that Anastasiades repeatedly stressed that the GC side rejects a two-state solution and sovereign equality, which constitute a partition of the island, are outside the agreed-upon solution framework of a bi-zonal, bicommunal federation (BBF) and cancel out all previous UNSC resolutions and past convergences. The paper writes that Anastasiades also said that if the solution framework is confirmed and negotiations begin, he could table his proposal for a decentralised federation for discussion.

Haravgi reports that during the first plenary session the GC side got the support of Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, who stressed the need for a BBF solution and called for the abolition of the “anachronistic” system of guarantees and full withdrawal of the Turkish occupying forces from the island. The paper writes that similarly, Turkey voiced its support for the TC side, as seen through tweets by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu who said he explained why a federal solution is impossible and supported that a fair, permanent, and viable solution can only be achieved on the basis of the realities of the island.

Politis reports that the two sides also disagreed on the issue of the timeframe for negotiations, with the Turkish side asking for the process to continue after the European Council summit in June, something that the GC side had rejected from the outset since it stands against the promotion of a positive agenda between the EU and Turkey if positive developments in the Cyprus problem are not achieved. Politis reports that while this position makes sense, Anastasiades didn’t exactly come prepared with any conciliatory proposals, barring one involving the creation of an escrow account where the share of the proceeds from the exploitation of natural resources for the TCs will be deposited, in exchange for Turkey recognising that it has no rights in the Cyprus EEZ.

Politis reports that given that it had become clear that the blame-game had officially begun, Guterres made a last-ditch effort to save the process from collapsing and called for a second plenary session later on Wednesday, calling off any more separate meetings. Phileleftheros reports that this development came after interventions by the US and the EU in view of keeping the process going.

Speaking after the second plenary meeting had ended, Anastasiades said he was “very disappointed” by the TC side’s positions. The dailiesreport that Anastasiades said the GC side remains firm that there should be respect for the UN resolutions, the high-level agreements on Cyprus, the work that has been produced so far, and the joint declaration of November 25, 2019.

Politis, citing a TC source not in the ‘Tatar school of thought’,reports that disappointment also prevailed among the TC community, since Tatar’s proposals were outside the agreed-upon framework. The source said this was likely due to the fact that Turkey might not be interested in a solution at the moment, but also characterised Anastasiades’ insistence on the issue of a positive vote, rather than on the matters of security and guarantees, as laughable. Phileleftheros reports that Tatar’s proposals were a conscious attempt to drive the summit to an impasse.

After a more than a one-hour second plenary, the five parties went for a late dinner where sources told the Cyprus Mail consultations continued but had no breakthrough. After the dinner, Anastasiades briefed the National Council.

Phileleftheros reports Guterres has drawn up a list of specific proposals, on which he asked parties to table their positions during Thursday’s meetings.   

The dailies report that Guterres told Anastasiades that in the event that common ground is not found, he would submit his report to the UNSC with his conclusions and will be waiting for guidance by them. Alithia writes that it has learned that Guterres also told Anastasiades that in the event of an impasse, in an effort to keep the peace process going he would assess the possibility of appointing a permanent special representative for the Cyprus problem who would continue contacts with all sides. Guterres said he would try to persuade Turkey to accept this proposal, Alithia reports.

Alithia and Haravgi report that in a show of goodwill, Anastasiades also told Guterres that he was prepared to sit down for a meeting with Tatar in New York over the coming weeks, if Guterres deems this necessary, in order to help the process is move along.

During the day, meetings were also held between parties. Cyprus Mail reports that after a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Cavusoglu tweeted that the only realistic solution is negotiations between two states rather than two communities. “Confirmed our full support to new solution vision of the Turkish Cypriot side,” he added which raised eyebrows as to the UK’s intentions. Raab tweeted after the same meeting: “I urged flexibility on all sides to secure progress towards a just and lasting Cyprus settlement.”

Raab also held separate meetings with Anastasiades and Dendias. He said his and Anastasiades’ was a “good meeting” adding that with trust and compromise parties can find a solution that meets the objectives of all sides.

KEY ACTORS
Anastasiades
>>
Very disappointed by positions tabled by TC side, which will be countered through positions involving scientific documentation and not only the political view of things
>> GC side remains firm that there should be respect for the UN resolutions, the high-level agreements on Cyprus, the work that has been produced so far, and the joint declaration of November 25, 2019

Cavusoglu (Turkey)
>> Federal solution is impossible
>> Fair, permanent, and viable solution can only be achieved on the basis of the realities of the island
>> Only realistic solution is negotiations between two states rather than two communities

Raab (UK)
>> Flexibility on all sides needed to secure progress towards a just and lasting Cyprus settlement
>> With trust and compromise parties can find a solution that meets the objectives of all sides


Christodoulides briefs UNSC permanent members and EU’s Borrell  

Alithia, Phileleftheoros
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides held a string of contacts on Wednesday seeking to brief his interlocutors, which included four permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell, on developments unfolding at the informal summit taking place in Geneva.

The dailies report that Christodoulides held phone conversations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and David Hale, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. Phileleftheros reports that government spokesman Kyriakos Koushos said both Lavrof and Hale reiterated their countries’ support for the resumption of substantive negotiations in the framework of a bi-zonal, bicommunal federation (BBF) as outlined in relevant UN resolutions.

Christodoulides also shared a phone conversation with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian. Alithia reports that Le Drian reaffirmed the position of France, as a permanent member of the UNSC and an EU member state, that stands in favour of solving the Cyprus problem within the agreed framework of UNSC resolutions and EU principles and values.

Christodoulides also shared a similar conversation with China’s Ambassador to Cyprus Liu Yantao.

In his conversation with Christodoulides, Koushos said Borrell also reiterated the EU’s position on the need to resolve the Cyprus problem within the framework of a BBF, adding that no other solution model can be accepted.

Phileleftheros reports that Christodoulides also held meetings at the hotel where the GC representation is staying with TC politicians Tufan Erhurman and Fikri Toros of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), as well as with Communal Democracy Party’s (TDP) Cemal Ozyigit. The TC politicians had previously also held separate meetings with the leaders of AKEL and DISY, Andros Kyprianou and Averof Neophytou respectively.

KEY ACTORS
Lavrof (Russia), Hale (US), Yantao (China)

>> Support resumption of substantive negotiations in the framework of BBF as outlined in relevant UN resolutions

Le Drian (France)
>> Cyprus problem should be solved within the agreed framework of UNSC resolutions and EU principles and values

Borrell (EU)
>> No other solution but a BBF can be accepted


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