Tagsnorth Cyprus

Ryanair in hot water over north hotels

11/05/12
 LOW-COST Ryanair, which has set up a hub in Paphos with state incentives and is offering 15 new destinations, has fallen foul of the government over the advertising of hotels in the north on its website, business web portal StockWatch reported yesterday.According to StockWatch the issue was raised with the airline last week by Cypriot officials but Ryanair has as yet made no moves to change its website.Chairman of Cyprus Tourism Organisation, Alecos Orountiotis, told StockWatch they were taking all the necessary measure to find a solution, as Ryanair is vital to boosting the island’s tourism... 24 comments

Bishop barred from going north backed by Archbishop

By Stefanos Evripidou 14/03/12
THE BISHOP of Karpasia Chrystoforos yesterday slammed the breakaway regime for prohibiting him from crossing north to visit the Church of Ayios Mamas in Morphou. Chystoforos said blocking his passage north was “unprovoked”, “unjustifiable” and a violation of the right to freedom of movement across the island.  The regime’s behaviour jeopardises the attempt currently underway to restore Apostolos Andreas Monastery in the Karpasia peninsula, as well as UN-led direct talks to reunify Cyprus, he added.He called on the international community to exert pressure on Ankara to respect the right of free movement throughout the whole of the island... 3 comments

House unhappy with power pay out to north

By George Psyllides 13/03/12
THE electricity authority (EAC) will pay some €116 million this year to third parties in a bid to have sufficient power, as its main power plant – crippled in a munitions blast last year – is not expected to be restored until mid 2013, it emerged yesterday.EAC chairman Haris Thrasou told lawmakers of the House Finance Committee that the Vassilikos power station is being restored gradually and is expected to be up and running in May next year.Destruction of the plant in July 2011, forced the EAC to lease generators and buy electricity from Turkish Cypriots – a move that has been and continues to be criticised.The EAC has budgeted around €63.8 million for the power provided by the Turkish Cypriots through the Green Line Regulation... 11 comments

Turkey to start drilling off Cyprus this month

By Humeyra Pamuk 13/03/12
TURKEY will begin drilling for oil or gas off northern Cyprus towards the end of March, having carried out seismic studies, the head of state energy company TPAO said yesterday.Any gas discovery in this area could raise the stakes in the negotiations over reunification of the island, and possibly increase tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.EU-member Cyprus, started exploring for gas south of the island in September 2011, angering Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side.In reaction they signed a pact paving the way for exploration, and dispatched Turkey’s only seismic research vessel, owned by TPAO, to those waters under naval escort to search for potential reserves... 9 comments

Bagis comments ‘insulting’ to Greek and Turkish Cypriots

06/03/12
COMMENTS by Turkey's European Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis that Ankara would consider annexing the north if peace talks failed, were “cynical, arrogant and provocative”, government s spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said yesterday.“They are also insulting for the Turkish Cypriot community,” said Stefanou. “These statements reveal that Turkey’s negative stance on the Cyprus problem promotes the goal of partition and creating two separate states in Cyprus.”He added that Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu hds made similar comments recently. Stefanou argued partition and annexation go against UN resolutions and called on the international community to put pressure on Turkey to respect UN resolutions on Cyprus. ... 29 comments

Turkey says could annex north if Cyprus stays split

05/03/12
TURKEY would consider annexing northern Cyprus if talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots failed to reach a deal on reunification of the island, Turkey's European Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis told a Turkish Cypriot newspaper.Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu have made little progress in negotiations to reunite the island, divided in 1974, since the United Nations persuaded them to renew efforts late last year.Bagis told Turkish Cypriot newspaper Kibris that Turkey would support any agreement reached by the two sides, but said that was only one of several possible outcomes... 35 comments
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