Greek Press

PHILELEFTHEROS: “Tough battle on measures” A behind-the-scenes “battle” is raging between Brussels and Nicosia over the package of measures the European Commission plans to announce on financial and other assistance to the Turkish Cypriot community. According to the daily, the government is striving to thwart a decision allowing direct trade between the EU and the north, by proposing its own string of measures. The EU package is expected to be ratified on July 7.

SIMERINI: “EU violating Accession Treaty” Another take on direct trade between the EU and the breakaway regime, noting that if necessary the government will take recourse to European courts. The government’s main argument is that the EU would be violating the Accession Treaty, which states that the whole of Cyprus has acceded to the bloc. However, the European Commission’s rationale seems to treat the breakaway regime as a separate entity.

POLITIS: “Lifting of Matsakis’ immunity in the works” Following up on the story it broke, the paper said that police have initiated investigations into the blackmail allegations against DIKO deputy Marios Matsakis. According to the paper’s sources, police have so far gathered enough information to ask the Supreme Court to lift Matsakis’ parliamentary immunity and therefore allow them to question the deputy. The case file should be forwarded to the Attorney-general by the end of the week.

ALITHIA: “Pipe dreams: alliance of centrist parties given no chance” There seems to be little chance of an alliance between centrist parties, despite speculation before the recent Euro elections. Socialists EDEK have boosted their percentages and lost any incentive to enter into alliances with others, while prominent DIKO figures, reportedly acting out of self-interest, are reluctant to strike a partnership will the so-called “small parties”.

THARROS: “USA to back Turkish Cypriots” In its lead story, the paper reported on the discussions between Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan and US President Bush in Ankara, on the sidelines of the NATO summit. Reportedly, Erdogan has asked the US government to initiate direct flights to the breakaway regime, as well as announce a package of financial assistance to Turkish Cypriots before the EU reveals its own plans.

HARAVGHI: “AKEL is strong” The communist party mouthpiece said that an organised campaign to undermine AKEL was doomed to failure. At a news conference on Sunday, party spokesman Andros Kyprianou accused certain journalists of engineering a campaign aimed at showing AKEL was caught in a downward spiral following the results of the Euro elections.

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.