Front Page Headlines
Us with a long-term and them in Varosha
Under conditions of complete stagnation of the solution process, Famagusta is also being lost.
- Energy: Step towards the trilateral electricity interconnection
- Forestry Department: Boosted with seven planes
- Third dose – 60-year-olds’ turn: The age limit is constantly falling
Prices are blowing up by 20%
They’re starting at basic food products and the climax of the increases is expected during Christmas. From November 1 the first increase in the price of dairy.
- Varosha a parallel continuation of the impasse
- USA-Greece calling for respect of sovereignty
- 4,555 cars passed through Deryneia in 10 days: They’re going to the occupied areas for cheaper gas
- The hot point is the number of municipalities: The tail of the reform is left but that is where the thorns are hidden
- Thanasis’ death was manslaughter
We should ruin the Turkish plans for Varosha and partition
If this is uncomfortable, then the problem of those governing is AKEL and not partition.
- Farmers and consumers faced with profiteering
- Suggestions for criminal and disciplinary indictments against members of the Police for using ‘Aiantas’
‘Current inflation seen as transient’
Petrides stressed the need to stay a step ahead of the risks and reduce the public debt.
- Police watchdog recommends legal action against officers in protest crackdown
- Age for booster jabs likely to be lowered to 60
- Iris-2021 military drill wraps up
AKEL went quiet, naturalisation of Igor Kesaev is being revoked
The backstage and the developments. In record time, the Christofias-AKEL government granted in 2012 Cypriot citizenship to the Russian tycoon without investigating his suspicious past (Switzerland had from 2002 frozen his assets in the country).
- They’re dreaming of Varosha as a… Dubai: Turkey and the occupation regime are being reported to the EU
- Russia: References to a recognition of the pseudo-state are fabrications
- Health Minister: Recommendation for vaccinations with the third dose only for the 60+
- Finance Minister: Concern over the ramifications to the economy from the price rises
Main News
FM: Talks can still resume despite developments on the ground
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Turkey’s actions in Varosha and Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) aim at pushing for a two-state solution and the island’s division, Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday, but negotiations could nevertheless resume despite developments on the ground.
The dailies report that Christodoulides said Turkey was pushing for a different form of solution to the Cyprus problem, which neither the GC side nor the international community can accept or even discuss. He said Nicosia was still trying to convince the UN Secretary General (UNSG) to appoint a Special Envoy in a bid to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table.
He added according to Alithia that the GC side is seeing some mobilisation on behalf of certain permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) towards the resumption of negotiations. “If there is true will … yesterday’s developments in the occupied areas will not in any way affect the prospect of resuming talks. What is needed is political will to resume talks based on an agreed framework,” he said.
Christodoulides said the government was briefing foreign officials on the Turkish actions in the area. On Thursday, they would be informing UNSC members that it was a move that opposed a recent UNSC decision on Varosha while the issue will be also tabled at the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) on Monday. President Nicos Anastasiades will also be briefing EU leaders during the upcoming European Council meeting, while the matter will also be discussed during the trilateral meeting between Cyprus, Greece and Egypt to take place in Athens on Monday.
Christodoulides will also be travelling to Moscow on October 21 for contacts with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, with whom bilateral agreements will also be signed.
Anastasiades meanwhile briefed Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett about the recent Turkish provocations in the EEZ and Varosha. A statement by the Presidency said during their phone call Anastasiades also briefed Bennett on the recent meeting he had in New York with UNSG Antonio Guterres and TC leader Ersin Tatar on the way forward as regards the peace talks and the delay in the appointment of a UN Special Envoy. Alithia reports that the two agreed to remain in touch and to organise a meeting soon.
Alithia reports that the TC regime is seeking to transform Varosha into Dubai. The paper reports that works continued on the new streets on Thursday. The dailies report that the TC ‘mayor’ of Famagusta Ismail Arter told the Cyprus News Agency that the plan is to see the new area being cleaned up come to life, with this area to mark the beginning for other areas too.
Politis and Phileleftheros report that Turkey is taking advantage of the absolute stagnation in the Cyprus problem and the UNSG’s unwillingness to appoint a Special Envoy, and is steadily moving forward with its salami tactics in Famagusta and therefore boosting Tatar’s pursuit of a two-state solution. Politis also reports that the recent moves in Varosha also showed how wrong the GC side was to believe that that the Turkish side was bluffing as regards Varosha.
Phileleftheros reports that work on the second phase of reopening Varosha had begun many days ago, but according to information secured by the government, the north chose to make the move public this week and precisely on the day the administration in the north collapsed. The paper writes that suspicions are strong that the moment in which the matter of Varosha was publicised served to divert focus and discussion away from the political crisis in the north.
KEY ACTORS
Christodoulides
>> Turkey’s actions in Varosha and Cyprus’ EEZ aim at pushing for a two-state solution and division
>> Turkey is pushing for a different form of solution to the Cyprus problem, which neither the GC side nor the international community can accept or even discuss
>> GC side is seeing some mobilisation on behalf of certain permanent members of the UNSC towards the resumption of negotiations
>> If there is true will developments in the occupied areas will not in any way affect the prospect of resuming talks
>> What is needed is political will to resume talks based on an agreed framework
Varosha developments creating internal rifts
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Developments in Varosha have caused irritation in the GC side, with the government and AKEL exchanging fire, which Politis reports serves no substantive purpose.
Politis and Alithia report that one hand, AKEL is criticising the government for making wrong assessments as regards Varosha, with the government spokesperson Marios Pelekanos on the other hand wondering when AKEL will realise that its insistence with the positions it takes only serves to justify Turkey’s illegal actions.
Politis and Alithia write that AKEL spokesman Giorgos Koukoumas stressed the need to focus on efforts to resume negotiations from where they left off in Crans-Montana, arguing that only a solution could save Varosha. In response, Pelekanos asked AKEL whether it is expecting President Nicos Anastasiades to accept Turkey’s and the TC side’s claim for recognition of the illegal regime as an equal to the legal state, in order to engage in a new round of talks that will serve to see Turkey achieve what it is pursuing.
The dailies report that Koukoumas also said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and TC leader Ersin Tatar continue to disregard international law and UN resolutions. Koukoumas said these actions, which are not fireworks apparently as the Anastasiades government thought initially, will intensify simply because Turkey and the TC leadership seek the permanent division of Cyprus.
Haravgi reports Koukoumas issued a response to Pelekanos, stating that the only person who discussed Turkey’s claims was Anastasiades, who, protected by DISY, discussed a two-state solution behind the backs of the Cypriot people. Koukoumas said these are the same people that said that Turkey’s plans to occupy Varosha were simply PR stunts. Koukoumas said that in contrast to the government and DISY, AKEL has for years now been calling for effective measures to tackle Turkish plans for definitive partition and the occupation of Varosha. He said that if this irritates the government and DISY, then their problem is AKEL and not partition.
Meanwhile, the dailies report that DISY leader Averof Neophytou said the unacceptable provocations by Turkey in Varosha burden the political climate and make efforts for the resumption of talks difficult. He said the government was using all means at its disposal to counter Turkey’s actions. He said “we have nothing but political means, through the EU, through representations to the UNSC, the President’s bilateral contacts, and we will continue this effort until a way is found to break the Turkish intransigence and the unacceptable Turkish positions are taken off the table.”
DIKO said Attila’s bulldozers are moving forward unhindered in Famagusta, blowing up every attempt to resolve the Cyprus problem. EDEK calls for political and financial measures against the occupation regime in view of deterring illegal actions in Famagusta.
Alithia reports that ELAM said it is necessary to reinstate the Joint Defence Area between Cyprus and Greece and that we must release ourselves from the pro-Turkish bizonal, bicommunal federation (BBBF) before it is too late.
DIPA said that developments, after the collapse of the pseudo-state’s administration, constitute a very good excuse in the hands of TC leader Ersin Tatar to further obstruct Cyprus problem dialogue.
Alithia reports that Famagusta mayor Simos Ioannou said we have no other choice than to hope that in the end a solution will be found and all this will stop. He said many opportunities were lost which have brought us to this situation today. Ioannou added that representatives of the municipality will be traveling to London on November 22-25 for meetings with the British Parliament and the Foreign Office.
KEY ACTORS
Koukoumas (AKEL)
>> Need to focus on efforts to resume negotiations from where they left off in Crans-Montana since only a solution could save Varosha
>> Government wrongly assessed that Turkey’s plans in Varosha were simply a PR stunt
>> Erdogan & Tatar continue to disregard international law and UN resolutions
Pelekanos
>> Is AKEL expecting Anastasiades to accept Turkey’s and the TC side’s claim for recognition of the illegal regime as an equal to the legal state, in order to engage in a new round of talks that will serve to see Turkey achieve what it is pursuing
>> AKEL’s insistence with the positions it takes only serves to justify Turkey’s illegal actions
Neophytou (DISY)
>> Unacceptable provocations by Turkey in Varosha burden the political climate and make efforts for the resumption of talks difficult
>> The government is using all means at its disposal to counter Turkey’s actions
>> We have nothing but political means, through the EU, through representations to the UNSC, the President’s bilateral contacts, and we will continue this effort until a way is found to break the Turkish intransigence and the unacceptable Turkish positions are taken off the table
DIKO
>> Attila’s bulldozers are moving forward unhindered in Famagusta, blowing up every attempt to resolve the Cyprus problem
EDEK
>> Calls for political and financial measures against the occupation regime in view of deterring illegal actions in Famagusta
ELAM
>> Necessary to reinstate the Joint Defence Area between Cyprus and Greece and that we must release ourselves from the pro-Turkish BBBF before it is too late
DIPA
>> Developments after the collapse of the pseudo-state’s administration, constitute a very good excuse in the hands of Tatar to further obstruct Cyprus problem dialogue
Russia denies reports it will recognise the north
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova refuted reports of a deal between Moscow and Ankara, whereby the former would ostensibly recognise the north in Cyprus as an independent country, and the latter recognize the Crimea as a Russian region.
“We are accustomed to the fact that fake information is being spread by Greek and Turkish media outlets…this is related to the mythical deal that you mentioned,” she told media during a daily press briefing. She said there was no equivalence between the Crimea and the north of Cyprus. Referring to the Crimea as an integral part of the Russian Federation, Zakharova noted that Russian territory was never, and never will be, the subject of bargaining.
Responding to a related question from the Athens News Agency, she said the Russian Federation has a consistent position on the Cyprus issue – namely the establishment of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation (BBF) with a single legal status and sovereignty.
Zakharova went on to explicitly reject any attempt by anyone to recognise the breakaway north in Cyprus. She said that “recently we have observed an increased activity aiming at the international recognition of the illegal statelet in northern Cyprus, and we call for an avoidance of steps that could cause tension between the two communities. We also call for an avoidance of anything that could disrupt the balance on the island.”
KEY ACTORS
Zakharova (Russia)
>> There is no deal between Moscow and Turkey for the recognition of the north
>> There is no equivalence between the Crimea and the north of Cyprus
>> The Russian Federation has a consistent position on the Cyprus issue – namely the establishment of a BBF with a single legal status and sovereignty
>> Explicitly rejects any attempt by anyone to recognise the breakaway north in Cyprus
>> Calls for an avoidance of steps that could cause tension between the two communities