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151. Cyprus rationalizes sanctions against Turkey

Cypriot Defence Minister Charalambos Petrides has reiterated his country’s position in seeking a settlement of the Cyprus problem, adding that economic sanctions against Ankara remain on the table 'as long as Turkey continues to maintain tensions'...

152. Turkey’s behavior ‘widening its separation’ from EU, Borrell says

Turkey’s rhetoric on Cyprus is aggravating tensions with the European Union and Ankara must understand that its behavior is “widening its separation” from the 27-nation bloc, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday....

153. Ankara focused on getting recognition of north Cyprus

Well-informed sources in the Turkish capital and in the Turkish Cypriot community insist on the fact that the messages relayed during Sunday’s celebrations in the north are of particular importance for the future course of the Cyprus Problem. Returning to the well-known rhetoric of the division, Turkey once again brought to the fore strategies and moves for the Cyprus Problem that had been forgotten for several years....

154. Biden plans ahead as Trump refuses to concede

Democrat Joe Biden began preparing on Sunday to deal with the coronavirus and other problems that will confront him as president of a divided America, while President Donald Trump planned campaign-style rallies to contest the election...

155. Protesters detained outside French embassy

Five protesters were arrested on Tuesday outside the French embassy in Nicosia, where dozens of Muslim residents gathered to demonstrate against France’s stance towards Islam...

156. Energy Turkey's 'no.1 priority' in Cyprus and EastMed

Since noon on Friday, Turkey has been sending its own messages concerning the future of the Cyprus Problem and developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. First, the Vice President of Turkey, Fuat Oktay, who took part in the ceremony marking the change in the Turkish Cypriot leadership and entered the fenced-off town of Famagusta, and then the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who welcomed Ersin Tatar to the Turkish capital on Monday, both clarified the basic tenets of Turkey’s strategy for Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean....

157. Cyprus, Greece, Egypt present united front

Cooperation between Cyprus, Greece and Egypt aims to safeguard peace and stability in the region on the basis of international law, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said during a trilateral summit in Nicosia Wednesday....

158. Athens bracing for four East Med scenarios

Having drawn useful conclusions from the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean over the summer, Athens is prepared to deal with any move Ankara makes south of the island of Kastellorizo and is examining four possible scenarios, Kathimerini understands. ...

159. A historic verdict and a more united Greece

The Greek justice system rose to the occasion and delivered a historic verdict that also confirms Greece’s image as a free democracy governed by the rule of law. Behind the voters’ rejection of Golden Dawn and the party’s condemnation by the institutions lies a good deal of human suffering – the agony of a mother whose child was murdered, but also of so many others who suffered violence and humiliation at the hands of the criminal organization....

160. EP adopts resolution condemning Turkey's EastMed activities

With 601 votes in favour, 57 against and 36 abstentions, the European Parliament adopted a Resolution condemning Turkey’s activities in the EEZ of Greece and Cyprus, ahead of next week’s extraordinary European Council summit that will focus on the heightened tensions in the eastern Mediterranean....

161. Turkey accuses Greece of treaty violations

Turkey has issued a navigational telex to mariners accusing Greece of violating the Lausanne Treaty by militarizing the Greek island of Chios just 10 miles from a Turkish port...

162. 20 anti-corona demonstrators fined, three prosecuted

Police issued fines to 20 participants of an anti-coronavirus demonstration that took place in Nicosia’s Eleftheria square on Saturday, while legal proceedings were launched against three others –two organizers and one speaker....

163. EU ‘very clear’ on expectations from Turkey for de-escalation

The message, the expectations, the timeline and the consequences of not acting towards a de-escalation of tension in the Eastern Mediterranean were “made clear” to Turkey, both via the informal Foreign Affairs Council last week in Berlin and in the telephone call on Monday between EU High Representative Josep Borrell and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, according to EU foreign policy spokesman Peter Stano....

164. Greek defence minister radios Limnos captain

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos has congratulated the captain of the Greek frigate that was involved in last week's collision with a Turkish ship in the eastern Mediterranean...

165. Cypriot president in Paris for talks

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades is set to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Thursday, as the two leaders get together amid heightened rhetoric over the eastern Mediterranean...

166. Cyprus to draw over €2.7b from EU pandemic recovery fund

European Union leaders reached a deal on a massive stimulus plan for their coronavirus-blighted economies at a pre-dawn meeting on Tuesday after a fractious summit that went through the night and into its fifth day....

167. Anastasiades: Patriotic realism dictates solution through diplomacy, not weapons

Instead of a catastrophic scenario, we opt for diplomacy, the weapons of international law and Cyprus’ status as an EU member state. This is what is dictated by patriotic realism and rationalism, and not a rhetoric of empty slogans. The coming days are crucial as regards initiatives taken by the EU and the US in view of preventing a potential crisis through targeted measures towards Turkey....

168. Despite progress, discrimination against LGBT community a reality

Recognizing that Cyprus has taken substantial steps toward institutionalizing equality and safeguarding the fundamental rights of the island’s LGBT community, Ombudswoman Maria Stylianou Lottides has highlighted that there is still work to be done in eradicating the reality of enduring acts of discrimination....

169. Pressed in Syria, Turkey ups the ante in the East Med

170. Cyprus ready for five-party meeting, Anastasiades tells Lute

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades shared a phone call on Wednesday with UN special envoy Jane Holl Lute, expressing his readiness to take part in an informal five-party conference with the aim of reaching an agreement on the terms of reference that would allow the resumption of peace talks....

171. Cabinet adopts IHRA definition of antisemitism

The President’s Cabinet has approved a decision by which the Cypriot Government adopts the definition of anti-Semitism as it has been spelled out by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance...

172. Johnson goads opponents to call election as tempers flare over Brexit

Waving his arms and yelling “come on, come on”, Johnson implored his opponents in a raucous House of Commons session to bring a vote of no-confidence in the government and trigger an election to finally break the Brexit impasse. ...

173. Neophytou: The solution framework is clear

Mr. Neophytou was speaking following a meeting with the Russian Ambassador, Stanislav Osachi, as the DISY President intensifies efforts to inform the ambassadors of UN Security Council states on the Cyprus issue, EEZ and Varosha. ...

174. Close to an understanding says spokesman

UN envoy Jane Holl Lute continues her contacts with the two sides on the island, in order to secure the terms of reference that would lead to the resumption of the talks for a solution. Lute met with the leaders, namely President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci three times since she arrived on the island last week. A fresh meeting with the President is schedule for Wednesday, 915 am local time...

175. Rhetoric cranked up over Laundromat story

The Presidential Palace is fighting back against criticism over claims that President Anastasiades’ law firm was involved in a network of shell companies that laundered billions out of Russia...

176. Cyprus, diplomacy and the dizzying gas effect

The spin on political developments in Cyprus has had a dizzying effect on the public but state institutions seem unshaken...

177. The new government, image and symbolism

The first indications from the new government are sending out all the right signals. Tuesday’s handover ceremonies at the ministries confirmed a return to normalcy, after a decade-long crisis that painfully divided the country. Both sides should be given credit for the civilized political discourse that prevailed during the change of guard. It is hoped that this spirit will continue during the debates that are expected to take place in Parliament, not only in the sense of a more sophisticated rhetoric, but also, hopefully, in the approval of some government bills by the new main opposition....

178. Mitsotakis, expectations and the need for unity

The coming weeks will naturally see an emphasis on New Democracy’s proposals on all the major issues, from the economy and security, to education and health. At the same time the new prime minister will have to strike a balance between the rival forces within his party’s ranks, combining the new with the old. ...

179. Playing with fire

The emerging crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean over Turkey’s drilling activities in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) raise the prospect of an open Greco-Turkish conflict to a level higher than anytime since the Imia crisis...

180. Erdogan suffers defeat in Istanbul rerun

Turkey’s opposition has dealt President Tayyip Erdogan a stinging blow by winning control of Istanbul in a re-run mayoral election, breaking his aura of invincibility and delivering a message from voters unhappy over his policies...