Day: August 14, 2022

Forty-eight years ago to this day the Turkish military launched its second offensive against the Republic of Cyprus, in full violation of international law, including the UN Charter, despite the ceasefire that had been agreed.

The Turkish army invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974, and launched the second phase of the invasion on August 14 of the same year, occupying the best part of Mesaoria, Famagusta, Karpasia and Morphou.

The Turkish side continues to disregard calls by the international community relating to Cyprus and continues to hold the city of Famagusta hostage of its illegal military occupation.

Turkish troops invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974, five days after the legal government of the late Archbishop Makarios III was toppled by a military coup, engineered by the military junta then ruling Greece. Two unproductive conferences in Geneva followed; the first between Britain, Greece and Turkey and the second with the additional attendance of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot representatives. Three weeks after the ceasefire of July 22, and despite the fact that talks were still being held and just as an agreement seemed about to be reached, the Turkish army mounted a second full-scale offensive. As a result, Turkey increased its hold to include the booming tourist resort of Famagusta in the east and the rich citrus-growing area of Morphou in the west.

All in all, almost 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus came under Turkish military occupation. Nearly one third of the population, some 200,000 Greek Cypriots, were forcibly uprooted from their homes and properties, thousands were killed during the hostilities, over 1,000 persons were listed as missing while thousands of Greek Cypriots and Maronites remained enclaved.

Numerous UN resolutions have demanded respect to the independence, unity and territorial integrity of Cyprus, the return of the displaced to their homes, and the withdrawal of foreign troops from the island, but all resolutions have been ignored by Turkey.

The latest effort to reach a Cyprus settlement was concluded in summer 2017 in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana without a result. Cyprus is a full EU member state since May 2004. The Turkish occupied part of Cyprus is also considered EU territory, where the acquis communautaire is suspended until the solution of the Cyprus problem.

The Greek Cypriot side says it will never tire of working to create the conditions and mobility to resume negotiations for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Representing the President of the Republic at the annual event for Famagusta, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said the only way forward is dialogue, and the only choice is a solution of the Cyprus problem based on the UN parameters and urged the Turkish Cypriot leadership to respond to the expectations of its community.

We remain, Kasoulides added, “committed to the efforts to find a viable solution to the Cyprus problem, on the basis of an agreed framework of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, as provided by the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. A solution that will reunite the country and its people, end the occupation and its fait accompli”.

Referring to Turkey’s illegal actions in the fenced off area of Varosha, he said they are “part of a policy to create and consolidate new faits accompli on the ground. These are actions which are against the spirit and the letter of the UNSC resolutions 550 and 789 and all the presidential statements of the SC on Famagusta as raised during the Council’s closed sessions”.

UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.

The Turkish Cypriot leadership announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha. A few months earlier, on October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. The UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action, while the UN Secretary General, in his latest report on his mission of good offices in Cyprus, reiterated his concern over developments in the fenced-off area, noting that the position of the UN on Varosha remains unchanged. The EU also expressed grave concern.

The Cypriot FM said the government has welcomed the recent UNSC resolution renewing UNFICYP’s mandate because it repeats all Cyprus resolutions and urges the sides to find a solution based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation, according to the UN framework and condemns the non-reversal of Turkish actions in Varosha.

Noting that Turkey cannot be allowed to continue ignoring international law and implement a double standard policy, he said that in all his contacts in the last seven months he has received support from his interlocutors who have condemned Turkey’s illegal actions.

Kasoulides referred to the package of Confidence Building Measures which the government has promoted in the last few months, noting the measures are generous and bold while their implementation will mutually benefit both communities.

However, he said the package of measures were rejected by the Turkish Cypriot side which insists on a two-state policy, recognition of the sovereign equality status of the Turkish Cypriot community in order for negotiations to resume, “positions which are unacceptable and are contrary to the goal of reunification.

The Cypriot FM said the Turkish Cypriots made counter proposals in a letter to the President of the Republic, and “we will examine these proposals carefully to ascertain if there is mutual will for a dialogue between the two sides”.

Kasoulides further said that what worries the Greek Cypriot side is stability and an impasse. “This is what’s causing disappointment and concern”, he added.

We want our town back, he said, adding “condemnation and UN resolutions and decisions are not enough. We want Famagusta back, we want all our towns and villages back”, the minister said and called on the Turkish Cypriot leadership to respond to the Turkish Cypriots’ expectations, to listen to their voices and not try to alter the secularism and social orientation of the Turkish Cypriots.

We urge the Turkish Cypriot leadership to abandon its irrational and maximalist outbursts for a two-state solution and exhibit the required will to start a dialogue based on the CBMs, the minister concluded.

President Anastasiades conveyed a proposal on Confidence Building Measures through a letter to the Turkish Cypriot leader and the UN, last May, including provisions for the operation of the airport, located in Turkish-occupied Tymbou, under the UN, and the return of legal residents to Varosha, the fenced off part of Famagusta.

The proposed package of measures also provides for European Commission involvement in trade through Famagusta port and the implementation by Ankara of the Additional Protocol, allowing Cypriot-flagged vessels to access ports in Turkey. An escrow account for revenues from hydrocarbon activities, to be accessed by the Turkish Cypriot community is also proposed, provided that Cyprus and Turkey delineate their exclusive economic zones. The Turkish Cypriot side dismissed the package, proposing instead a set of “cooperation proposals” between two “states” in areas such as electricity, renewable energy, water and hydrocarbons.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has asked for the revocation of all illegal Turkish actions in the fenced – off area of Varosha, stressing the EU’s support for the UN Security Council resolutions on the status of Varosha.

According to a written statement by Government Spokesman, Marios Pelekanos, in her reply letter to the President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, the President of the European Commission, shares President Anastasiades’ strong concerns regarding Turkey’s illegal actions in Varosha.

She reiterates the EU’s condemnation of the Turkish side’s decision to open the closed city of Varosha and the extension of its coastal front and asks that all illegal Turkish actions in Varosha from October 2020 are revoked.

In addition, she reaffirms the EU’s support for the UN Security Council resolutions on the status of Varosha, underlining that any attempt to settle any part of the area by persons other than its legitimate residents would be unacceptable. Furthermore, she requests the transfer of this area to the UN administration.

The President of the European Commission underlines the need for all those involved to contribute to the effort for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue, including its external aspects, on the basis of the agreed UN framework, as well as the European acquis communautaire and the EU values. The letter states that the European Commission will continue its efforts for the creation of a climate that will favor the resumption of negotiations.

She reiterates the European Commission’s support for the Confidence Building Measures proposed by the President of the Republic, which, among other, would be helpful in restoring the trust between the two communities and would facilitate efforts to return to the negotiating table, with the aim of reaching a solution of the Cyprus issue on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions.

The Commission’s President expresses hope that the Turkish Cypriot side will respond constructively to the proposed Confidence Building Measures, the Government Spokesman’s written statement says.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Varosha, the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, is often described as a ‘ghost town’.

UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.

The Turkish Cypriot leadership announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha. A few months earlier, on October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. The UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action, while the UN Secretary General, in his latest report on his mission of good offices in Cyprus, reiterated his concern over developments in the fenced-off area, noting that the position of the UN on Varosha remains unchanged. The EU also expressed grave concern.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The newly established “safe zone”, as it is called, of the Pournara First Reception Centre became operational on Saturday, the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has announced in a tweet.

The new unites, installed by the EUAA, will house unaccompanied minors who are applying for asylum.

According to the tweet, 18 Somali female unaccompanied children have already been transferred, while additional transfers will take place in the following days in the 17 accommodation units.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The number of detections of irregular entries by migrants and refugees through the European Union’s external borders on the Eastern Mediterranean route remains high, with a significant number arriving in Cyprus, according to preliminary calculations published by Frontex.

During the first seven months of 2022 (January to July), a total of 22,601 arrivals were recorded on the Eastern Mediterranean route (which includes the EU’s external borders with Turkey), which is 133% or more than double compared to last year. A total of 2,642 arrivals were recorded in July.

The number of arrivals to Cyprus, a total of 14,936 during the first seven months of the year, accounted for more than half of the total number of detections, marking an increase of 203%.

Most refugees and migrants in the Eastern Mediterranean route came from Syria, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo-Kinshasa).

Overall during the first seven months of the year there were 155,090 irregular entries detected, an increase of 86% compared with the same period of last year.

In July, EU Member States recorded about 34,570 irregular crossings, 63% more than in the same month in 2021.

The Western Balkan continues to be the most active migratory route into the EU with 14,866 detections in July, nearly three times more than last year. The high number of illegal border crossings can be attributed to repeated crossing attempts by migrants already present in the Western Balkans.

During the first seven months of the year, the Western Balkan route accounted for 70,770 crossings, nearly three times the total from the same period of last year.

The main nationalities on this route included refugees and migrants from Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey.

The numbers remain also high on the Central Mediterranean route with daily arrivals putting strain on the reception capacities in Italy, according to Frontex.

Frontex registered 42,549 irregular border crossings on this route, 44% more than in the first seven months of 2021.

In July, 14,821 irregular border crossings were reported on the Central Mediterranean route, 60% more than in the same month of 2021. Tunisians (30%) were the top nationality registered on this route in July, but Egyptians slightly overpassed Tunisians in 2022.

The number of Egyptians detected on this route is on the rise; they are departing mainly from Libya and are aided by criminal smuggling according to Frontex.

On the Western Mediterranean route, 6,434 irregular border crossings were detected, down 25% from last year. A total of 1,204 were registered in July.

Criminal smuggling networks attempted to use the calm weather conditions to organise simultaneous departures using jet skis. Most migrants detected on this route came from Morocco.

On the Eastern land border route, Frontex registered 2,923 irregular crossings, 32% down from last year. The main nationalities on this route were nationals of Ukraine, Iraq and Belarus.

Frontex notes that people fleeing Ukraine and entering the EU through border crossing points are not part of the figures of irregular entries detected. According to the latest Frontex data, 7.7 million Ukrainian nationals have fled Ukraine into the EU since the start of the war. At the same time, a significant number of Ukrainian nationals have since returned to the country.

The Western African route recorded 9,461 detections, 25% more than last year, with 832 crossings in July.

The number of refugees and irregular migrants seeking to cross the Channel towards the UK in small boats remained high with 27,990 detections, including both attempts and crossings, which represents a 55% increase on the same period in 2021. The people attempting to cross come mainly from Afghanistan, Iran and Syria.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, noted on Sunday, on the occasion of the anniversary of the second phase of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, on August 14, 1974, that Turkey and its puppets on the island continue its occupation and violation of the rights of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and their will to live a free from occupation troops and reunited country.

Anastasiades said in a post on its Twitter account: “48 years since Turkey and its puppets here insist on the occupation and the violation of the Greek Cypriots’ and Turkish Cypriots’ rights and of their will to live in a free from occupation troops and reunited homeland.”

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Approximately 45 thousand passengers, arrivals and departures per day, are expected to use the airports of Larnaka and Pafos this long weekend, while a total of 730 flights will be carried out.

A representative of Hermes Airports told CNA that August is peak season and there is increased traffic at Cypriot airports, while during August 13-15 approximately 45 thousand passengers, departures and arrivals, will be handled at Larnaka and Pafos airports.

On August 13, 14 and 15, 510 flights, arrivals and departures will take place at Larnaka airport, while 220 flights, arrivals and departures will take place at Pafos airport.

According to Hermes Airports, passenger traffic this summer is higher than in the previous two years. July closed with almost 1.2 million passengers at both airports, i.e. 800 thousand at Larnaka and 400 thousand at Pafos, which corresponds to 82% of the traffic of July 2019.

In fact, July is the second month in a row this year during which passenger traffic has exceeded 1 million passengers, something that has not happened since October 2019, which Hermes Airports regards as significant considering that this year the Russian and Ukrainian markets are non existent.

It is noted that the countries from and to which most passengers travel to and from Cyprus are the United Kingdom, Greece, Israel, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, France, Italy and others, out of a total of 38 countries with which the airports of Cyprus have direct flights.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Defence Minister, Charalambos Petrides, said on Sunday that his recent visit to Israel had a very satisfactory outcome.

In statements after a memorial for the people killed during the battles in Tylliria, in August 1964, Petrides said that he had a constructive meeting with his Israeli counterpart as well as with the National Security Council during which they discussed issues of mutual interest.

He noted that Cyprus and Israel have a programme of bilateral cooperation for military exercises and training as well as an armament programme which is being concluded.

Petrides also said he was pleased with the seven Cypriot projects funded by the European Defence Fund in 2021. The Cypriot companies, supported by the state, move forward towards the European Defence Fund, something which has multiple benefits as regards the economy and the jobs, he added.

Tylliria area in northeast Cyprus, was the centre of intercommunal clashes in 1964, when the Turkish air force bombed Greek Cypriot villages in the area.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Seventeen years after the crash of Helios Airways Flight 522, which claimed the lives of 121 passengers and crew on board, Akrivos Tsolakis, the expert who carried out the investigation on the cause of the accident, told CNA that this has been a traumatic experience for him, a “punch to the stomach” which he will never forget.

Helios Airways Flight 522 was a scheduled passenger flight from Larnaca, Cyprus, to Prague, Czech Republic, with a stopover in Athens, Greece. The flight crashed in the mountainous area of Grammatikos on August 14, 2005, killing all 121 passengers and crew on board.

“I cannot sleep since then. This event has psychollogically affected me. I tried to find a cure but for 17 years I carry this experience with me,” Tsolakis told CNA in a telephone interview.

Tsolakis who was then Chairman of the Greek Aircraft Accidents Inquiry Committee said in his report that the aircraft crashed because warnings that things were wrong had not been identified, the cabin pressurisation selector was in the manual position, the crew was incapacitated because of lack of oxygen and the aircraft ran out of fuel.

In his interview with CNA, he said that the period of the investigation will never be erased from his memory.

He noted that his report was recognised worldwide and is now being used as educational material by flight safety tutors.

Moreover, Tsolakis said that five out of the 16 recommendations included in the report have been adopted by the aviation industry globally.

A memorial service for the people killed during the crash took place on Sunday in Paralimni.

Speaking during the service, Health Minister, Michalis Hadjipantela, said that this was an unprecedented tragedy for Cyprus that shocked everyone.

Moreover, he noted that since the accident, the relatives of the victims experience immense grief and sorrow over the loss of their beloved ones.

Hadjipantela said that the government supported the families in practice with an amount of 3 million euros and provided scholarships to 11 orphans of victims.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The reunification of our country is the aim of all Cypriots and we have to use all diplomatic means to achieve this, Cyprus House President, Annita Demetriou said on Sunday, on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the second phase of Turkey’s invasion to Cyprus.

Demetriou said in a post on her Twitter account: “August 14th. Words are not enough to express the pain. They are not enough also for what we much achieve, changing the situation created by the occupation.”

“The reunification of our country is the aim of all Cypriots and we have to use all diplomatic means to achieve this,” she added.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The European Commission has launched three calls on issues regarding cultural heritage.

The first call concerns expressions of interest to establish a pool of experts to the Panel for the European Capital of Culture Action. The deadline is on September 30, 2027.

The European Commission announced that it invites interested experts to apply for this open call for expressions of interest for the establishment of a pool of experts for potential members of the panel of experts for the European Union action European Capital of Culture.

Applicants should submit their expression of interest through the online form on EU Survey at the latest 3 months before the list expires, on 31/12/2027, the announcement concludes.

The second call concerns the establishment of a European Heritage Hub to support a holistic and cost-effective follow-up of the European Year of Cultural Heritage. The deadline is on October 18, 2022.

The main objective of the action is to promote a joint action, by pooling cross-sectorial expertise and resources – both public and private – in the cultural heritage sector. The action also aims at promoting a holistic and integrated approach to cultural heritage policies at all levels (at EU level and/or transnationally, national and regional levels) and contribute to its implementation, in line with the European Framework for Action published by the European Commission in 2018.

The third call concerns support for the implementation of the European Heritage Label. The deadline is on October 5, 2022.

The call has a budget of €3,000,000 and will fund either a single project proposed by a single organisation or a consortium of organisations working to implement all three objectives of this call.

Organisations from all Creative Europe participating countries can apply, but only activities organised in the 27 EU Member States are eligible.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Nicosia cannot continue to be the only divided capital in Europe, Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias stressed on Sunday, adding that “as always, Greece will continue to stand by the Republic of Cyprus.”

In a post on Twitter marking the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the second phase of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Dendias said that “the Cyprus problem remains an unsolved issue of illegal occupation, despite the consecutive decisions of the UN Security Council and universal condemnation.”

He added that “the only settlement is that of a bicommunal, bizonal federation, within the framework defined by the relevant Security Council decisions.”

Dendias underlined that “Greece will continue as always to stand by the Republic of Cyprus” and that “Nicosia cannot remain the only divided capital in Europe.”

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency