All eyes on the Middle East
As fears of a wider Middle East conflict escalate, Athens and Nicosia are closely monitoring developments in the region, with authorities on heightened alert.
Further destabilization is expected to increase migration flows, as well as uncertainty in energy supplies and impacts on supply chains.
The Cyprus issue has also returned to the top of the agenda after Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar rejected the possibility of a trilateral meeting to discuss the Cyprus issue at this time.
Amid the summer political lull, the spyware case continues to dominate debate. A 300-page report by Deputy Supreme Court Prosecutor Achilles Zisis concluded that no government agencies or officials were involved in the Predator eavesdropping scandal and shelved the case. The issue has united opposition leaders as they seek answers.
Middle East
The Israeli Transportation Ministry announced on Monday that the country may request naval assistance from Athens and Larnaca if it is attacked. This follows a recent warning by Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah to Cyprus not to support Israel in any conflict with Lebanon.
Last week, Aegean Airlines suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv airport until Tuesday, and to and from Beirut until Thursday.
Cyprus is coordinating with the diplomatic missions of countries seeking to evacuate their citizens via the neighboring eastern Mediterranean island.
Himare
Greece is closely following developments in the southwestern Albanian town of Himare, where preliminary results indicate that Socialist Party candidate Vangjel Tavo has won the mayoral elections.
Residents voted on Sunday for a new mayor after Fredi Beleri’s mandate was revoked following his conviction for vote-buying. Both Beleri and Greece claim the case was politically motivated. Experts view this election as a test of the democratic health of the electoral process in the EU candidate country.
Cyprus
Attention is also focused on Cyprus, as Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar stated over the weekend that there is no reason to resume UN-led talks on the Cyprus issue. Tatar denied receiving an invitation from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a trilateral meeting with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides to explore ways to resume reunification talks, arguing that “negotiations cannot begin until our sovereign equality and our equal international status are recognized.”
Christodoulides said that he had accepted an invitation from the UN to meet in New York on August 13. He described Tatar’s rejection of the invitation as a sign of contempt for Turkish Cypriots, the international community, the UN Secretary-General, and the EU.
Spyware
In domestic news, the spyware scandal remains a major topic as opposition parties and figures question whether the prosecution’s investigation was thorough.
Socialist opposition leader Nikos Androulakis, a victim of the surveillance, said he would appeal to the European Court of Human Rights for a third time, alleging a violation of his right to a fair trial. Main SYRIZA opposition leader Stefanos Kasselakis labeled the investigation an unprecedented cover-up.
