Day: March 5, 2024

The works of the 24th Interparliamentary Conference on the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) wrapped up on Tuesday in Bruges. The Conference took place on March 3 - 5, 2024, as part of the parliamentary dimension of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). According to a House press release, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs and head of the Cypriot delegation, Harris Georgiades, speaking during a discussion on the enlargement of the EU, expressed support to this policy, underlining that its importance lies in the process of reforms and adaptation of the countries under accession, that must continue to be, as he pointed out, a condition for their accession. Georgiades noted that the Europeanisation of the candidate countries would be a real success of the enlargement policy, as well as their transformation into really liberal democracies and their alignment with the EU's foreign policy. Countries that violate human rights and align in the foreign policy area with Putin and Hamas, cannot be accepted in the EU, he added. Also taking the floor in the context of a debate on the situation in the Middle East, Harris Georgiades underlined the need for more EU involvement in the region, where significant threats to security and stability, including terrorism, illegal immigration and the obstruction of maritime trade routes, stem from the existence of many failed states, as he noted. He also underlined that calls to Israel for a cease-fire must be made in parallel with the disarmament of Hamas, the release of all hostages and an end to Hezbollah attacks, noting that a two-state solution cannot be achieved in the Middle East, as long as extremist forces dominate the region. In the context of a discussion on the priorities and current developments in the fields of CFSP and CSDP, member of the Parliament Alekos Tryfonides pointed out that in order for the EU to deal with conflicts and achieve the goal of becoming an international security factor, to effectively protect citizens, to promote common principles and values and to defend its interests, it is necessary to develop appropriate security structures, as well as adequate resources and operational capabilities. At the same time, there needs to be, as he pointed out, a common vision that will lead to a common stance on key foreign policy issues, which will enable rapid EU action to address security challenges. Tryfonides also emphasized that the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East region should be a priority for the EU and called for collective responsibility, with a strengthened European presence in the region. Speaking during a discussion on the provision of support to Ukraine, in response to the Russian invasion, MP Alexandra Attalides emphasized that the effects of the war continue to be devastating for Ukraine, Europe and the world and, at the same time, she noted that in view of the elections in Russia, Putin's threats, including the one for the use of nu clear weapons, are increasing. In this regard, she underlined the importance of maintaining the EU's united position vis-à-vis Russia and protecting the Union's principles and values, as well as focusing on supporting Ukraine's European path in order to fulfill the criteria and conditions for membership. Attalides expressed her unwavering solidarity and support to the people of Ukraine, stressing that Cyprus is also a victim of invasion and occupation by a foreign country and understands the importance of continuous messages of undivided solidarity and unconditional international support. She also expressed hope that the Ukrainian refugees that Cyprus hosts will soon return to a free Ukraine. Source: Cyprus News Agency

BERLIN: The president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Tuesday lambasted his German counterpart over a recent visit to the Greek Cypriot administration. "We leave them alone with their consciences. If they still cannot see the realities of Cyprus, if they still cannot understand, then the fault is not ours, it is theirs," Ersin Tatar told reporters while visiting the TRNC's stand at the International Tourism Fair in Berlin. Tatar was referring to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's visit to the Greek Cypriot administration on Feb. 12. Emphasizing that two separate communities exist on Cyprus, Tatar said that for over 350 years until the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, the island had been part of the Ottoman Empire. Tatar pointed out that Greek and Greek Cypriots have never solely dominated Cyprus, adding, "With such a history on the island, there was an increase in the Greek population during the British period," referring to the British occupation from 1914 to 1925, and then the is land being a Crown colony until 1960. "Every injustice was done to the Turkish Cypriots to annex Cyprus to Greece. Thanks to Trkiye always standing by our side, we were able to prevent this." "Turkish Cypriots have the right of sovereignty as much as Greek Cypriots. They have the right to establish a state there. Since they demolished that state by force of arms and expelled the Turks, Turkish Cypriots established their own state with their inherent acquired rights," he added. Tatar stressed Cyprus' close proximity to Trkiye, lying just 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) south of the Turkish coast, while it is 1,000 km (621 mi) from Greece, and 2,000 km (1,243 mi) from the center of the EU. Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a comprehensive settlement. Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety. In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece's annexation of the island led to Trkiye's military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983. It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Trkiye, Greece, and the UK. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Trkiye's National Defense Minister Yasar Guler on Tuesday met with Qasim al-Araji, Iraq's national security adviser. Along with Araji, Trkiye's National Security Council Secretary-General Seyfullah Hacimuftuoglu also attended the meeting, the National Defense Ministry wrote on X, not specifying a location. On Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "Issues concerning our border with Iraq will be permanently resolved this summer.' PKK terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq, across the border, to plot attacks on Trkiye. In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Trkiye, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. Source: Anadolu Agency

Deputy Minister of Culture, Vasiliki Kassianidou travels to Jordan on an official visit, in the context of efforts to strengthen cultural and diplomatic relations between Cyprus and Jordan. During her visit, the Deputy Minister will meet, among others, with Jordan's Minister of Culture, Haifa Najjar, with the General Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Emad Hijazeen, as well as with Princess Dana Firas of Jordan, who is President of Petra National Trust and ICOMOS of Jordan and also serves as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. In addition, the Deputy Minister will visit the Association of Handicraft Producers of Jordan, while she will also pay visits to important cultural and archaeological sites. The issues on the Deputy Minister's agenda include strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the field of ancient and modern culture, with particular emphasis on the protection of ancient monuments against climate change. In addition, the Deputy Minister is expected to discuss issues related to the promotion of cultural heritage, as well as the preservation of traditional art and handicrafts. Kassianidou returns home on Friday. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ANKARA: France's president on Tuesday doubled down on "clear" remarks he recently made on the possibility of deploying troops in Ukraine. "I called for a strategic jolt that I fully take on," Emmanuel Macron told a joint news conference with his Czech counterpart Petr Pavel in Prague. "I am convinced that the admitted clarity of those remarks was what Europe needed," he said, answering a question about his recent statement on sending troops to Ukraine, which has been embroiled in a war with Russia for over two years. He reiterated that there was no consensus on sending Western troops to Ukraine and urged other countries to realize that war is back in Europe. "There is no consensus today that ground troops should be deployed in an official, accepted, and endorsed way. But nothing should be ruled out in the dynamic," Macron said at a news conference last week in Paris. In Prague, he said denoting Europe's limits to someone "who does not have any," leads to a "spirit of defeat." However, he also stressed t hat France does not seek escalation and has never been interested in belligerence on either side, while also vowing to support Ukraine as long as needed. Czech President Pavel, for his part, mostly agreed with his French counterpart and said Europe must play a major role in assisting Kyiv. He also stressed the need for new possibilities and solutions in Ukraine, "including the discussion of a possible presence in Ukraine in various forms." Pavel later explained that this was not necessarily a reference to a "concrete form of presence," and added: "We must not limit ourselves." "If Russia prevails in Ukraine, we will also be defeated, we must continue supporting Ukraine," he said. Source: Anadolu Agency

The Industrial Turnover Index reached 180.1 points (base 2015=100) in December 2023, an increase of 0.3% compared to December 2022, the Cyprus Statistical Service (CyStat) said on Tuesday. For the period January - December 2023, the index recorded an increase of 5.8% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, CyStat said in a press release. In particular, in manufacturing, the Industrial Turnover Index for December 2023 reached 186.8 units, recording an increase of 1.6% compared to December 2022. It is added that increases were also noted in the sectors of water supply and materials recovery (+21.0%) and mining and quarrying (+9.4%), while a decrease was recorded in the electricity supply sector (-12.4%). Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: Social media users worldwide were confronted with frustration on Tuesday as popular platforms including Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram encountered widespread outages. Users reported abrupt logouts and difficulties while trying to use the platforms. Many users also experienced issues with the popular messaging app WhatsApp. No official statement has yet been made from the parent company Meta. Commenting on the situation, competing social media platform X wrote: "We know why you're all here rn (right now)." Source: Anadolu Agency

The role of peacekeeping and negotiation for the Cyprus issue, the contribution of UNFICYP and in particular of the Finnish contingent, was discussed during a seminar that took place on Tuesday organised by the Embassy of Finland titled "60 years of Finnish mediation for peace, building security and trust in Cyprus". Finland was one of the 1st countries to contribute peacekeepers to the Mission in 1964 and the seminar was addressed by Erkki Tuomioja former Foreign Affairs Minister of Finland, whose father, Sakari, was the 1st UN mediator in Cyprus. Other distinguished speakers included Pertti Torstila, former deputy state secretary who also served in UNFICYP, former Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot negotiators Andreas Mavroyiannis and Ozdil Nami, and head of UNFICYP Colin Stewart. A brief address was also delivered by a high ranking official of the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Zbigniew Wlosowicz, former UNSG special representative to Cyprus was in the audience and shared his memories from serving on the island, especially during the years before the Anan Plan was finally drafted. All speakers underlined the importance of bringing the parties back to the negotiating table, working on the process to do that and having political courage to make tough decisions and compromises. The participants were welcomed by Finland's Ambassador Harri Maki-Reinikka who spoke about his country's contribution to the UNFICYP in April 1964 as one of the first contributing nations until its withdrawal in 2005. The Finnish flag was raised again in 2021. So far Finland contributed with 10,000 servicemen and women in the peacekeeping force. Reinikka also referred to the peace mediation efforts in Cyprus and other countries, to bringing the communities on the island together with various projects, pointing out that this was a selfless contribution and the starting point of Finnish mediation around the world. Political will and courage needed says Stewart ---- UNSG Special Representative and Head of UNFICYP, Colin Stewart, said that peacekeeping is not itself the solution adding that solution to a conflict is always political and we must invest in negotiation and in finding common ground. He referred to the events taking place in Pyla last summer, pointing out the role of the peacekeeping in finding an understanding. Stewart also underlined that "we are still working on it" adding that "things can be quite complicated". The UN official noted that the will of those involved in the negotiations is also important and what is also required is political courage. Stewart also noted that diplomacy and leadership is all about compromises and tough decisions and praised the amount of effort and time put in the Cyprus problem by major players but also referred to the issue of the serious fatigue. He said that there is now an opportunity and the President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides is pushing for the resumption of the dialogue and urged everyone to play his or her role as each year the prospects could diminish. "We cannot afford to waste such opportunities and we do not have the luxury to wait and see," he noted. Crans Montana negotiation the closest we've ever been to a solution, says Mavroyiannis ----- Former Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis who was also the moderator of the event said that we are here to commemorate UNFICYP's role but also to reflect on lessons learnt. He referred to the role of Sakari Tuomioja, the first UN mediator and the plans he drafted for Cyprus, pointing out that it would be interesting to be granted access to his notes before sadly passing away in September 1964. He said that after Tuomioja and Galo Plaza, as UN mediators, we started having UN good offices as we know them today. Mavroyiannis referred to the UN talks in Crans Montana saying that this was the closest we have ever been to a solution. He noted that this was a free negotiation and not a mediation or arbitration and this is why it was the best ever. Foreign diplomats underline role of peacekeeping and need for a solution ---- Z bigniew Wlosowicz, former UNSG special representative to Cyprus spoke very fondly of his service on the island saying that he had the chance to learn a lot from the local communities and that he is nostalgic of the experience. He also said that his strength came from his team adding that the work of the special representative is a team one and along with the local stuff that walked them through the complexities, he never felt alone. He also referred to the Anan Plan put before the communities, adding that the international community thought big of it but unfortunately we didn't manage to put it into force. Erkki Tuomioja, former Finnish Foreign Affairs Minister for 11 years shared his reflection of his father's Sakari tenure on the island. He said that he was a promoter of silent diplomacy and his view was that there is no conflict that cannot be reasonably resolved if all parties are reasonable enough to sit down and talk. He said that he was ready to present his plans to the parties but unfortunately he fe ll ill and passed away before the end of his tenure. Tuomioja spoke also of the role of Martii Ahtisaari, former president of Finland and added that Nordic countries have a tradition in mediation as they offer their non-partisan services. Tuomioja also noted the importance of a sustainable solution to crises, pointing out that just can be interpreted differently and that sustainability can address the economic and social issues. He also underlined that it is important to address the history of a problem so that we can draw lessons from the past mistakes and that no solution can be imposed. In his address Pertii Torstila, former diplomat at the Finnish MFA and a serviceman in Cyprus in 1966-1967 spoke about his memories on the island, saying that when he arrived here it was like he entered a different world, coming from a country with no sun. He said that UNFICYP was a test for future mediation and a milestone for future projects for him. He said that he learned a lot about the island, its people, culture, humour, hospitality and that his service was a useful training for his future diplomatic career. Torstila said that unfortunately the peacekeeping force was supposed to be on the island for a short time but 60 years later we are still looking for a solution adding that peacekeeping is not the solution and that a political one is the answer. He also referred to the unique bilateral relation between Cyprus and Finland and about Finland's contribution to the Cyprus issue in the 1990's under its capacity as head of the European Council. Former Turkish Cypriot negotiator Ozdil Nami noted that the recent developments in the Middle East and in Ukraine prove that there are no frozen conflicts. He said that conflicts are always alive and they cause pain. He said that we all agree that the status quo is not acceptable and expressed the opinion that what is of utmost importance is to agree on the process before going into the substance. Nami also underlined the significance of balanced incentives and added that looki ng forward also means looking back to reflect on mistakes. Maria Savvidou from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered the speech of Ambassador Penelope Erotokritou, Head of the Cyprus issue directorate. She expressed her gratitude for UNFICYP's invaluable contribution adding that today's event is an opportunity to reflect on the 60 years of its presence on the island. She also referred to the role of Finland and the fact that it assisted in engaging women, the youth and religious actors in the process and supported the civil society. She also noted that Holguin's appointments is a positive development and the hope is that it will create the momentum for the resumption of the talks. The event was attended by Ambassadors, former Cyprus Ambassadors abroad, political parties representatives and the civil society. Establishment of UNFICYP ---- On March 4, 1964, the United Nations Security Council, alarmed by the escalation of intercommunal violence on the island, adopted its resolution 186 and decided tha t the situation demanded the establishment of a United Nations Peacekeeping Force and the appointment of a mediator on the Cyprus issue, leading to the formation of UNFICYP by the end of 1964, with approximately 6,300 peacekeepers (troops and police) from Austria, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden and United Kingdom had formed UNFICYP, present at various locations around the island and had begun their work in the impartial, diligent and caring manner that would set the tone for the decades to come. Sixty years later, more than 150,000 peacekeepers from 43 countries have served with UNFICYP and contributed to the fulfilment of its mandate, he continued, adding that sadly, 187 peacekeepers and staff have lost their lives while serving with the mission, making the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peace. 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 lates t round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Columbia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: Countering a controversial New York Times article on the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, an Israeli kibbutz located near the Gaza Strip strongly rebuffed allegations that two of its members had been sexually abused. According to a report by The Intercept online, Michal Paikin, a spokesperson for Kibbutz Be'eri, issued a firm denial of the claims in the Times article 'Screams Without Words": How Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence on Oct. 7, asserting, "It's not true." The Times article cited three alleged victims of sexual assault from Oct. 7, the day Palestinian group Hamas launched a cross-border raid into southern Israel, reportedly killing some 1,200 people. One is identified as Gal Abdush, also known as the "woman in the black dress," whose family members have raised objections to the claims reported by The Times. The other two, unnamed teenage sisters from Kibbutz Be'eri, were described with enough detail in the article to potentially identify them as sisters with the last name Sharabi, age 13 and 16. Paikin categorically rejected allegations about the sisters, saying that while they were shot, they were not subjected to sexual abuse, casting doubt on the Times story. 'You're talking about the Sharabi girls?' she told The Intercept. 'No, they … were shot and were not subjected to sexual abuse.' Further undermining the credibility of the allegations, Paikin called into question the reliability of testimony by an Israeli special forces paramedic, a primary source for the Times article. 'It's not true,' she said, referring to the paramedic's claims about the girls. 'They were not sexually abused.' 'We stand by the story and are continuing to report on the issue of sexual violence on Oct. 7,' Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha told The Intercept. - 'They were shot … Nothing else had been done to them' As The Intercept previously reported, Anat Schwartz, an Israeli filmmaker and former air force intelligence official with no prior reporting experience, was assigned by The New York Times to collaborate with her partner's nephew, Adam Sella, and veteran Times reporter Jeffrey Gettleman to investigate the sexual assault allegations. Schwartz, speaking to Israeli Army Radio, stated that she personally did more than 150 interviews for the story. In a podcast by Israel's Channel 12, she explained her efforts to verify the sexual assault claims. Schwartz initially heard about the case through an interview with a paramedic, but struggled to find a second source to confirm the paramedic's account. While she mentioned the need for a second source, she gave no details about finding one, and the Times report lacked any additional witnesses to corroborate the paramedic's description of the girls' condition. The Times report also includes accounts from unidentified "neighbors" at Kibbutz Be'eri who claimed the girls' bodies were found separated from rest of their family. However, the family disputes even this detail as inaccurate. 'They were just shot, nothing else had been done to them,' their grandmother Gillian Brisley told Channel 12 in a recent interview. Before the publication of the Times piece, the family provided interviews to various international news outlets. These interviews contained information that contradicted the claims made in the Times article. This raises concerns about why the paper did not incorporate these publicly available details into their report. Pramila Patten, the UN special envoy for sexual violence, reported on Monday that her team discovered evidence suggesting sexual violence occurred during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7. "In the context of the coordinated attack by Hamas and other armed groups against civilian and military targets throughout the Gaza periphery, the mission team found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred in multiple locations during the 7 October attacks, including rape and gang-rape," a UN report said. These happened in at least three locations, it said: the Nova music festival site and its surroun dings, Road 232, and Kibbutz Re'im. The report urged a full investigation into these incidents. However, the mission team was unable to determine whether sexual violence occurred in Kibbutz Be'eri. Source: Anadolu Agency