Speedy solution is our only economic hope

An editorial in the Cyprus Mail says that the depression we are in, according to the most optimistic forecasts, is set to continue for at least another year and half. No light can be seen at the end of the tunnel, with capital controls set to stay for the foreseeable future, credit remaining unobtainable and unemployment continuing its upward path. There is just nothing to offer a glimmer of hope. Even talk about the future prospects of natural gas and the government’s determined efforts to proceed with the establishment of a gas liquefaction terminal have failed to lift the general gloom as the benefits from these to the economy are many years away.

As things are, there seems to be only one development that could possibly restore some hope, boost business confidence and attract foreign investment – a settlement of the Cyprus problem. A major breakthrough like this would not only change the economic climate, it would create big opportunities for investment, encourage joint ventures and create the conditions for the recovery we all crave. This is based on the assumption that Turkey wants a deal while the majority on both sides would support it and would want it to work.

On the Greek Cypriot side, the mere mention of a peace initiative inspires the trademark negative reactions by politicians and journalists, who seem to have made it their mission to prevent an agreement which, they are convinced, would be unfair and unjust. But it would be wrong to assume that a tiny clique of opinion formers, accustomed to repeating the same tune for decades, somehow represent the majority’s view. In 2004, many rejected the Annan plan, because they felt it went against their financial interests. They could be swayed now, if they realise that a settlement would benefit them financially or at least not harm their personal interests.

To persuade people of the value of a settlement would require hard work and a communications strategy by the government, but President Anastasiades has chosen to take small steps, in the hope these would not encounter too much opposition. His suggestion for the return of Varosha, as a confidence-building measure, is part of this policy, but it would not have the same benefits as a settlement, which, if anything, it would delay. Even in the very unlikely event that the fenced part of the town were returned, people would not automatically return and re-build their homes nor would many people be prepared to invest in the town, without having the security that would be provided by a comprehensive settlement.

That is why the resumption of talks should be treated as a priority and anything that could delay it, like the negotiation of confidence-building measures, should be avoided. For once, there are obvious practical benefits (including compensation for properties) to be had by the population from a speedily negotiated deal. There would be those who would argue that principles and history were more important than transient practical benefits and self-interest, but it would be up to the government to sell its pragmatic vision.

The paper concludes by asking whether we want to seize the opportunity for an earlier exit from the recession and create real growth prospects for the economy. The alternative, it adds, of carrying on with the resistance rhetoric and the patriotic ‘nos’ to a settlement, now carries a high economic cost which it never had in the past. Opposition to a settlement today is tantamount to blocking the only hope of an exit from the depression that has brought the country to its knees.

Conspiracy theories and the Cyprus problem

Hermes Solomon writing in his column in the Cyprus Mail, says that according to an unnamed source, Cyprus has already been sold, and the DISY-DIKO government has accepted a solution to the Cyprus issue.

He claims that he secret facts behind the scene are that the UK, the US and Israel knew about the existence of hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean since 1968, but due to the unsettled situation in the region, they held back from exploiting them.

The US and its Jewish lobby, the Cypriot foreign minister at the time, Nicos Rolandis, the foreign ministers of Greece, Theodoros Pangalos and George Papandreou, recommended a combined exploitation with Turkey, whose terms were ‘unrealistic’.


During the governments of Costas Karamanlis and Tassos Papadopoulos, the US ambassadors in Athens and Nicosia revived the subject with Turkish terms adjusted and incorporated. Karamanlis rejected the format and Papadopoulos refused to respond. Instead, he began secret negotiations, first with Israel and then with Egypt, all three accepting the ratification of an agreement for the delineation of the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ).
The refusal by Tassos Papadopoulos to accept the Annan Plan infuriated the Americans who no longer trusted him to use the agreement on the EEZ in accordance with their plans and shelved its final ratification.

With the election of Christofias, the US supported a bi-zonal federation and exerted pressure on Turkey. They encouraged Nobel Energy and Israel to form an alliance with Cyprus so that the process of exploitation, implementing their plans, would become a reality.

The Christofias government suspected US intentions and with the encouragement of Israel began to approach other energy giants – especially those of Russia, China, France and Italy.

Turkey reacted, seeing matters moving beyond her control. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan met with George Soros in Davos in 2009 who advised Turkey to form a pact with Greece, Israel and Cyprus, by submitting to ‘serious concessions’ over the Cyprus problem in exchange for participation in the ‘hydrocarbon game’.

George Soros then arranged secret meetings between Erdogan, Papandreou and Merkel, who agreed with his plan, and during a second meeting of the three, they invited Anastasiades into the fold.

At this meeting it was decided that Germany must keep Greece financially afloat and Turkey would help if necessary.

George Soros would undermine the Cyprus economy to the degree that its financial survival would appear impossible, negatively influencing rating agencies and discouraging any investment in Cyprus. This done, Anastasiades would be assured of an election victory by intensifying his opposition and nullifying any attempt by Christofias to strengthen the economy.

In December 2012, a new meeting took place between Soros, Erdogan, Merkel and Samaras, this time in Berlin, where it was decided the election of Anastasiades would bring about a programmed collapse of the economy and enforcement of strict austerity measures, which in themselves would demoralise the people, who would succumb peaceably and accept any forthcoming Cyprob solution.

Anastasiades would sign a choking memorandum before any ‘limited’ financial help was afforded to Cyprus, the Central Bank intentionally obscuring actual economic data and magnifying deficits to levels causing fright and insecurity.

This would be followed by talks for a quick closure of the Cyprus issue, which would provide for indirect suzerainty of Turkey and Greece; limited rearrangement and compensations relating to the property issue, acceptance of a bi-zonal bi-communal federation with a weak central government controlled from Brussels, departure of the Greek and Turkish troops, disarming and disbanding of the National Guard and assumption of responsibility for security of the island by a European force, which would comprise Turkish, Greek and EU troops.

After signing the solution agreement and acceptance of Turkey into the EU-fold, Greece, Federal Cyprus, and Turkey, would sign an agreement of Friendship and Cooperation for the exploitation of the natural and mineral wealth in the areas under their jurisdiction in a manner and participation that would be defined in the agreement according to the following share-out, Turkey 40 per cent, Greece 30 per cent, Cyprus 20 per cent and the EU 10 per cent to cover expenses for security and guaranteeing the solution.

With the ratification of these agreements, Turkey would undertake, as a gesture of goodwill, to pay 50 per cent of the memorandum debt, and the other 50 per cent would be defrayed by the EU as a gesture of solidarity to the newly formed state.

The three allied countries – Turkey, Cyprus, and Greece and supervised by the European Union – would commonly finance the construction of the pipeline to transport hydrocarbons from all points of extraction, through Turkey to Europe; Israel would be invited to actively participate in this project.

Thus far Anastasiades has been elected president, the Cyprus economy has been annihilated, Turkey has re-opened chapters for its EU entry, Greece is being kept afloat by German geld, Noble is drilling a second hole and huge deposits will be verified by October, the Cyprus government and hoi polloi are toothless, while our Central Bank governor refuses to remove capital controls, which means that he, in conjunction with a complicit troika and the European Central Bank, rule the island’s decimated banks and financial services sector.

Predicted vast quantities of eastern Mediterranean gas have brought the hornets humming around this banana republic, which is now, more than ever, at the mercy of third party interests.

And you thought gas would save us, did you? Well, think again. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, 7 series BMW, chauffeur, bodyguards, secure income, pensions and perks unless you belong to the island’s ‘elite’, who between them and the troika have turned this half republic into an alms-house for the ordinary citizen.

Fiona Mullen, Director of Sapienta Economics, in an opinion piece in the Cyprus Mail, says the recent article by Hermes Solomon makes a number of assumptions that need challenging, “especially because they have the effect of pushing a solution of the Cyprus problem further out of reach”.

First, the idea that some foreign powers plotted to undermine the Cyprus economy ignores the facts, she says. “I have been covering the Cyprus economy now for around 12 years. We did not need George Soros to undermine it. A finance minister, two bank CEOs, a bunch of supervisors (all the way up to Basel II) and a former president did it all by themselves, even before the Eurogroup finished us off”.

Second, most of this ‘plot’ by foreign powers is simply what one might reasonably expect from any solution to the Cyprus problem.
Turkey has a massive deficit on trade in energy so any resolution of the Cyprus problem will of course involve gas.
Also you don’t need foreign powers to persuade companies with deeper pockets than Noble to get involved in regional gas cooperation. A great deal more investment in gas would be unlocked if Greece-Cyprus-Turkey-Israel could cooperate on exploration and exploitation. If you disagree, ask yourself why Blocks 1, 4, 5, 6 & 7 – around 40% of the 13 blocks – will never be licensed? Answer - because Turkey will shoot over this particular area which it claims overlaps its continental shelf. Why are the really big players Exxon-Shell-BP absent from Cyprus and Israel? Answer - because they are in Turkey + Lebanon.


Third, she says, Anastasiades has already talked about smaller central government. It makes perfect sense when both sides are broke and don’t trust each other an inch after not governing together for 50 years.

Fourth, the ECHR has already massively reduced Greek Cypriot compensation, see the Loizou – not to be confused with the Loizidou – case, in which the claimants for over 100 individual properties were awarded on average only 15% of the amount they claimed.

Fifth, as an EU and Eurozone member the Republic of Cyprus is already run from Frankfurt/Brussels.


The main barrier to exploring the EastMed’s gas, she says, was the technology required to drill several thousand kilometres below sea level followed by several thousand km of salt layer, not some decision by foreign powers.

Also, Noble’s find may be massive compared with the domestic consumption of less than a million people but it is only around 2% of annual EU consumption (Russia supplies 25%).

And, as the Taksim Square protests enter their third week, Turkey looks a lot further away from – and a lot less interested in – EU
membership than ever. How does that fit into the plot, especially when Erdogan says foreign powers are plotting against him?


As the ‘foreign plotters’ learned to their horror in the rejection of the Annan Plan on 24 April 2004 and the rejection by parliament of the haircut on small depositors on 19 March 2014, Cypriots do not respond well when they think they are being pushed around.

Although many now regret parliament’s vote, it had widespread support at the time, not so much because Cypriots did not want to lose 6.75% of their bank deposits, but because they knew that, with only half a bailout and some very unusual and ‘exceptional’ terms, they were being treated more harshly than the other eurozone members, who got a full bailout and a lot less propaganda besides.

Finally, these foreign plot stories give these often chaotic powers and their muddle along policies far too much credence.

Ms Mullen concludes by saying that the main reason she dislikes foreign conspiracy stories that do not even add up is because they rob Cypriots of the power and courage to shape their own future.
The economic crisis, she adds, does present an opportunity to solve the Cyprus problem, but only if it offers a clear path out of the economic crisis.

A comprehensive settlement would be better

An editorial in the Cyprus Mail says Foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulides’ announcement ten days ago that there was a possibility of a deal with Turkey for the opening of the fenced off area of Famagusta in exchange for the Cyprus government agreeing to the opening of Tymbou airport to direct flights, prompted the predictable reactions from the Greek Cypriot hardliners who wanted a comprehensive settlement and not a deal that would lead to the recognition of the north.

Kasoulides changed his story five days later saying, “Right now what we have is our proposal on this issue,” he told CNA, adding that “we believe talks will be helped significantly if Famagusta is returned to its legal citizens.” No mention was made of EU involvement or Turkey’s willingness to discuss the matter. The Foreign Minister had obviously made a blunder and was trying to patch things up, but his revelation may have destroyed the initiative.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, the paper says, because rather than waste time and effort negotiating the technicalities of a legally complicated confidence-building measure, it would be better to devote the time and effort to finding a comprehensive settlement. We have to agree with the hard-liners on this.

Loucas Charalambous writing in the Mail and Politis says the Annan plan rejectionists promised us an EU solution. Where is it? 

Nobody could have been surprised to hear Greece’s Prime Minister Antonis Samaras say that he strongly disagreed with a possible “resurrection of the notorious Annan plan”. The last thing we should expect from Samaras is prudence, he writes.

And we were not surprised to see our own demagogues applauding him, nor to hear the nonsense uttered by Papadopoulos junior who eagerly pointed out that Samaras’ statement “sent clear messages to all those, in and out of Cyprus eyeing or planning the return of the Annan plan”. This is the foolish rhetoric of the last 40 years, the rhetoric with which the preachers of rejectionism and champions of partition led us to the current malaise.

What is most astonishing is the nerve of Papadopoulos and his ilk. Nine years after the 2004 referendum, with Cyprus now permanently partitioned as a result of their paranoid behaviour, they should at least keep quiet.

Can any sensible person believe that Papadopoulos, Garoyian, Omirou, Perdikis, the AKEL leadership and all others who rejected the Annan plan in 2004, cannot see where their decision has led to?

What were they telling the people in 2004? They were saying: “Vote ‘no’ and do not worry. In one week we will become a member of the EU and Turkey will have to deal with Europe and then she will have to accept a European solution, with everyone’s rights safeguarded, with the return of all refugees and all properties; everything will be done according to the European acquis.”

Now the demagogues should offer an explanation to all those people they deceived. Papadopoulos should tell us what happened to the ‘European solution’? Where is the full respect of all human rights he had promised? And what about our occupied towns? The notorious plan would have given us back Famagusta in August 2004 and Morphou in 2007 and with these another 50 villages.

They of course, uttered a fighting ‘no’. But how many towns and villages did they liberate with their brave ‘struggle’? The Annan plan would have enabled 150,000 people (refugees and their descendants) to return to the towns and villages, if they wished to do so. How many refugees have the big patriots sent to their homes in these nine years, with their courageous struggle? And how many properties have been returned to their owners? Soon there will not be any properties left as Turkey is buying them. These are the achievements of the super-patriotic camp.

The notorious plan would have sent the occupation army back to Turkey. There would have only been 600 Turkish soldiers with light weaponry left. How many has Papadopoulos and Garoyian got rid of since 2004?

The Friday before last I was in the north. I saw a least 60 Turkish tanks in the Mesaoria plain, just before Lefkoniko. They were involved in an exercise and raised enough dust to obscure the sun. This was part of the occupation army that Turkey agreed to withdraw in 2004, but the super-patriots did not let her. They asked the occupation army to stay, as Egemen Bagis reminded us a few days ago.

And as the Turkish army was asked to stay it left its tanks here to carry out military exercises. It needs to carry out exercises because one day it might be ordered to head to Paphos by a new Turkish prime minister.

Papadopoulos’ audacity is quite astonishing. Does he not have a guilty conscience over these achievements? He and the rest of the superpatriots, like Garoyian, Omirous, Lyssarides and Christofias should feel shame for cementing partition. And so should Samaras who sent a defiant message from Thessaloniki and warned us to be careful that the notorious plan that would have got rid of the occupation troops was not resurrected.

If all these brave fighters could see reason they would have realised that the resurrection of the plan is their only hope of clearing their conscience for what they did in 2004.

But why are they and Samaras worried? After all, if the notorious plan were to be resurrected, the big patriots would again utter a heroic ‘no’ and send it to hell, choosing yet again that the Turkish army stay, he concludes.

No Varosha/Tymbou deal

The Turkish Cypriot leadership has denied reports that the European Commission is trying to broker a deal between Greek Cypriots and Turkey to open the fenced off part of Famagusta to its lawful inhabitants in exchange for allowing direct flights to Tymbou (Ercan) airport in the breakaway north, a report in the Cyprus Mail says.

Should a legal solution be found to the operation of an international airport on occupied territory, the government would then face a new headache of a more financial nature.

In its long-term agreement with Hermes Airports, the government committed to providing compensation to the operator of Larnaca and Paphos airports in the event that passenger numbers at Tymbou ever reached above a certain amount.

However, on a bigger scale, allowing direct flights to and from Tymbou, could result in Turkey opening its ports and airports to Cypriot airlines and ships, which in turn, could lead to the ‘unfreezing’ of a number of chapters in Turkey’s EU accession negotiations.

But some commentators argue that Turkey will not give up its trump card, Varosha, for direct flights to Tymbou airport alone.

Instead, they argue, the Cypriot government needs to seriously examine the possibility of offering Turkey the prospect of regional gas cooperation, making Turkey a key player in the supply of Cypriot and Israeli gas to Europe, without this ruling out the parallel use of a liquefied natural gas plant to export Cypriot (or other) gas to Asian markets.

Steps in that direction could theoretically create a more amenable environment for Cyprus to continue with energy exploration in its’ exclusive economic zone, secure significant confidence building measures from Turkey, and make real headway in efforts to reach a comprehensive peace solution agreeable to Greek Cypriots.

Speaking to local Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris, Eroglu’s spokesman Osman Ertug denied allegations that EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule was launching an initiative to open Tymbou in exchange for Varosha.

Ertug alleged that the Greek Cypriots were trying to create an “artificial agenda” to draw attention away from the fact that peace talks have yet to start.

He added: “Varosha has for a long period now been part of the comprehensive solution. This news is a lie and was brought up deliberately.”

According to Turkish Cypriot media, reports have also suggested Turkey is considering opening Varosha but under Turkish control, while the rightful owners would have to apply to return via the immoveable property commission in the north.

Varosha and Tymbou at the heart of goodwill measures

The European Union, with the consent of Nicosia and Ankara, is working out a formula for the return of Famagusta, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides has said.

Mr Kasoulides who is flying to Paris today, told CyBC that from the messages that Turkey has given to Brussels, this seems likely. Of course this is very early days, but since the Turkish side agrees to allow the EU to examine the possibility with the two sides, this is a very big step”.

“Surely if we want the talks to have a genuine prospect whereby the negotiators, the President and the National Council has the will and trust of the people behind it, something big has to happen”.

Yesterday’s Politis revealed that the handing over of Varosha is at the centre of an effort to pave the way for a final solution. At a recent dinner in Brussels of EU foreign ministers facilitated by EU Commissioner Stefan Fule a procedure for confidence building measures was agreed centering on Varosha and Tymbou airport. The paper says the Greek Cypriot side has made clear that it would not rule out the possibility of allowing Tymbou to operate legally in exchange for Varosha provided this did not entail recognition of the state in the north. The paper says that a technical committee will explore with Turkey and the Cyprus Foreign Ministry whether this is feasible. Despite the legal obstacles, it is acknowledged by all that if this happens everyone will be a winner with the ultimate aim of a solution being reached by the end of 2013 beginning of 2014.

The paper quotes reliable sources as saying that preparations are underway for a new cycle of talks on the Cyprus problem due to start in early October and that the new initiative based on Varosha and Tymbou airport is its centrepoint.

Meanwhile, the paper says, both the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have a lot to do until then. President Anastasiades has a meeting of the National Council in mid June which will be organised on a new footing. He is expected to submit to the Council his new approach on the Cyprus problem in accordance with his pre-election promises and he must also appoint a new negotiator by end of June. The Turkish Cypriots on their part are heading for elections at the end of July the result of which will decide policy on the Cyprus problem. In the meantime there is the possibility of goodwill gestures from both sides, while the Greek Cypriots may also have an issue with Downer though this is more for internal consumption.

Further goodwill gestures are also being discussed. One possibility is for President Anastasiades, Dervis Eroglu and Archbishop Chrysostomos being allowed to visit Apostolos Andreas as a precursor to the church being renovated. Other measures could be the opening of Turkish ports to ships flying the Greek Cypriot flag, allowing Cyprus Airways planes to fly over Turkey in exchange for the opening of the port of Famagusta and the opening of certain chapters in Turkey’s negotiations with the EU.

As regards the Cyprus problem, the Greek Cypriot side is focusing on involving Turkey in the negotiations without of course turning it into a four-party conference.  It is with this in mind that Foreign Minister Kasoulides met recently with US officials particularly with Eric Rubin. The US official said that he was willing to get actively involved in order to solve the Cyprus problem. The US doesn’t want to impose any particular solution but points to the huge window of opportunity that exists for Cyprus within the context of the overall effort to solve all the regional problems such as Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon as well as the rapprochement between Turkey and Israel. The catalyst for all this is the natural gas deposits found in the area which will either help achieve peace in the region or lead to a catastrophic crisis for all. It is with this in mind that John Kerry will soon pay a visit to the region with contacts in Tel Aviv and Ankara.

President Anastasiades will submit to the National Council on 15 June the name of the person he wishes to appoint as negotiator for the Cyprus problem, Politis newspaper said yesterday.

It says that forerunner for this position is EuroMP Panayiotis Demetriou, a lawyer with a lot of experience in the EU and in politics and who enjoys the trust of both the President and the Foreign Minister.

Other names that have been heard include diplomats Andreas Mavrogiannis, Nikos Emiliou and Tasos Tzionis, as well as legal brains Aleckos Markides and Polis Polyviou.

Andreas Paraschos writing in Kathimerini says that all the shenanigans before the Downer dinner have made every serious citizen in this country worry even more.

He refers to the preparations for a new cycle of talks on the Cyprus problem and says that the day will come when we will be begging for a version of the Annan plan to say yes to but nobody will be there to give us that opportunity.

He says that sundry voices from DIKO, DISY and AKEL may be shouting now, but that’s because they know there is no place for them in the new structure that will come about as a result of an agreed solution. This is because these people are the old, corrupt, rotten establishment so it is natural that they will react and shout since they have nothing to propose and nothing to offer this country. These are the parasites that are drinking our blood, who are eating our children’s food, who impinge on every opportunity to prosper we have left.

These are our opponents now. We have nothing in common with them, we must divorce from them. Or they should just leave us alone.  We believe that within the two major Greek Cypriot parties there are brains that can go for a quick and effective solution to the Cyprus problem, which will completely change the economic climate. It was all very well when we had the financial wherewithal to wait for the developers to sell the bubbles they created to feed the party parasites and continue to set their terms on politics and the economy. But what will happen now when the new Bank of Cyprus fires more than three thousand employees and their salaries will stop entering the system? The situation will be even uglier in the autumn than it is today.

That is why the deadlines have now become suffocating for us. For us foolish Greek Cypriots who could not see five meters beyond our noses, as well as for our politicians, who, with a few exceptions, did not want to see five centimeters beyond their pocket. That is why the once major slogans of "no arbitration and no tight deadlines" have become shouts of despair. Now we will be begging for tight deadlines so that maybe we can find some bread to eat. It is with a solution, even if only through the reconstruction of Varosha, that things will change radically in the economy.

The building industry will grow based on real needs and not artificial arrangements. New horizons will open up for Cyprus in the tourist industry because the Greece-Turkey-Cyprus triangle is considered one of the most attractive in the world setting the foundation for lasting peace and coexistence.

It is for this reason that there is need for robust and wise leadership. So far Nikos Anastasiades’ antics do not inspire faith that they recognise this need. Hopefully they will get serious, if they have any brains at all…

George Koumoullis writing in Politis on 1 June says that throughout Ottoman rule of Cyprus and up until 1955, relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots were excellent. Things started to go wrong when we embarked on a military struggle for Enosis, completely ignoring the sensitivities, concerns and vision of the Turkish Cypriots, as if they had nothing to do with Cyprus.

The truth must be stated. The EOKA struggle for enosis, union with Greece, (and not for independence, as is mistakenly being heralded) is what destroyed the traditional friendship between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Why on earth would any Turkish Cypriot living in 1955 ever have agreed to be united with a country where dictatorship followed dictatorship with dramatic repercussions for the average citizens? Where he could have been arrested without trial and sent to concentration camps? When to get a job in the civil service, even as a road sweeper, he would need a ‘suitable’ certificate of social allegiance? When he would be spied on from all sides and the corner kiosk seller would inform the police if he bought a paper that was not “nationalistic”? The bitter truth is that Cypriots in 1955 under British rule enjoyed considerably greater freedom than the citizens of Greece, who were deprived of their most basic freedoms. It is therefore an oxymoron to call that struggle a struggle for ‘freedom’.

The conclusion is that in 1955 we pushed our Turkish Cypriot compatriots into the arms of Turkey with disastrous consequences for us. When Cyprus gained ‘independence’ in 1960 (in inverted commas, because in reality it was neither independent, sovereign nor self-determined), we should have cooperated with the Turkish Cypriots who admittedly were given more power than logic demanded. But had we had a modicum of brains, we should have supported this favourable treatment given to the Turkish Cypriots in order to heal the wounds of the preceding five years and to make them feel that they were our compatriots for the good of our country as a whole. This could have been the beginning of their independence from Turkey. Instead we kept on talking about enosis and the Turkish Cypriots felt the ground shake beneath their feet.

Case in point is that on 25 January 1961, just five months after independence, a demonstration was held in Metaxas square (now renamed Eleftherias sq) on the occasion of the referendum for enosis (with the participation of members of the House of Representatives as well as Ministers, who are normally sworn to uphold the Constitution which clearly excluded Enosis) in order to proclaim their unwavering passion for Enosis! As if this wasn’t enough, we were hatching plans to exterminate the Turkish Cypriots (eg the Akritas plan).

Of course the Turkish Cypriots themselves made tragic mistakes as they too began to arm themselves instead of denouncing the Greek Cypriots internationally.

But it was the Greek Cypriots who were the first to undermine Cyprus’ independence and not the Turkish Cypriots. The latter had no reason to upset the status quo since they clearly came out best from the Zurich agreements. So I don’t know why we talk of a Turkish Cypriot rebellion rather than Greek Cypriot.

But even today, our position vis a vis the Turkish Cypriots is childish, divisive and suicidal. For example, we celebrate the victory of the President of the Cyprus Republic with Greek flags! This is such a ridiculous, stupid and partitionist act that only willingly blind people can’t see it. Surely Mr Anastasiades as President of all Cypriots, disagrees with this phenomenon but cannot control the youth who have been infected by the nationalist virus. These people destroy all hope of reconciliation since the message that they are giving out is that we are only interested in a Greek Republic of Cyprus. And even more strange is why we do not proceed with choosing a national anthem for Cyprus. Having an anthem for our state would in no way deny our ethnicity. A state anthem apart from strengthening our statehood and getting rid of an anomaly (using another country’s national anthem), would greatly facilitate reconciliation.

Today's stalemate is not the fault of the Americans or the British but our own inability to regain the trust of the Turkish Cypriots which was shattered to smithereens in 1955. Already the Turkish Cypriots are an endangered species. If they do become extinct, we would have a Turkey, at the end of Ledra Street, with an area 54 times bigger than ours, a population 100 times larger than ours, a GDP 58 times greater than ours and above all an army which is massively greater than ours. Given this unequal balance of power, is there any doubt that the next species due for extinction will be us?

Much ado about nothing

In the end, says an editorial in the Cyprus Mail, all the fuss and political grandstanding that preceded the dinner for the two leaders and their spouses, hosted at the residence of the UN Special Representative Lisa Buttenheim, was much ado about nothing.

President Anastasiades’ fears that the host, Alexander Downer, would have attempted to turn Thursday’s dinner into a political event, using it to kick-start the peace process, proved totally unfounded.

The social character of the dinner was maintained and a good time was reportedly had by all.

Had Anastasiades’ angry letter, slamming Downer, ensured that the dinner went very well or had he caused a public stir over nothing? Perhaps he decided to do what all our leaders, with the support of the media, have always done – made a major issue out of procedural details.

Focusing on the procedural details and attributing to them importance they do not have is something of a national sport which all politicians and journalists love to engage in, as it spares them having to deal with the substance.

It is no coincidence that in the build-up to the dinner, the main theme in the media, endorsed by the politicians, was the fear of a ‘speedy closure of the Cyprus problem’. How anyone could seriously talk about a ‘speedy closure’ after almost 50 years of peace talks, is beyond belief.

Then again, closure would deprive our opinion-formers and leaders of their favourite subject – the procedure, which is an end in itself, inspiring lively debate over whether a dinner between the two leaders would be a strictly social event or a carefully plotted trap.

Dinner goes down well

“We have had a very good evening. The dinner went very well,” the UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor for Cyprus Alexander Downer said on Thursday after the dinner the UN hosted for the leaders of the two communities.

“The leaders of the two communities are pleased at this opportunity to meet, and are committed to the peace process which aims to find a solution acceptable to both sides”, he said.

The UN official did not take questions.

The soiree was shrouded in controversy from the outset, with the government at pains to drive home the message that it was nothing more than a social event and that the two leaders would not be talking shop, the Cyprus Mail reports.

Commentators speculated that Anastasiades’ aggressive posture and his insistence that the dinner should not turn political, was designed to placate his hawkish coalition partners DIKO who have long labeled Downer a persona non grata and have been calling for his replacement.

The opposition has been sounding the alarm, warning that international players are pushing for a political settlement now that Cyprus finds itself in a weak spot due to the financial crisis. They have been turning up the heat on the President not to commit to any process or a timeframe for talks at this juncture.

The Cyprus Mail says that while the dinner may have played out as an informal affair, not all observers are convinced that nothing is afoot.

Earlier on Thursday, Eric Rubin, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs, held a one-hour meeting with President Anastasiades at the Presidential Palace. Rubin later held a working lunch with Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides.

CyBC, citing diplomatic sources, said Rubin reiterated to Anastasiades the US government’s continuing interest in the Cyprus peace process and Washington’s readiness to assist.

Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris reports that Rubin also met with the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu and the former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s EU Affairs Minister, Egemen Bagis, was yesterday quoted by Turkish Cypriot media as saying that Ankara is ready to “say yes” to any solution agreed by the two sides on the island.

“The main thing is that the two sides find common ground. As far as we are concerned, there is only one prerequisite: whatever the solution, it must be based on political equality,” he said.

“Let us not be forced, after withdrawing our troops from the island, to send them back. The island’s security lies in political equality.”

Referring to the 2004 Annan plan, he said the Greek Cypriots by voting no were saying yes to Turkish troops remaining on the island. “If they had accept the plan, then there would be no troops left on the island, not only Turkish but Greek troops too”, Bagis added.

We see as an opportunity that the only Greek Cypriot politician, who said ‘yes’ to the Annan plan, has been elected President. However, the poor man has been caught in such a financial crisis, that he can see neither the Turkish Cypriot side nor the EU. His problem is first to save the banks. We are aware that we should give him some time.”

Noting that a comprehensive solution is not very difficult, Bagis said: “Let’s negotiate the Annan plan again. Let’s put on the table the issues from the Annan plan that make us and them uneasy.”

“The solution of the Cyprus problem would mean that the biggest obstacle for Turkey’s EU process would be lifted”, he said.

Bagis also expressed his concern at the political turmoil in the north where a motion of no confidence was issued against the government resulting in a decision to hold early elections on 28 July this year instead of April 2014.

Downer’s dinner

UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus, Mr Alexander Downer, told the press after a meeting with President Anastasiades that the dinner between the two leaders in Cyprus will go ahead today as planned.

“It will just be the two leaders and their wives, me and my wife and also Lisa Buttenheim and her husband and also an interpreter. Mr Eroglu can speak some English but he canʼt speak a great deal of English. So itʼs just going to be a small dinner, but we are looking forward to it.”

Asked whether this is the beginning of new Cyprus talks, Mr Downer said: “That is not the intention”. He added that the negotiations need to be carefully prepared and when that is all complete then the negotiations will begin.

“I think the main thing is to get the preparatory work done - and done properly - and the two sides obviously have to do that”, he said.

“We are not putting up a date on that, of course, but I think Mr Anastasiades is thinking September – October sometime like that, perhaps it will be finished but there is no point in getting into negotiations until the preparation has been done and obviously I think that stands to reason. He is having a meeting with the National Council in the middle of June and he will talk about the issue with them as well, but there is work still to be done”.

Asked by reporters about a UN document containing convergences achieved in the talks between 2008 and 2012. Downer said he had handed the document over to both leaders on request on April 30. 


As this was at least two weeks before the date Anastasiades initially said he had received the document, the President promptly issued a statement, confirming that the document had been delivered to his diplomatic office, but that he had not been made aware of its existence until May 16, when AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou mentioned it. He blamed his heavy workload and to the fact that his diplomatic office had considered it simply a reference document and therefore non-urgent in terms of substance.

Speaking after his meeting with Downer on Tuesday, Anastasiades said he had made clear to the UN official in no uncertain terms that any new round of talks would not begin from the point they ended in 2012.


“Additionally, I clarified that any proposals tabled by the Greek Cypriot side but rejected by the majority of political forces and people in no way bind me and are discarded,” he said. 


He added that the National Council would meet on June 15 where he will present comprehensive proposals for a new upgraded Council, the appointment of a negotiator, working groups and experts, the preparation of a comprehensive framework of proposals, and the new procedure, which must be agreed, before the start of new talks.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, Downer said that it was up to the leaders’ themselves to decide what they would talk about when they come together on Thursday.

“While the Greek Cypriot side has been insisting that the nature of the dinner should be restricted to that of a social event, the Turkish Cypriot side is stating that aspects of the negotiations process could be taken up at the dinner”, Downer added.

Moreover, speaking at a sports function on Tuesday, Eroglu said that the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey are determined to reach an early solution to the Cyprus problem.

“As has been stated by high level Turkish officials, either we will reach a solution and make Cyprus a peace island, or we will accept that we cannot come to an agreement and announce this”.

Turkey has offered to cooperate with Israel and Cyprus for the exploration and transportation of their hydrocarbon products to world markets via Turkey, Turkish daily Hurriyet has reported.

Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told the paper: “The natural gas to be produced from this region will get its utmost feasibility by a pipeline that will pass through Turkey. All relevant figures prove this idea”.  

“Turkey is open to any sort of projects with the accomplishment of political stability in the region”, the Minister added.

Commenting on the possibility that the recently discovered oil and gas reserves off Cyprus could provide an opportunity for Cypriots to resolve their differences and agree on a peace plan, he said: “I agree that opportunity is there. But this should have legality”. He said that the current status of Cyprus’ oil explorations in the Mediterranean was illegal as there was no deal among the countries that have coastlines on the definition of economic exclusive zones.

“They won’t become legal until these reserves are shared by the entire island”, he added.