Current Events

Crime has been on the rise in Cyprus, but the latest development proves that so has the justice system. The suspect for the murder of 52-year-old Gökhan Naim has been remanded for three days by a court in North Cyprus.

The suspect, İmran Arşad – a citizen of Pakistan, was transferred by the Greek police to their Turkish Cypriot counterparts. He has run away to government-controlled areas after having gunned down Naim just outside of his residence in Nicosia.

Another suspect, Azmad Ali Virk, was later handed over to Turkish Cypriot police by the Greek police. Additionally, another two were arrested in connection with the shooting, bringing the total number to four.

In what is being considered a landmark move in the science and technology department, the Department of Land and Survey in Cyprus has partnered with signed an agreement with Erathosthenes SA from Greece and Sintegra SAS from France to take on a project taking aerial photos of Cyprus that are more enhanced and accurate.

The project, which is expected to continue for a year will be conducted with the purpose of providing high-precision aerial photos of the island nation with the help of precision software and cutting-edge technology. Data collected in the process will be admitted to land information system – it will be an open source resource and can be used by department staff, government staff, private companies and even citizens.

The new and more accurate photos will allow the police to better investigate difficult cases by using cartographic data that is more reliable and accurate.

In addition to the ten Kuwaitis arrested for the brawl at Ayia Napa, two additional arrests have been made.

The two arrested are a 30-year-old UK national and a 37-year-old South African national. Both were in connection with the incident which left the victims seriously injured.

The incident involved a group of people – mostly Kuwaiti and British nationals, who started a fight in a hotel complex in Ayia Napa in the presence of at least 250 persons. Starting near the swimming pool, the fight was stopped by security guards, but only temporarily, as it resumed outside the hotel complex itself.

The incident left two Britons severely wounded, who were later taken to Famagusta hospital for treatment. Also among the injured, were some Kuwaitis, albeit less so with scratches and bruises only. In the meantime, the Kuwaiti nationals arrested were remanded for 6 days.

In what is being considered a new development in the process of reopening of the city of Varosha (Maraş), a group of journalists from Turkey have made a visit to the closed city.

The visit to the city, which has been closed to outsiders since 1974, was organized by the Foreign Ministry as well as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister the Turkish Northern Cyprus.

The journalists were accompanied by special guides, given that only Turkish army members have the right to enter the ghost town. Also accompanying them was Abdulhamit Gül, the Justice Minister of Turkey.

As a part of the initiative to reopen Varosha, which has essentially been a ghost town since 1974, the Turkish Cypriot government has announced its decision to undertake ownership inventory work there.

In accordance with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s announcement, a fourth research vessel from Turkey – the Oruc Reis – has set sail towards Cyprus.

The vessel, which started its journey from a port in Istanbul was reportedly on its way to another in Tasucu opposite to Cyprus’ northern coast, where it will be refueling before resuming its activities.

The plan for the Oruc Reis is to apparently and ultimately encircle the island nation of Cyprus – the Yavuz and Fatih drill ships are already active in the island nation’s eastern and western coast respectively while the Barbaros is on its way to the south.

In the meantime, Greek authorities in Athens are making their attempts to assess whether the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan does actually plan to create a crisis situation, or is simple sizing up its neighbors.

A spokesman for the Cyprus’ government has announced that President Nicos Anastasiades will be undergoing surgery to repair the femur fracture, otherwise known as a thighbone fracture, that he has sustained on his right leg.

The Spokesman, Mr. Prodromos Prodromou made a written statement saying that the procedure was completely safe and sound and posed no threat to the health of the president – general or otherwise. According to Mr. Prodromou, President Anastasiades suffered the fracture while he was in Limassol.

The 72-year-old President Anastasiades, who is presently in the second year of the second consecutive term as president, has previously undergone a heart surgery to repair dodgy heart valves back in December 2014.

After seeing the considerable impact filming has on a country’s perception and economy, Cyprus too is making its own set of efforts to establish itself as a filming destination for film makers far and wide.

Branding their work as Olivewood, the island nation has decided to offer lucrative incentives to film makers who choose to film in the country. Incentives are many, and include seamless paperwork process, less red tape, tax credit of up to 35 percent, and cash rebates of up to 35 percent as well. is

According to Antonis Antoniou, a contributor for Forbes, not only is the effort lucrative because of the incentives in question, they extend beyond films and to other media formats such as mini-series, TV series, Made-for-TV movies, documentaries, and animations. The aim here is not just to attract film makers but to attract new talent and capital from producers all over the globe.

Mr. Antoniou also remarked on the smart move of naming the industry as ‘Olivewood,’ much on the lines of Bollywood and Hollywood, paying reference to the famous olive fields of the island nation.

Two films are currently undergoing shooting in Cyprus – William Baldwin-starrer ‘S.O.S: Survive or Sacrifice’ and Nicolas Cage-starrer ‘Jiu-Jitsu.’

An undisturbed Roman shipwreck has been discovered off of Cyprus’ southern coast.

The antiquities department has announced that the shipwreck – the first ever discovered in Cyprus – was filled with transport amphorae, is undisturbed, and is in all possibility from Cilicia and Syria.

Originally spotted near the Protaras beach resort by volunteer divers from an archaeological research team as a new unidentified object in the water, the “object” was later found to be the shipwreck. Not much later did the antiquities department announce that it has secured funding for a complete investigation, pending commencement soon. They are also working on proper protection and documentation for the site.

An amphora is a special kind of Roman jar that is narrow at the neck and is made to store liquids such as wine and oil.

Cyprus Police have revealed that a bomb has exploded in a company vehicle in the Limassol area.

The police, who are currently investigating the situation, said that the explosion took place in the early morning hours and the reason behind it was a low-level Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that was placed on a lorry which was parked in an open area in Ayios Ioannis.

The police are currently treated the incident as an attempt of vandalism with explosives. Limassol CID is continuing their investigation into the matter.

Jurgen Stock, Secretary-General of Interpol has publicly praised of Cyprus and called it a “very safe” country.

According to Mr. Stock, the fact that millions of tourists choose the island nation as their ideal holiday destination is itself testament to the fact that it is safer than many. He further added that the level pf cooperation between Interpol and Cyprus is one of the best within the police community, and serves as an ideal model to follow for several other nations.

Meeting with Justice Minister Giorgos Savvides, Mr. Stock discussed mutual issues of interest and exchanged ideas and opinions on areas where either side could cooperate – or cooperate better.

Stock further added that the purpose of his Cyprus visit is to further strengthen the level of cooperation between the two entities, and that he is looking forward to it happening.

A missing Nigerian man’s body has been found in the boot of a car.

The man, identified as Obasanjo Adeola Owoyale, went missing on the 1^st of July, and was discovered more than a day later.

According to initial investigations, Mr. Owoyale was probably killed elsewhere, wrapped in a blanket, and then stuffed in the car boot where his body was discovered by police officers. The police officers had gone to check when multiple people in the area reported of a very foul smell coming out of the car.

The police are currently studying security camera footage within the area to find out if any suspects may have been caught on video.

The Meteorological Office of Cyprus has issued its second another yellow alert, warning residents of the sudden and ongoing rise in temperature. According to the Met Office, the maximum temperature is set to hit 32 C near the Troodos’ peaks area, and 41 C in the inland area. Said warning shall remain in full force from 11 am to 5 pm.

Additionally, the Health and Labor Ministries both issued warnings requesting employers, workers, and vulnerable groups to be careful of the weather and stay indoors and out of the way of the heat.

In the meantime, The Forest Department made a red alert, citing the high risk of fires as the reason.

In the ongoing case of Turkey drilling on the Cyprus coast, the USA’s government has urged Turkey to cease its oil-drilling operations.

In a statement, the State Department condemned the act, calling it a “provocative step” that would increase tension in the region. They further said that the island’s reserves should be shared between communities on an equal basis, just like all other types of resources.

Turkey has so far declined to comment on the matter – it has not responded to requests by both the USA and Greek Cypriots, who have and are protesting on the issue.

The island nation of Cyprus was split into a Greek South Cyprus and a Turkish North Cyprus since 1974, when Turkey sent its own troops in response to a military coup by the Greeks. While the Greek portion is recognized internationally, the Turkish north is recognized exclusively by Turkey.

The Cyprus has criticized Turkeys second attempt to drill on their offshore areas in search of gas sources.

The island country has condemned the act as an escalation of breach of international law and will take any measures necessary to protect its legal and diplomatic rights.

In response to the above, Turkey has replied that it is in fact protecting its own rights along with those of Turkish Cypriots by utilizing hydrocarbon deposits in the area.

The Turkish currently have two vessels – Fatih which started drilling 42 miles off Cyprus’ west coast the month before, and Yavuz, which is on route to a place off of the Karpas peninsula on the east coast of Cyprus.

Turkey’s act has been heavily criticized by the European Union. Meanwhile, Cyprus has urged Ankara to participate in peace talks once again.

In a bid to improve the tourism industry and help it flourish further, Cyprus officials are making a joint effort with its neighbors. Savvas Perdios, Tourism Deputy Minister of Cyprus, has met with his counterparts in Jordan and Lebanon, and will be visiting Israel, Greece, Egypt to reach an agreement when it comes to common tourism packages.

According to a press release made by the office of the deputy minister, Mr. Perdios has submitted proposals to each country for the purpose of reaching said common agreement.

Common tourism packages are set to include places of natural as well as urban interest, events of significance, monuments, and cultural attractions. Authorities assume that this would prove to be far more popular with visitors who could visit attractions in all countries as part of a single package.

The deputy ministry wishes for all efforts to reach a desirable outcome as soon as is possible, and to that end, is working methodically to achieve the goal.

A funeral service has been held for two of the seven victims of the serial killing in Cyprus.

The service of the victims – a mother and a daughter – 36-year-old Livia Florentina Bunea and her 8-year-old daughter, Elena Natalia Bunea, – was attended by Senior Greek Orthodox priests. They were the first two of seven killings committed by the career soldier who killed five foreign women and two girls.

Also present were relatives, who wept at the service and at the coffins of the dead, placed beside one another in a village church in the southwest of Nicosia, as well as members of the Cyprus police and the Cyprus fire chiefs, along with some of the many divers who had searched for the bodies after the army officer’s confession to killing the foreigners.

Nikos Christodoulides, foreign minister of Cyprus has announced that twenty-one will be participating in the drill organized by Cyprus which famously involves the possible evacuation of civilians of nations in the Middle Eastern region.

According to Mr. Christodoulides’ statement, made during the final phase of the drill, Cyprus will have a crucial role to play here whilst functioning as a “safe transfer hub” for the region.

Participants include the USA, the UK, Germany, France and Israel. The drill itself will have several rescue operation scenarios during the transport process.

Mr. Christodoulides has stated that the increasing number of countries in the exercise shows that the task at hand has value and that countries involved understand that fully.

The last time Cyprus was used as a ‘safe haven’ was in in 2006, when around 60,000 civilians were evacuated from Lebanon.

Palestinian officials have announced that the trilateral summit between itself and Cyprus and Greece will be held before 2019 ends.

This announcement comes after Tasos Tzionis, Cypriot permanent secretary ambassador’s visit to Ramallah. Mr. Tzionis held several bilateral meetings here along with Dr Riad al-Malki, prime minister of Palestine and Dr Amal Jadu, his assistant minister.

According to the announcement, Malki will be making an official visit to the island nation to finalize arrangements for the of a joint committee meeting, which would kick-off preparations for the Greece-Cyprus-Palestine trilateral summit  – all of which is set to take place before the end of the year, and in all possibility in Cyprus.

Malki was present at the announcement praised the historical ties between the two nations and went on to call for their efforts in strengthening the process of mutual relations and development.

In a bid to improve odds of resolving the Cyprus issue and easing the divide between people on the basis of their ethnicity, Turkish Cyprus is all set to “reopen” the city of Varosha and allow for people to settle there again.

Kudret Özersay, foreign minister and deputy prime minister of the unrecognized Turkish Cyprus “nation,” has revealed that the “Council of Ministers” in the region will be evaluating the conditions for action in the city, which technically is in a military zone. He added that all actions in this regard will be coordinated with Ankara, and a team of experts from the latter country shall be visiting Varosha to make a record of all movable as well as immovable property. The next steps will then be decided on the basis of the results of the study.

Özersay also spoke of the Maronite village, saying that contracts will be signed to allow current residents to move to other places, and to allow 10-15 homes to be returned.

Once one of Cyprus’ most popular tourist destinations, Varosha was abandoned in 1974, Varosha continues to stay in Turkish occupation.

In what is being considered a political move that will help improve international relations between the Mediterranean region and other parts in Europe, Greece and Cyprus are expanding cooperation agreements beyond their region by including Armenia into their fold as well.

Armenia is latest in a train of new additions which include Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and Egypt. Armenia, along with Greece and Cyprus will be holding their first meeting soon.

Speaking at a conference, Christodoulides said that the aim of this initiative is to promote stability, peace, and security through increased diplomacy and more political dialogue.

Foreign Minister of Armenia, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, has stressed on the importance of the new platform, saying how the three countries’ next joint effort moves will help strengthen all of them individually, as well as their relationships. He added that Armenia will be hosting a summit soon.