Cypriot News Headlines 10-11-11

Alithia: "All up in the air again" headlines an article about Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou's resignation and the scenario of Loukas Papademos becoming the interim PM.

In other news, the Cyprus Medical Association has appointed an investigating officer in the disciplinary action regarding a gynaecologist accused of criminal abuses of 50 his female patients.

Simerini: "Towards laughter and tears" headlines an article saying that Greece faces imminent danger of complete economic instability and political anarchy, and risks dragging in the whole eurozone. In other news, the British foreign secretary and French defence minister both expressed support for the process of solving the Cyprus problem and the issue of Cyprus' sovereignty over undersea hydrocarbon exploration in its Exclusive Economic Zone.

Phileleftheros: "Plan B After Bairam" headlines an article saying that the National Council will discuss a Plan B more than three years after the start of direct negotiations between the Greek-and-Turkish Cypriot sides.

Xaravgi (ruling communist party paper): "Four pillars in new package" headlines an article saying that new austerity measures target wealthy individuals and highly-paid people in the private sector. The bills are aimed at reducing the public deficit, says the paper.

Turkish-Cypriot news headlines (source PIO, edited for brevity).

Kibris publishes an interview with Kudret Ozersay, Eroglu’s special advisor.

Ozersay said that it is a reality that there has been rapprochement in some important issues in New York.

“It is not a coincidence that the UN Secretary-General said that ‘encouraging progress has been noted’ in this meeting. However, I cannot say that this carries the meaning that ‘the Cyprus problem has been solved, it has finished’”, said Ozersay and added that from now the process will be more difficult and critical.

“The decisions that the Turkish Cypriot side or the Greek Cypriot side will have to take from now on will be much more difficult,” he said.

Asked to give a date for a possible multi-party conference, Ozersay replied that the timeframe is not yet clear and said that it is the wrong impression to think that the Turkish Cypriot side’s objective is multi-party conference.

"For us, a multi-party conference is not the purpose, but a medium to take the process into a successful end. The Turkish Cypriot side is not ready to pay a price, just to be able to hold such a conference. Not for the modality of this conference, or for any other subject,” he said.

Ozersay also reiterated that at this point there are no negotiations for maps and numbers. He pointed out that it has been written in UNSG’s March and August reports that the two sides have agreed to discuss the issue “at the last stage,” and added:

“Everyone should now that until [a date] is defined for a multi-party conference, maps and numbers will not be negotiated.”

Commenting on the citizenship issue, he said: “We insist upon the citizenships that have been given until today to be valid in the new partnership.”

According to Ankara Anatolia news agency Turkey’s EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis reiterated that “whenever Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa start to fly to Ercan Airport in TRNC, Turkey will open all its ports, airports and air space to Greek Cypriot ships and planes.”

“(…) Another important point to be discussed in evaluating possible contributions of Turkey's EU membership, concerns the issue of energy.

Thanks to its unique location, we are Europe's energy corridor for Central Eurasian, Caucasian, and Caspian oil and gas resources. Over 70% of the crude oil and natural gas reserves of the world are located in Russia, the Caspian and Middle East regions surrounding Turkey. The EU's current energy dependency rate exceeds 50% and is expected to reach 70% by 2030.

As part of big scale energy projects like Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project and Nabucco pipelines, Turkey will significantly strengthen EU's energy security by diversifying its energy supplies.

Being the 7th largest country in terms of geothermal potential, and the 8th largest in terms of hydroelectricity, Turkey is one of the richest countries in the world in renewable energy resources. Therefore, Turkey's accession will considerably help the EU increase the share of renewable resources in its energy consumption. However, we cannot explain to ourselves why the Energy Chapter is being blockaded by the Greek Cypriots when Turkey has this potential," he said.

Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam reports that the public and the workers in north Cyprus are reacting against the draft 'bills' on social security, social insurance, providence fund, foreigners and immigration, the discussion of which will be resumed today.

The discussion of the draft “bills” was postponed for today after the marathon speech of Mehmet Cakici, the chairman of the Social Democracy Party (TDP), last Thursday which ended in a violent punch-up.

CTP’s youth organization will light a “reaction fire” at the Kugulu Park while the TDP’s youth organization will light candles in order to “bring light to a dark day”.

Reporting on the same issue, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen writes that the Trade Unions are organizing a demonstration today at the Kugulu Park where, since yesterday evening 20, professional organisations members of the Chamber of craftsmen artisan started a protest with tents. Today they will distribute leaflets to the persons passing by the tent.

ABHABER.com reports that Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule has met with the Turkish Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis on Wednesday in Brussels. It was their first bilateral meeting after the European Commission had published the Progress Report 2011 on Turkey.

Commissioner Fule and Minister Bagis agreed that defining a positive agenda as set out in the Progress Report is the way forward to provide new momentum to EU-Turkey relations. They also concurred that this positive agenda is not to replace, but to complement the accession process. Mr Füle repeated that Turkey continues to be a key country for the EU and that the accession process remains the most effective tool to frame the relations of the European Union with Turkey.

In the talks with Bagis, Fule highlighted various elements of the positive agenda such as intensified dialogue and cooperation on political reforms, alignment with the EU acquis under negotiation chapters, visa, mobility and migration, as well as addressing important trade issues which should be discussed in more detail during the upcoming visit of himself and the Commissioner for Trade, Karel De Gucht, to Istanbul on 17 and 18 November. Both partners agreed that with political support of the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament work should start to put the positive agenda into practice.

As regards the constitutional reform in Turkey, Commissioner Fule praised the ongoing efforts to ensure an inclusive, participative process and encouraged its continuation.

In the course of the meeting, the Commissioner raised with Minister Bagis the concerns of the European Union about the recent tensions in relations between Turkey and Cyprus. As regards the talks on a comprehensive settlement for Cyprus, both parties welcomed the encouraging progress the Secretary-General of the United Nations reported during the recent meeting in New York of 30 and 31 October. Commissioner Fule also referred to the recent arrests of Turkish intellectuals, noting that both the Turkish anti-terror legislation and its interpretation raise concerns in the European Union. Minister Bagis explained the Turkish position on this matter.

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