Ankara seen blocking Lute’s arrival in Cyprus

Ankara is blocking Jane Holl Lute’s arrival in Cyprus as the UN secretary general’s special envoy, it was reported on Saturday.

According to information quoted by the Cyprus News Agency the UN is annoyed with this development. Greece and the UK have already given their confirmation of Lute who is meant to determine the prospects of restarting Cyprus talks.

CNA learnt that Turkey is not inclined to give their confirmation until the early parliamentary and presidential elections are held on June 24. According to CNA, time is of the essence as the UN secretary-general’s report on Unficyp is meant to be presented on June 15.

Turkey, CNA also learnt, is having trouble in finding partners for the drilling their government has planned in the Eastern Mediterranean. The drills exists but have found no companies willing to partner the project, the agency said.

On Friday, Turkey’s Energy Minister Berat Al Bayrak had announced that Turkey is looking to conduct its first drilling this summer.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.