Front Page Headlines
Steady but bold lifting of measures from Monday
The exhaustion of the public and the improvement of epidemiological data brought a sudden overturn.
- Revelation by TC ‘Avrupa’: Tatar and Saner ‘strolling around’ with Cypriot passport
- ‘Golden’ passports: 25 law offices under investigation
- Nikolatos committee: Three more for revocation of citizenship
- Attorney General-Parliament: In court over decisions
They’re also imposing the coronapass
Government abolishing the sms and imposes new tough restriction measure on movements. Retail, catering, department stores, religious spaces, schools and more to re-operate.
- Turmoil in the occupied territories: Tatar and Saner got passports through the back door
- Attorney General’s office at war with Parliament
- They’re stuck in studies: They didn’t lay one brick on the listed buildings they demolished
- They’re preparing in Famagusta for the restarting of tourism
With one hand they were selling services and with the other they were giving out citizenships
The government continues to hide over the scandal of ‘golden’ passports.
- Passports: Erhurman: “It is not thanks to Anastasiades, it is a right”
- Coronavirus: New relaxation of measures from May 10 – what is valid with a Coronapass
Pass launched to get into venues
New Coronapass will be needed to enter shops, churches, bars and restaurants
- Tatar says that he would return his Cypriot ID and passport if he could
- Minister says Cyprus relies on EU states to pressure Turkey
Freedom again from Monday
Cabinet decision: SMS abolished and Coronapass coming. Permitted: a) pre-election rallies under certain conditions b) stays at hotels from May 10, 2021 c) the presence of fans at the Cup final on May 15, 2021 (15% capacity at the field that will be chosen). One more death and 562 new Covid-19 cases.
- In occupied territories: Turmoil over Tatar’s Cypriot passport
- Turkey-Germany to discuss EU-Turkey relations today
- From September 1: Myrto Zambarta the new head Commission in Cyprus
Main News
Tatar says he would return his RoC passport if he could
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Migration & Citizenship
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar said he would return his Cypriot ID and passport if he could after TC daily Avrupa revealed both Tatar and ‘prime minister’ Ersan Saner have Republic of Cyprus (RoC) citizenships.
The Avrupa report by the daily’s editor and publisher Sener Levent pointed out that though both Tatar and Saner are RoC citizens they were both outraged when President Nicos Anastasiades called the TCs his compatriots during his Easter message last Sunday.
Avrupa also posed the same question as Anastasiades, who on Tuesday in response to Tatar’s accusations that he insulted TCs by calling them his compatriots, asked whether 97,000 people in the north, holders of the RoC IDs and passports, ought to be ashamed. The article called on Tatar and Saner, if they are ashamed, to burn them.
The Avrupa report noted that Tatar had acquired the RoC passport in June 2000, three years before the crossings opened, through acquaintances in the south. Saner’s and his wife’s passports were delivered to the north by GC trade unionists who were invited by TC teachers. They sought out the couple to hand them their documents through Sener Elcil, the head of the Turkish Cypriot teachers’ union KTOS. At the time, Saner and his wife were to travel to the US, according to the article.
In response, Tatar told Kibris Postasi TV on Wednesday that if there is a way, he will return his passport, adding that he had never used his RoC passport and that he had one because he was born prior to 1974.
Commenting on Anastasiades’ remark regarding the number of TCs holding a RoC passport, Tatar said that that Anastasiades meant ‘you took the ID, so you are now my subordinates’. Tatar also said that TCs, whom Anastasiades called as his “people”, need to use these passports to have free movement. “Unfortunately, it is a privilege of the state they (GCs) are usurping,” Tatar said. He asked whether TCs with RoC ID cards live in the south of the island or vote for Anastasiades.
Tatar reiterated the demand for cooperation based on two sovereign states on the island, which, he said, Anastasiades referred to as ‘Ottoman arrogance’, is what the TCs want, Cyprus Mail reports.
Phileleftheros reports that leader of the People’s Party (HP) Kudret Ozersay gave a different twist to the matter, noting that RoC citizenship does not automatically mean recognition, adding that TCs can use their citizenship right that stems from 1960 from north Cyprus. Ozersay said that though he did not consider it appropriate to secure a RoC passport due to his positions in office, he said it is not wrong that TCs have RoC citizenship that facilitated them in various ways. He added that people are can secure multiple citizenships, noting that when the time comes, GCs will also be able to secure various documents from the north.
Leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhurman said according to Phileleftheros that holding a RoC passport is the personal right of every TC and has nothing to do with Anastasiades.
Phileleftheros reports that the Greens and Solidarity both issued announcements calling on the government to revoke the RoC passports and IDs held by TC officials.
KEY ACTORS
Tatar
>> Would return his RoC passport, which he has never used his RoC passport and only has because he was born prior to 1974, if he could
>> Anastasiades raised the issue of TCs holding RoC passports to show TCs are subordinate
>> TCs need RoC passports for free movement, a privilege of the state GCs are usurping
>> TCs want a solution based on two sovereign states that will cooperate
Ozersay (HP)
>> RoC citizenship does not automatically mean recognition
>> People are can secure multiple citizenships, and when the time comes GCs will also be able to secure various documents from the north
Erhurman (CTP)
>> Holding a RoC passport is the personal right of every TC and has nothing to do with Anastasiades
Greens & Solidarty
>> Government should revoke RoC passports and IDs held by TC officials
Latvian FM expresses full support for Cyprus, UN solution basis
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed his country’s full support to Cyprus and backed the view that the only acceptable solution to the Cyprus problem is one that falls within UN parameters and is in line with EU decisions, the dailies report.
Rinkēvičs was speaking after the official visit to Riga paid on Wednesday by Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides. Rinkēvičs said Latvia has never considered a two-state solution an option for Cyprus. He added that the EU’s long-standing position was that only those candidate countries could become EU members that have resolved issues with their neighbours, especially those related to territorial integrity. He noted that what Latvia most interested in how to make the EU’s role more effective and more united when it comes to tackling this issue, as well as how to strengthen the UN process and the negotiations.
The dailies report that on his part, Christodoulides said he briefed Rinkēvičs on the informal talks on the Cyprus problem held last week in Geneva as well as on the outcome “which was unfortunately not the desired one for us, for the EU, for the UN and for the international community as a whole.”
The positions put forward by the Turkish side, Christodoulides said, run contrary to all relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and to the common EU position, as they aim openly at partition and not reunification of the island. Christodoulides stressed that for the GC side there is no alternative to the solution of the Cyprus problem based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation (BBF) with political equality, as agreed by both sides and as clearly described in UNSC resolutions and EU decisions.
Christodoulides said he told his Latvian counterpart that Nicosia relies on the international community and especially on its EU partners to make Ankara realise it needs to put the interests of all Cypriots above what it narrow-mindedly perceives as its own national interest. He added that Nicosia expected from its EU partners such as Latvia, that this message will be delivered to Turkey in a clear and unambiguous manner on every occasion, including at the upcoming European Council in June, during which the prospect of a positive agenda in the EUʼs relations with Turkey will be discussed.
Alithia reports that Christodoulides recalled that the March EU Council’s common statement made clear that substantial progress for the solution of the Cyprus problem based on UNSC resolutions is necessary for progress in EU-Turkey relations.
As the situation stands today, Christodoulides said, it will be very difficult for the EU to decide on the future steps of EU-Turkey relations. Christodoulides said Turkey obstructed the EU’s participation in the informal meeting in Geneva but noted that there is still time until June for Turkey to take certain steps, especially as regards the solution of the Cyprus problem and the basis of the solution. Christodoulides expressed certainty that EU leaders will take all these developments into consideration when taking a decision in June.
Christodoulides was to also meet with Latvian President Egils Levits and Speaker of the Parliament, Ināra Mūrniece. On Thursday, Christodoulides will travel to Vilnius, for a meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis.
Meanwhile, President Nicos Anastasiades will leave on Thursday for Porto, Portugal to attend the Porto Social Summit hosted by the EU Portuguese Presidency on May 7 and 8, the dailies report.
During a working dinner he will inform his counterparts about the results of the informal Geneva meeting on the Cyprus problem. Anastasiades will be accompanied by Labour Minister Zeta Emilianidou, Government Spokesman Kyriacos Koushos and other officials. He will return on Saturday evening
KEY ACTORS
Rinkēvičs (Latvia)
>> Latvia fully supports Cyprus
>> Only acceptable solution to the Cyprus problem is one in line with UN parameters and EU decisions
>> Latvia has never considered a two-state solution an option for Cyprus
>> Latvia is most interested in how to make the EU’s role more effective and how to strengthen the UN process and negotiations
Christodoulides
>> Geneva outcome unfortunately not the desired one for the GC side, the EU, the UN and the international community as a whole
>> Turkey’s positions run contrary to UNSC resolutions and EU positions, and openly aim for partition and not reunification of the island
>> For GC side there is no alternative to a BBF solution with political equality, as agreed by both sides and as clearly described in UNSC resolutions and EU decisions
>> Nicosia relies on the international community and especially on its EU partners to make Turkey realise it needs to put the interests of all Cypriots above its own national interest
>> As the situation stands today it will be very difficult for the EU to decide on the future steps of EU-Turkey relations
Lockdown to be lifted Monday, Cabinet introduces Coronapass
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
The Cabinet on Wednesday night decided to reopen most closed businesses and to introduce a so-called Coronapass for people to be allowed into hospitality venues, churches, gyms, shops and other places starting Monday, while keeping an overnight curfew.
A Coronapass entails either having negative PCR/rapid test no older than 72 hours or having received at least one dose of a vaccine three weeks earlier or having contracted the virus in the past six months. A curfew will remain in force between 11pm and 5am, while the SMS system for outings will be scrapped.
Schools will reopen with physical presence with pupils having to submit to a weekly rapid antigen test. Gatherings in public areas like parks, squares, beaches are allowed, provided they do not exceed 10 people, including minors.
Malls and shops can reopen provided their customers present a Coronapass to enter. Large shops must also observe physical distancing rules, allowing in one person per 10 square metres. Beauticians and hairdressers can operate without a pass.
Mass gatherings, protests, parades, concerts, outdoor fairs, and festivals in public and private areas remain banned.
The decision comes after a two-week total lockdown saw daily new cases mark a steady decline. News also emerged on Wednesday that so far 32% of the population has received at least their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 9.9% have been fully vaccinated. The government aims to see at least 60% of the population vaccinated with at least the first dose by the end of June.