There is no “Plan B” for Turkey to join the European Union so long as disputes over Cyprus remain, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said yesterday, urging Ankara to open ports and airports to traffic from Cyprus.
Turkey fears that its already flagging membership bid could hit a roadblock once three more negotiating chapters – policy areas of EU law – are opened, since all the remaining fields are blocked, mainly because of Cyprus.
“No, we don’t have a Plan B,” Fuele said at a gathering of European civil society organisations in Istanbul, adding that there was no way of by-passing accession rules.
Turkish leaders have sounded increasingly impatient with the lack of progress in entry talks that began in 2005, though membership remains their top declared foreign policy goal.
Of the 35 policy chapters, Turkey has completed one, 12 remain under discussion and 18 have been frozen because of opposition by EU member states including Cyprus and France.
Under EU treaty rules, a single member state can block each stage of the accession process, since opening and closing chapters requires unanimity.
Fuele said 13 chapters would be freed for negoation if Turkey opened its ports and airports.
Turkey has said it will honour the 2004 Ankara Protocol on sea and air links if the EU also ends a trade embargo on the Turkish part of northern Cyprus, as it does not want to make Turkish Cypriots feel they are being abandoned.
Turkey’s leaders have accused some EU member states of using the Cyprus issue to block Turkey’s bid and have aired suspicions that some do not want a Muslim nation, with growing economic muscle and a large population, in the 27-member bloc.
Egemen Bagis, Turkey’s Minister for EU Affairs and chief negotiator, sitting alongside Fuele, said Turkey intended to complete harmonisation with EU laws by 2013, and chided EU governments for allowing Cyprus to block progress.
“As far as the Commission and the other states are concerned I think the real question is how long can we let this spoiled member of EU – the Greek Cypriot administration – hijack the interests of the European Union at large,” Bagis said.
“It is time for the 26 other nations to wake up and smell the coffee.”
Bagis said a recent survey showed that roughly two-thirds of Turks wanted EU membership, but two-thirds thought it would never happen.
(source: cyprus-mail)
EU Urges Turkey to Open Ports
Greek-Australian Performance Artist Attains Third Ear Arm Implant
Greek- Australian performing artist, Stellios Arkadiou, also known as Stelarc, has gone down in history for being the first man to have a surgically attached cell-cultivated ear to his left arm. The artist has participated in Liverpool DaDaFest. He has also taken part in several exhibitions around the world.
As an internationally acknowledged artist, Arkadiou has received many awards, distinctions, funding and press throughout his career.
He collaborates with leading universities, foundations and museums worldwide. Last year he was honored with the Arts Electronica Golden Nica distinction in the Hybrid Art category in Austria.
Stelarc is also planning to move a step further, by implanting a mic inside the ear which will connect to a Bluetooth transmitter so that it can broadcast audio perceived by the artificial ear online.
Stelarc was born on June 19th, 1946 in Limassol, Cyprus. His work focuses heavily on futurism and extending the capabilities of the human body. Most of his pieces are centered on his concept that the human body is obsolete.
Until 2007 he held the position of Principal Research Fellow in the Performance Arts Digital Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University in Nottingham, England.
He has two daughters. His daughter Astra Stelarc has followed in his footsteps as an artist.
George Souris to become a NSW Cabinet Minister
According to a poll, the Greek deputy of NSW will become a minister in the NSW government during the upcoming March 26th elections.
Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Minister for Western Sydney, Barry O’Farell confirmed this possibility at Greek SBS radio. When he was asked about Souris’ future, he said: “George Souris will certainly be a member of the Cabinet and currently holds the position of Shadow Minister for Hospitality & Tourism, Racing and Major Events. George is a wise man and a very close friend of mine”.
George Souris began his political career as a former Shire Councilor of Singleton Shire Council for seven years, which included his position as Deputy President for four years. During his time at Parliament, he has held a wide range of significant portfolios and positions, including his elected position of Deputy Leader of the National Party in 1993 and Leader of the National Party in 1999.
O’Farell stated also that he is one more Australian to call for the Parthenon marbles to be returned to Athens.
7-Year-Old Greek Divas to Perform at Antipodes Festival, Melbourne
They are only seven-years-old, but Dionisia, Ioanna, Eleftheria and Aristea are the most sweet and mincing divas of Melbourne. For professional reasons, they had to change their names. Dionisia became Dion, Eleftheria became Erica, Ioanna became Joan and Aristea became Tia. Their careers started two years ago, when they formed the group “Ooh La La” and won many talent shows. Last year they came second in the talent show “Hey Hey It’s Saturday”.
The four seven year-old divas will perform at the children’s theater at the “Antipodes” festival on March 5th and 6th.
Apart from English songs, the cute girls sing also Greek songs, such as “To Koritsi toy Mai”, “Filakia” and many others.
Papandreou Defends New Toll Fines
The government is aware of the injustices created by the concession contracts for the construction of new national highways. The government is now examining ways of correcting these through a renegotiation of the contracts, Prime Minister George Papandreou said in Parliament on Friday. He also stressed that lawlessness and refusing to pay road tolls were not a solution.
The prime minister was replying to a question tabled by the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) Parliamentary group leader Alexis Tsipras, who had referred to the “criminalisation of the civil disobedience movement over the road tolls”.
Tsipras accused Papandreou of rushing to appease contractors in fear that they would turn against the government.
In an amendment tabled as a rider on Friday, the government has converted refusal to pay road tolls into a traffic violation that carries a fine of 200 euros and other penalties, while not paying fares on public transport has been made a misdemeanor.
(source: ana-mpa)
IKA Doctors End Strike on Monday
Doctors at IKA-ETAM, Greece’s largest social security fund representing the vast majority of wage earners and pensioners, announced that they will suspend their strike and go back to work on Monday.
Their union POESYP IKA decided to suspend strike actions during a meeting on Friday. The union asked for continued dialogue on reforms to the health sector.
IKA doctors intend to work together with other medical organisations and associations in order to file lawsuits. They are asking the courts to effectively annul the omnibus bill on primary health care passed by the government earlier this week, in addition to other forms of action to be decided in the following days.
(source: ana-mpa)
Frontex Remains at Greek-Turkish Border
Frontex, the European Union’s external borders agency, looks set to give the green light for its team of guards to remain on Greece’s northeastern frontier with Turkey on a permanent basis. This was decided on Thursday. Sources in Brussels, as daily Kathimerini reports, suggested that a team of some 200 border guards from various European Union countries will be stationed in Evros. They will be stationed a permanent basis to help Greek authorities patrol one of the main points of entry for illegal immigrants, not just into Greece but into the European Union.
Greek authorities had appealed to Frontex to bolster its presence at the country’s land and sea borders, with the aim of averting a possible influx of immigrants from Egypt and other North African countries. Members of the Frontex force first arrived in Evros last October. At that time, the EU border guards were making an average of 245 arrests a day. This figure fell to just under 100 last month.
Institute of Tourism Research & Forecasting Reports 4.5% Increase in 2011 Greek Tourism
The Institute of Tourism Research and Forecasting (Itep) chairman Professor Dionyssis Hionis told ANA-MPA that a 4.5 percent increase in tourism revenue is forecasted for 2011. This represents a 1% increase in GDP, and entails for a rise in employment, although it is still early to make specific predictions.
At this time, early bookings in hotels have posted a 3% increase over last year, although, he added, in the “good years” for Greek tourism, early bookings approached 25%.
Hionis anticipated that the unrest in Egypt will also give a boost to the tourist wave to Greece, with tour operators already in preperation.
Hellenic Hotels Federation president Andreas Andreadis also anticipated a substantial increase in tourist arrivals of “a high single-digit or low double-digit” percentage.
He added that early bookings from Britain have marked a 7-9% increase over last year, while interest was also high from countries such as Russia, France and Italy.
Riots in Egypt Bring more Russian Tourists to Greece
According to the vice President of the Russian Union of Tourist Industry, the Russian tourists who cannot travel to Egypt, could chose Greece and Cyprus, instead. He also added that because of the riots in Egypt the prices of touristic packages to more “quiet” destinations have increased 10-15 % in the Russian market.
“Russian tourists should adjust their choices and chose different destinations. If someone books a package to Greece early enough, may have a 35% reduction, for the summer period”, said the president of the Russian Union of Tourist Industry. Egypt used to absorb more than 2 million tourists from Russia annually. From now on, the Russian tourist market destinations and prices will change.
Hague International Court of Justice Announces Public Hearing for FYROM vs. Greece
The International Court of Justice in Hague announced that the public hearing on the proceedings of FYROM against Greece will be held from the 21st until the 31st of March 2011.
In the relevant announcement made by the ICJ it is noted that “on November 17 2008, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia instituted proceedings against Greece for what it describes as a “flagrant violation of [Greece’s] obligations under Article 11” of the Interim Accord signed by the Parties on 13 September 1995”.
It is also stated that both parties have filed the written views on the issue. The public hearings will be held in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace.
Meanwhile the European People’s Party (EPP) annnounced that an informal group called “Friends of Macedonia” in the European Parliament was inaugurated yesterday. The group presentation was carried out by Martin Kastler (EPP).