Front Page Headlines
Agreement locked for 20 new municipalities
Final decisions today on the thorns of the local governance reform.
- Turkey: Threatened by a long-term crisis
- Turkish-Cypriots: Hostages and prey of the Turkish lira
- Ethics Committee: Blocked from the Republic’s institutions over the Pandora
- Unvaccinated: Without ‘gifts’ during Christmas
The unvaccinated targeted
The Cabinet decided on stricter restrictions from the ones proposed by scientists. The ball also swept up children – Wave of reactions from parents and catering businessmen.
- Nikos Kotzias revealing: They made Cavusoglu’s quarreling disappear
- Turkish lira plummeting and rage growing
- They turned their backs on the Ethics Committee
- They’re throwing €45 million for electric cars and withdrawal of pollutants
- They’re putting cars in Makariou with 17 votes in favour
Decisions on new measures contradictory, they’re causing reactions and anger
Measures without deliberation and without the scientific data being presented publicly.
- Politics: Spehar-Stefanou: The hourglass is emptying for the Cyprus problem
- Pandora Papers: Complete silence from the Presidency, Legal Service, and MOKAS
- They’re putting the private car in Makariou at the expense of pedestrians
Now its SafePass, masks for children
School Christmas events cancelled, booster shots for SafePass after seven months.
- (photo caption) Cyprus’ ambassador to US with Katherine Grayson Wilkins and dozens of returned Cypriot artefacts which had belonged to Wilkins’ father-in-law, the US’ first ambassador to Cyprus
SafePass for children aged 6+ and block for the unvaccinated from 15/12
Coronavirus: New measures to curb the pandemic.
- Rage against Erdogan growing: Crack in the Turkish economy – Citizens in the streets
- In Nicosia: Leasing of state land for the raising of a Vatican Embassy
- Political leaders: They forgot their enmity…
- Nicosia Municipality: Makariou opening for all vehicles but temporarily
Main News
Kotzias says UN dinner minutes removed UNSG-Cavusoglu quarrels
Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros reports that the former Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said the UN minutes taken during the final Crans-Montana dinner during which the process collapsed did not include the quarrels between Turkish Foreign Minister Melvut Cavusoglu and UN Secretary General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres.
The paper reports that Kotzias was speaking to Active, a radio station linked with Phileleftheros. He said the documents show Turkey’s negative stance, noting that they also show that the UNSG’s former special advisor on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, was trying to protect Turkey, but the conclusion that can be made is that no matter the extent of protection offered by Eide, he could not block the revelation of Turkey’s negative role in Crans-Montana.
Kotzias said that Eide had the permanent belief that a large portion of British diplomats also share, that the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) is the easiest to pressure, and thought that if the RoC concedes then Turkey will be satisfied and a solution will be found. Unfortunately, Kotzias said, the methods Eide used towards this end have nothing to do with a UN negotiator.
Kotzias said it was Eide who had persuaded Guterres to change his stance in the Cyprus problem. He said that until Crans-Montana, Guterres had been open, and accepted their basic positions, he had adopted the need to see occupying troops leave and clearly told both the British and Turkey that there can be no guarantees in Cyprus.
Kotzias said that during the negotiations, he had a conversation with Eide, who asked Kotzias why he links the UN with the guarantees, with Kotzias responding that a UN member cannot be under the colonial-type guarantees of third countries. Kotzias said that Guterres had agreed with him in that moment, but then pointed to the fact that Guterres hadn’t gotten any sleep, and soon forgot what had just been discussed.
Kotzias said that another reason why Guterres may have changed his stance on guarantees was Guterres’ attempt to ensure his re-election as UNSG, for which he needed Turkey’s support, since Turkey, together with other Muslim countries with which it cooperates, have a strong say in his re-election.
Kotzias said very important parts of the meeting were absent from the minutes, including a quarrel between the UNSG and Cavusoglu, and therefore facts were distorted. Kotzias pointed the finger to Eide for the exclusion of details for the minutes. Kotzias also said that the impertinence exhibited by Cavusoglu towards Guterres left the rest speechless, and said that as a result, he does not think Guterres has any real willingness to resolve the Cyprus problem as he had tried to do in 2017.
Kotzias also referred to the actions taken after the dinner and the collapse of the process. He said that the Greek representation held a meeting in the early hours of July 7, after the dinner was completed, and agreed that they would not publicly reveal the reasons for the collapse so as not to expose Guterres and instead protect him so that they could be able to discuss with him in the future. Kotzias said it turned out that they had made a mistake in trying to protect Guterres from the episode with Cavusoglu, but then the people from the European Commission, the people from Brussels, the British, Eide, the Turks, and the TCs began throwing blame on Greece and especially the GC side.
KEY ACTORS
Kotzias
>> UN minutes had not included quarrel between UNSG and Cavusoglu & so distorted the facts
>> Eide had a major role to play in the collapse of Crans-Montana talks, by protecting Turkey, trying to put pressure on RoC to conceded & swaying the UNSG to change his stance on guarantees
>> Guterres may have also changed his stance to ensure Turkey’s support for his re-election
>> Greek representation decided to not publicly reveal Guterres’ role in the collapse of the process to ensure future discussions, but this proved to be a wrong move given the blame then thrown on Greece & especially the GC side
Spehar expresses hope Cyprob obstacles can be overcome
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Outgoing UN Special Representative and head of UNFICYP Elizabeth Spehar expressed hope that current obstacles in the Cyprus problem will be overcome and negotiations will resume soon, because the time that is passing without substantive talks is not helping, she said.
The dailies report that Spehar had participated in Wednesday’s meeting between leaders and representatives of GC and TC parties held under the auspices of the Slovakian Embassy at the Home for Cooperation.
Addressing the meeting, Spehar said she’s leaving with positive memories from the island, and referred to something special that exists in Cyprus that she will always hold in her heart.
She said a solution can be found and Cypriots can surpass all obstacles to achieve long-term piece in Cyprus. Haravgi reports that Spehar also said that we should not remain stuck in the past, because this prevents us from seeing the future.
AKEL leader Stefanos Stefanou who was also present at the meeting told Spehar that she had worked hard with dedication to implement her mandate, and this has proven that she is a valuable friend and collaborator. Haravgi reports that AKEL was the only party to honour Spehar’s departure with the presence of its leader.
Stefanou said the Cyprus problem is at a very critical stage, perhaps the most critical stage it has ever been in, adding that the hourglass is running out. Stefanou added that the nightmare of partition is threatening the very existence of Cyprus as we know it, as well as the future of both GCs and TCs. He said the impasse and the gap in negotiations are creating room for faits accomplis that will only be able to be reversed with great difficulty. Stefanou added that it is historically proven that every time there are no negotiations, serious setbacks occur that work against the aims of a solution and reunification.
Stefanou said that keeping all the above in mind, AKEL is insisting on developing initiatives that could help push things forwards so that negotiations can resume from where they left off in Crans-Montana. He said that it this is the spirit in which the party’s proposal was drafted.
A joint communiqué of the leaders and representatives said the next meeting was scheduled for December 15.
KEY ACTORS
Spehar (UN)
>> The time that is passing without substantive talks is not helping
>> Hopes that current obstacles in the Cyprus problem will be overcome and negotiations will resume soon
>> We should not remain stuck in the past, because this prevents us from seeing the future
Stefanou (AKEL)
>> Cyprob is at a very critical stage, perhaps the most critical stage it has ever been in & the hourglass is running out
>> The nightmare of partition is threatening the very existence of Cyprus as we know it, as well as the future of both GCs and TCs
>> The impasse and the gap in negotiations are creating room for faits accomplis that will only be able to be reversed with great difficulty
>> It is historically proven that every time there are no negotiations, serious setbacks occur that work against the aims of a solution and reunification
UK’s Morton says BBF model broad enough to satisfy both sides
Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for European Neighbourhood Wendy Morton reiterated that the British government remains committed to supporting the UN process to reach a Cyprus settlement in line with UN parameters based on the model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation (BBF) with political equality.
She was responding to a parliamentary question by north London Conservative MP Matthew Offord. He had asked the Foreign Secretary what steps she was taking with her international counterparts to help resume peace talks for the reunification of Cyprus.
In her response on behalf of Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, Morton said the UK believes the BBF model to be broad enough to address the concerns of both sides. She concluded by stating that UK Ministers and officials continue to engage all sides to urge flexibility and compromise to that end.
KEY ACTORS
Morton (UK)
>> UK remains committed to supporting the UN process to reach a Cyprus settlement in line with UN parameters based on the model of a BBF with political equality
>> UK believes the BBF model to be broad enough to address the concerns of both sides
>> UK Ministers and officials continue to engage all sides to urge flexibility and compromise to that end