Knews, Kathimerini Cyprus English Edition

Europe must get off the sofa

Everything we learnt from what took place in the presidential palace, and then from Brussels, reinforced the image of a weak, if not anemic Europe...

15/04/2021 | OPINION

Two states in Cyprus? Why not, then, a unitary one?

An informal summit on Cyprus is scheduled to take place in Geneva in late April, coming at a time when Greek-Turkish relations are anything but good and tensions are high in the broader region. The aim of the meeting, according to the United Nations, “will be to determine whether common ground exists for the parties to negotiate a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem within a foreseeable horizon.”...

03/03/2021 | OPINION

Property valuations and uncertainty clauses

Property appraisers in this country have had to deal with unprecedented events in the last seven to eight years that forced them to make use of the so-called 'uncertainty clauses' in their real estate estimates...

25/02/2021 | OPINION

Turkey faced with Greece’s EU membership and diaspora

Last week, the Turkish minister of defense once again denounced what he perceived as Greek attempts to reframe Greco-Turkish disputes as wider disputes between Turkey and third parties, powerful countries or regional entities....

17/02/2021 | OPINION

When the lights of the Palace begin to dim

The testimonies of 2013, say that in those critical days of the savings levy, there was a crowd of people on the hill of the presidential palace....

09/02/2021 | OPINION

From Bismarck to Merkel

'Turks and Germans loved each other for a long time,' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a visit to Berlin in 2018. He was citing the historic words of Germany’s first chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, which still seem to determine Berlin’s policy on Ankara. We should recognize this reality as we enter a new geopolitical era, without succumbing to sentimentalism and spasmodic reactions....

08/02/2021 | OPINION

Nikos Kotzias in Kathimerini: Foreign policy and exploratory talks

Greece’s exploratory talks with Turkey are not a dialogue for the sake of dialogue. They are a structured debate in which both sides invest for a series of achievements. Greece’s target, as far as exploratory talks are concerned, has always been:...

01/02/2021 | OPINION

Smoothening the cliff edge in EU-UK relations

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the United Kingdom and the European Union came into effect on January 1, 2021, capping a tumultuous four-and-a-half-year period since the shocking result of the July 2016 Brexit referendum, in which 51.9% of the British voters voted in favor of leaving the EU. Subject to the delayed assent of the European Parliament, this UK-EU free trade agreement (FTA) extends zero-tariff and quota-free trade in goods between the two economic areas....

14/01/2021 | OPINION

Obama offers piece of the puzzle in Greek debt crisis

Apart from providing key insights into a special (in many respects) presidency, Barack Obama’s memoir contains some very interesting references to the Greek debt crisis and the way in which the major European powers chose to deal with the situation....

18/11/2020 | OPINION

Editorial: The third invasion

The first invasion engraved in Cyprus’ collective memory is that of July 20 1974, while the second is that of August 14 1974, when the Turkish army violated the truce agreement and moved its tanks towards Famagusta....

16/11/2020 | OPINION

Varosha revamp ongoing at feverish pace

Preparations in Varosha ahead of the visit of the Turkish President and the leader of the Grey Wolves are continuing at a feverish pace. Turkish crews have begun work to upgrade the patch of Varosha to be visited by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will be accompanied by Devlet Bahçeli....

09/11/2020 | OPINION

Tatar to stick to 'alternative solutions' approach

The new Turkish Cypriot leader will in a few hours be meeting with the President of the Republic, and will insist on the basic tenets of his pre-election manifesto....

03/11/2020 | OPINION

Bar set low as Brussels, UN in low spirits for CyProb involvement

Foreign players ranging from Brussels and Berlin to New York have lowered their expectations and show a reduced eagerness to actively get involved in efforts to reach a solution to the Cyprus Problem....

02/11/2020 | OPINION

Varosha getting revamp ahead of Erdogan visit

Preparations have begun within Varosha ahead of the upcoming visit of the Turkish President. Recent information points suggests that the Turkish government is moving ahead with significant interventions and revamp projects on the coastal front of the fenced-off city, which was re-opened by Turkish Cypriot authorities, with Turkey’s support, earlier this month....

29/10/2020 | OPINION

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....

26/10/2020 | OPINION

Maps, maritime zones and islands

Ankara’s recent publication of a map that appears to split the Aegean Sea in two was yet another sign of Turkish aggressiveness. Like previous naval maneuvers, fighter jet overflights and verbal threats, the map is seen as an unacceptable and deplorable action of the sort that undermines any prospects for dialogue between the two sides....

21/10/2020 | OPINION

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....

09/10/2020 | OPINION

Pompeo sees window of opportunity for dialogue, in Kathimerini interview

In an interview with Kathimerini, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo deplores the use of threats and unilateral actions as a way of resolving bilateral disputes, sending a clear signal to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan....

30/09/2020 | OPINION

Judge Ankara by its actions not its words

Michael Rubin, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, favors a less sympathetic approach on Turkey, arguing ad hoc partnerships can put pressure on Ankara to come around...

29/09/2020 | OPINION

What Berlin made clear to Nicosia

German officials coordinating with Nicosia, after the Republic of Cyprus told the foreign affairs council that it would use its veto power if sanctions against Belarus are not linked with those against Turkey, said that the prospect of sanctions against Turkey is a distant scenario....

28/09/2020 | OPINION

The four scenarios after the 'veto'

The decision on EU sanctions has been postponed for the meeting of the 27 leaders of member states, likely to take place on October 1 and 2 due to a case of coronavirus. At that meeting, it will become clear whether the case of Belarus will be linked with whether sanctions will be imposed on Turkey for its provocations in the Cyprus EEZ or not. Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides made it clear to the Council of Foreign Ministers that what was agreed in Berlin should be respected, in essence using his veto. Whether Nicosia will maintain this position until the end will be seen at the summit of the 27....

23/09/2020 | OPINION

The Cypriot aspect of the eastern Mediterranean crisis

A few days ago, the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community made an important statement, involving the future of the Cyprus Problem. At a time when Greek-Turkish relations are highly tense, and just before the withdrawal of the Oruc Reis from the waters of the eastern Mediterranean, Mustafa Akinci announced that a new conference on the Cyprus Problem is imminent....

15/09/2020 | OPINION

Golden passports scheme to remain as is

The citizenship-by-investment program will not be terminated, nor will it be suspended for a short period as a way of managing the crisis developing crisis, the government decided during its Tuesday morning coffee at the Presidential Palace. What was strongly tabled was that a potential freezing or termination of the investment program at this point in time would send a message that the government is acting in light of the Al Jazeera publications, and that by extension, that it accepts them....

02/09/2020 | OPINION

Curtain rising for citizenship-by-investment program

The Presidency has before it four scenarios for dealing with the issue of purchased citizenships. The most likely possibility is that of suspending the investment program for a short period, as revealed by Kathimerini on Sunday....

31/08/2020 | OPINION

Buyer’s market and herd immunity

The most unhappy property buyers are the ones who believe that the real estate market is a Buyer’s Market and discover that in the end the market is anything but a buyer’s market...

14/08/2020 | OPINION

Navigating under pressure

The latest crisis in relations between Athens and Ankara is different from previous ones. It is broader in scope, it has a hegemonic dimension, and it is permeated by an imperial rather than – as in the past – nationalist attitude....

13/08/2020 | OPINION

French La Fayette frigate spotted off Larnaca coast

After the two French Rafale fighter jets and the C 180 utility aircraft landed in the National Guard’s ‘Andreas Papandreou’ air base in Paphos, a warship of the French Navy has also arrived in Cyprus....

12/08/2020 | OPINION

France testing Paphos National Guard air base

Three aircraft of the French Air Force have since Monday afterrnoon been stationed at the ‘Andreas Papandreou’ air base in Paphos. The presence of the warplanes at infrastructure of the Cyprus National Guard, is not, Kathimerini understands, related to the developing situation in the region....

11/08/2020 | OPINION

Mitsotakis makes Israel his first destination

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is traveling to Israel today on his first foreign visit since the coronavirus outbreak. The message is clear, and it is being sent out in several directions. After deepening their mutually beneficial relationship (which is not aimed at any third country) for a decade, Greece and Israel are pushing ties to a new level....

16/06/2020 | OPINION

V-E Day marked the turning point towards a democratic, prosperous, and peaceful future

Today is the 75th anniversary of the Allied Victory in Europe in World War II - “V-E Day.” This is a day to remember and honor the shared sacrifice, enduring commitment, and unflinching bravery of the Allied forces and the underground movements in defeating Fascism in Europe. We also remember the immense sorrow and misery suffered by so many, and we recognize the bravery and sacrifice of tens of millions of civilians in the Second World War....

08/05/2020 | OPINION

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