Politics of Cyprus

It is not conducive to the peacemaking process to let illusions – regardless of how wide they might be subscribed to – replace realities. To claim, for example, for more than three decades there was no People’s Republic of China helped no one, and eventually China was welcomed to take its seat as one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

Turkish Cypriots will be heading to a presidential election next April, the campaign of which will apparently be very colorful.

The Cypriot parliament will vote Saturday on a controversial bill to streamline bank foreclosures of bad debts, Finance Committee chairman Nicolas Papadopoulos said, amid fears some people could lose their homes.

International lenders will withhold the next payment in Cyprus’s 10-billion-euro bailout unless the island’s Parliament passes a crucial law this week speeding up foreclosures of nonperforming banks loans (NPLs).

Recep Tayyip Erdogan was on Monday expected in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus in his first official visit as new Turkey President.

Erdogan, who was sworn in as his country's first popularly elected president last weeek, was scheduled to meet for talks with Turkish-Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu ahead of a joint press conference.

International lenders will withhold the next payment in Greek Cyprus’s 10 billion euros bailout unless parliament this week passes a crucial law speeding up foreclosures of non-performing banks loans (NPLs).

A government jet carrying Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos back to Athens from Ankara where he had attended the inauguration ceremony of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was forced to conduct an emergency landing in Thessaloniki on Friday due to a technical problem.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades is due to hold talks at noon on Monday for with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in Athens.

Anastasiades will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides and government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides for talks that are expected to focus on Nicosia’s reunification talks with Turkish-Cypriots.

 Anastasiades plans to visit Athens, according to reports

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades on Monday sought to play down a recent row between Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Cypriot MEP Eleni Theocharous amid reports that he plans to visit Athens for talks with the Greek premier in late July.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, 67, was admitted into a private Cypriot hospital late on Friday where he was diagnosed with gastroenteritis. The Cypriot politician was elected president of the island nation in 2013.