Front Page Headlines
They’re putting vaccines… in the discounts section
Gift coupons, airline tickets, free internet to encourage the youth.
Everything open but with SafePass
Extension of measures from July 20 to curb the pandemic without a new lockdown. Incentives to increase the vaccinated.
- Erdogan to be accompanied by Bahceli in the occupied areas: The leader of the ‘Grey Wolves’ by his side
- Tense incident with a Turkish patrol boat
Safepass everywhere from July 20. Dancing… only for the vaccinated
The epidemiological picture is getting worse. 953 new cases yesterday and 190 COVID-19 patients.
- Cyprus problem: Erdogan’s announcements on Varosha will be issued next Monday at the pseudo-parliament
SafePass rules tightened up
Pass to be required at all locations outdoors or indoors where more than 20 people congregate.
- Turkish Cypriots gear up for Erdogan visit
- Foreign ministry makes representations to UN over Turkish coastguard incident
SafePass everywhere!
Coronavirus: Decision by the Council of Ministers. The measures taken by the Council of Ministers to deal with the pandemic are pushing citizens to get vaccinated, if they want to have a life… National Surveillance Report: 31.5% of cases are 10-19 years old.
- They’re turning their backs on Erdogan: Occupied areas, three Turkish Cypriot parties
- Anastasiades: The Turkish provocation towards a marine police vessel has been reported
- Mayor’s comments: Pseudo-state’s terms for the return of Varosha residents
Main News
Erdogan visit to north receives opposition from TC parties
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The north is preparing for the visit next week of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan but some TC parties announced they would shun the special ‘parliament’ session Erdogan plans to address, the dailies report.
Main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and the Communal Democratic Party (TDP), announced they would not participate in the ‘parliament’ session on July 20, during which Erdogan said on Friday he would “deliver the good news” to the north. The ‘good news’, the dailies write, will be announcements relating to Varosha.
Erdogan added that they had made good progress and that the preliminary work was completed. Erdogan also expressed hope that this year, they would send messages for world peace both in Cyprus and across the globe. Phileleftheros reports that the leader of the Grey Wolves, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli, will be part of the large entourage to accompany Erdogan on his visit to the north.
The CTP, in a long statement explaining the reasons it would shun the special session, said, among other things, the relationship between Turkey and the north was slipping from the correct path and that it was not sustainable.
It also referred to intervention in the north’s internal politics, democracy and administration and added that this situation did not benefit TCs either within the framework of their rightful status at the intercommunal negotiations and in the international community that they were trying to be a part of.
CTP also said it never believed that no solution was a solution, that the status quo was sustainable nor that this benefitted TCs. It also cited the fact that no meetings with opposition parties were included in Erdogan’s schedule which meant there would be no exchange of views or dialogue.
The TDP said they would not take part in protest over Ankara’s interference in the political will of the TC community and the attacks on the north’s democracy. The party said Ankara’s continued interference in their domestic affairs only served to strengthen the perception that the north was a sub-administration of Turkey.
‘Minister of economy and energy’ Erhan Arikli, chastised the two parties and said they would be missing the opportunity to witness such an important event as the address of the president of the only country recognising the north. This will be the first time Erdogan will address the TC ‘parliament’.
Phileleftheros and Alithia report that the leader of the United Cyprus Party (BKP) Izzet Izcan also told Erdogan that he should stay in Turkey. Izcan said Erdogan’s visit will only result in partitionist announcements.
UNFICYP asked to investigate Turkish coastguard incident
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Phileleftheros
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
The Foreign Ministry has made representations to UNFICYP after a Turkish coastguard fired warning shots at a patrol boat of Cyprus’ port and marine police in the sea off Kato Pyrgos Tylliria earlier on Friday, Ministry Spokesman Demetris Samuel told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), the dailies report.
The incident took place at around 3:30am during a regular patrol by the marine police to check for illegal immigrants arriving from Turkey, police spokesman Christos Andreou told CNA. The small three-member boat spotted a Turkish coastguard vessel coming from the northern part of the island about 11 nautical miles from the port of Kato Pyrgos Tyllirias.
The boat then started heading towards the fishing shelter of Tylliria, but the Turkish coastguard, about 30 metres in length, began to pursue it. According to Andreou, the coastguard fired four warning shots against the boat at four nautical miles off the coast, before turning towards the north again.
Samuel said the Foreign Ministry had condemned the incident and asked UNFICYP to investigate it. “It is premature to say whether the incident is related to the climate being created by Turkey in view of the illegal visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the occupied areas,” he added according to Cyprus Mail and Alithia.
Further actions and representations will be decided based on the full picture to emerge once the relevant reports and information have been received. Violations and illegal actions by Turkey such as these are reported at all levels to the UN, EU and other bodies and are taken into consideration in discussions relating to the Cyprus issue and Ankara’s behaviour, he added.
Samuel said Nicosia in such cases always analysed events calmly with a view to defending the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus. “We are not interested in playing the game of creating tension that the either side may be seeking, as our objective at all times is to contribute to creating the conditions that will allow the resumption of substantial talks to resolve the Cyprus issue,” he noted.
Alithia reports that President Nicos Anastasiades expressed the hope that there will not be a continuation of provocative Turkish activity in the Kato Pyrgos area.
Following the incident, the president of Kato Pyrgos Tyllirias community council Nikos Kleanthous reiterated his long-standing requests for increased patrols and checks both at sea and on land.
He said it is “incomprehensible” that the port and marine authority of the area to be equipped with only one small boat. According to Kleanthous, “the serious provocation by a Turkish coastguard is part of the protection provided to the traffickers of illegal immigrants who have come out in the area of Kato Pyrgos Tillyria very often lately”.
Alithia reports that TC authorities have refuted the incident, noting that no warning shots were fired. The announcement said GCs made up an event that did not take place and used it as propaganda.