London Greek Radio

On Sunday 17th July, fighter Giannis Skordilis, also known as GREEKBOY, will be fighting Alex Bublea in an intense kickboxing match the 02 Arena.

When speaking about the event, Giannis was keen to discuss his Greek background: “I am very proud of the fact that I get to represent the great country that is Greece in every way shape and form possible with respect, honour and strength in and outside the ring.”

During his Amateur fight career Giannis competed in more than 25 fights at national Greek level in which (5 years in a row) he won 1st place.

Since then Giannis left Greece and now trains at Storm Gym in Luton, the home of multiple world champion Andrew King Cobra Tate.

With the help of Chief Instructor Master Amir Subasic, Giannis won his first amateur fight which he says changed his life for ever.

Giannis recalls these years: “Of course many believe Greekboy happened over night but that was not my first fight name lol… it was feta cheese!”

He continues to talk about the start of his career: “On the 16th May 2015 I had my first professional fight in the UK on the biggest show in the country in the last at least 10 years or so and that at the prestigious Wembley Arena and SuperFight Series Championships. I won against a very talented Polish fighter in an amazing display of new skills that I learned at Storm Gym”.

Giannis has since continued his impressive career and between October 2015 to June 2016 he won another British Greek National Title and two European Titles at two different weight divisions. Giannis next outing will be at the 02 Indigo Arena on Sunday 17th of July. For tickets click here.

Article written by London Greek Radio

President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades has once again apologized on behalf of the state for everything it should have done but failed to do so, to prevent the death of 13 people five years ago during a massive explosion at the naval base “Evangelos Florakis”, at Mari, on the southern coast.

The huge blast occurred on 11 July 2011 when a number of containers, full of munitions, which Cyprus had confiscated from “Monchegorsk“, a vessel sailing from Iran to Syria in 2009 exploded. As a result of the explosion and the shock wave that followed, the nearby Vassiliko power station suffered extensive damage that led to power cuts for some time after the blast.

More than 60 people were injured during the explosion.

Speaking at a memorial event at Mari, President Anastasiades assured the state will not allow similar mistakes to occur once again.

The President said that five years after the terrible disaster at Mari “we set aside our daily routine” as “today is a day for those who have positions of responsibility on this island, to reflect on how we were led to this tragedy”.

The conclusion, he added, is that “during this tragedy we lost 13 people, 13 professionals, heroes while the state exhibited unprecedented inadequacy and committed a number of repeated mistakes. Once again, we see that the worst decision is one that you put off because you are afraid to assume responsibility”, the President said.

Expressing respect for those who died, the President apologized for “everything that we ought to have done as a state and we did not” and assured that “we will not allow again such mistakes to be repeated and our country to witness similar tragedies”.

President Anastasiades said “accountability and professionalism should constitute the fundamental conditions on which a state operates on” and in this direction “we need to work towards a state that is responsible and maintains risk prevention policies at all levels”.

Remembering the youth of the National Guard, the members of the Fire and EMAK force who died while on duty, the President said “we share the pain and sorrow of the parents, spouses, children, siblings of those who tragically died bearing on their shoulders the political and administrative responsibilities of others”.

He said the chapel that the state has erected in the area is a reminder of the obligation of the state to honour those who sacrificed their lives. The chapel`s construction was funded by the Ministry of Finance and the Church of Cyprus designed the plans. Earlier, a memorial service was held for the victims of the disaster.

Nothing can alleviate the lack of their physical presence, said the President, but hoped that “this sacred site will become a spiritual relief for the relatives”.

Declaring the 13 men heroes, the President said the state has decided to provide support on a regular basis, to the spouses, parents and children of the deceased and injured of the 11th July 2011 explosion.

He also said that the Cabinet has decided to set up a committee that will monitor the problems that the relatives of the victims of the Mari explosion face.

Outside the chapel, a column with the names of the victims was placed as well as 13 individual crosses.

In the years that followed the blast, six persons, including two Ministers, were brought to justice. Four, including the then Minister of Defence, were given jail sentences in connection with the explosion on charges of causing death due to unreasonable or dangerous acts. The Minister of Defence was also found guilty of manslaughter due to neglect. The then Minister of Foreign Affairs was acquitted.

Article written by CNA

Morphou “is not and will never become a bargaining chip” says the Mayor of the Turkish-occupied city, Charalambos Pittas, in reply to statements from the Turkish Cypriot side.

Hüseyin Özgürgün, the self-styled “prime minister” of the illegal regime in the island`s Turkish-occupied north, has said recently that the return of Morphou is not on the table.

In a statement, Pittas condemned Özgürgün`s “arrogant behavior and the unacceptable provocative statements”, noting that they put in peril the ongoing effort for a Cyprus settlement and the country`s reunification.

He says, moreover that people from Morphou will in no case abandon their inalienable right to return to their homeland. Morphou is not property of Özgürgün but the lands are illegally held by force of arms, the Mayor adds.

The fait accomplis, following the 1974 Turkish invasion in Cyprus, give no right over our land to Özgürgün, to Mustafa Akinci`s illegal regime and to Ankara, Pittas says.

It is also noted that the Municipal Council of Morphou has unanimously decided to bestow honorary citizenship upon the President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, handing over to him the key to the city during an event on Monday, July 11, 2016.

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A joint declaration by three Cypriot overseas organisations in the UK urges the leaderships of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities in the island to work for a quick solution to the long-standing Cyprus problem.

The Enfield Cypriots Association, the Turkish Cypriot Association for Democracy and the Union of Cypriots in Britain state their encouragement by the continuation of the intercommunal talks between the leaders of the two communities under the auspices of the UN and “urge both of them to work harder aiming to reach an acceptable solution as quickly as possible as the passing of time only complicates things further”.

The declaration states that the message of both communities is “loud and clear: the overwhelming majority of the Cypriot people are looking forward to a peaceful solution to re-unify our country. We do not accept the continuation of the status-quo or the partition of our country`.

“We call upon the leaders of both communities and remind them of their responsibilities including during the intercommunal talks to cultivate policies and actions against the resurgence of nationalism-chauvinism and intolerance`.

Referring to the settlement itself, the three organisations note that a reunification agreement should include the “complete demilitarisation on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal basis with political equality as set out by the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council; a solution that will safeguard a single sovereignty, a single international personality and a single citizenship, as well as the respect of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all the citizens of the united Republic of Cyprus”.

The joint declaration was handed out to visitors of the recent Wine Festival in north London and has also been sent to both leaders, President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.

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This EU summit was one of the most productive meetings the EU has had, as far as the discussions among the member states are concerned, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said here today, departing from the European Council building after the informal meeting of 27 EU leaders without British PM David Cameron.

“It was one of the most productive meetings we had as the EU. And creative. And I am talking about our discussions. Everyone was worried about the current situation in Europe: Euroscepticism, nationalist movements and other causes,” said the President of the Republic.

He said the EU heads of state discussed “the need for the new British government to notify the EU at the earliest possible, so as not to prolong the uncertainty, which creates multiple problems.”

“More importantly, however, as a result of the decision of the British people, we reflected on the actions that need to be undertaken, so that finally the people feel that Europe is theirs and not something remote or foreign to own their country,” he added.

Asked whether any specific decisions have been taken, President Anastasiadis replied that “a joint statement will be released and then there will be a specific plan in order to have what we call more Europe, or more effective European policies”

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Efforts to put out a huge blaze which broke out on Sunday and destroyed large areas of a Cypriot forest in the mountainous Solea region of Nicosia District and has so far claimed the lives of two firefighters were renewed on Wednesday morning.

The ongoing effort takes place on the ground and by air.

A meeting has been underway this morning at the coordinating centre which has been set up in Galata village with the participation of Ministers of Justice and Public Order Ionas Nicolaou and Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Nicos Kouyialis, as well as Deputy Chief of Police Kypros Michaelides.

Apart from a number of Greek and Israeli firefighting and support aircraft already taking part in operations the effort is also joined today by the two firefighting Canadair 415 aircraft and one light support aircraft which arrived in Paphos yesterday from France.

In the meantime, the Department of Forests has issued through twitter an urgent call for volunteers. Those able and interested to help can contact the department on 22608535.

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Cyprus High Commissioner Euripides Evriviades urged Cypriots living in the UK to vote in the upcoming EU referendum in June 23.

 

Through his twitter account Mr. Evriviades stated that all Cypriots who live in the UK can vote in the referendum if they register by 7 June through a simple online procedure in the following link https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. The Cypriot High Commissioner called for the EU to remain strong and united.

 

According to the electoral procedure, all Cypriots living in the UK are eligible to vote since they are Commonwealth citizens.

 

During a recent official visit in the UK, Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides stated that a possible Brexit is not in the interest of Cyprus.    

 

“I believe that it is not in the interest of Cyprus for the UK to leave the EU for many reasons, mainly financial but other ones as well. It is neither in the interest of the Commonwealth to have a Brexit, because the Commonwealth benefits from the British presence in the EU, as the UK is in the forefront of policies such as tackling climate change, pursuing sustainable growth etc. Therefore, I call upon our compatriots in the UK to seriously support the UK remaining in the EU. The European Union which is facing so many challenges must be reinforced and not weakened by exits,” Mr. Kasoulides said.

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Those who imply that due to the elections in May there is supposedly a slowdown at the Cyprus talks, they do so to cover up their positions which strongly contradict the principles of law, President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades has stressed.

The President was invited on Friday to comment on statements made by Turkish President Tayip Erdogan that the Cyprus negotiations will resume in May and will be accelerated with the aim to reach a solution by the end of the year, implying that until the parliamentary elections in Cyprus in May there will be no developments at the Cyprus talks.

President Anastasiades replied that this will not happen due to the Greek Cypriot stance, and stressed that `those who invoke that due to the elections there is supposedly a slowdown, they do so to cover up their positions which strongly contradict the principles of law. “

The President was also asked about Cyprus` exit from its economic adjustment programme, that officially ended yesterday.

It is indeed a success, he said, but added that but there are no grounds for complacency and we must learn from the mistakes of the past.

In statements on the sidelines of the doxology on the occasion of the anniversary of the anti-colonial liberation struggle of 1955-1959, the President said that today we pay respect to those who fought for freedom and `allowed us, even if the ultimate goal was not achieved, to create a country with protection of human rights and with an internationally strong presence`.

To fully repay this debt, he pointed out, we have to restore the unity of our state, liberate ourselves from the Turkish occupation and create circumstances of a truly European state, with respect to the human rights of all its inhabitants.

The Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state since 2004, is divided by Turkish troops since the Turkish invasion in 1974. UN led talks, aiming at reunifying the island under a federal political system, resumed in May 2015. The next meetings between the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus President Anastasiades and T/c leader Mustafa Akinci have been scheduled for April 18 and 25 and for May 9, 2016. The parliamentary elections in Cyprus will take place on the 22 May 2016.

Turkey still occupies 37% of Cyprus` territory and refuses to withdraw its troops despite numerous resolutions and decisions by international organisations and Courts.

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At one point the hijacking of EgyptAir flight diverted to Larnaca Airport in Cyprus, which went without any incident or threat, could have been likened to a ‘Cypriot farce’ or a script for Cypriot TV. The ‘love’ twist, giving the hijacker’s demands to see his ex-wife, a Cypriot, a woman named as Marina Paraschou, and a four-page letter in Arabic handed over to the authorities, thickens the plot further.

Thankfully, the hijacking of EgyptAir Flight MS181 passed without any serious injury to any hostages, passengers and crew.

The ‘twist’ was perhaps very-well crystallised by Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades who responded to a reporter’s question about whether the hijacker was motivated by romance, by laughing and saying: “Always there is a woman involved.”

The country’s leader also thanked all of the local emergency services, including the Cypriot soldiers, for their quick and efficient reaction to the incident.

EgyptAir Flight MS181 was taken over by a passenger claiming to be a suicide explosive belt.

EgyptAir said the Airbus A320 was carrying 56 passengers from Alexandria to Cairo, along with six crew and a security official.

The hijacker’s motives were said to by Cypriot authorities, plainly of a non-terrorist nature, and the belt was ‘fake’ despite it having wires sticking out to be give the pretence of genuine explosive.

The suspect had gradually released passengers and crew throughout the day, and the air-pilot was filmed climbing off the plane.

Cypriot’s RIK TV reported that the man, believed to be an Egyptian national, made a list of demands, including ‘to deliver a message’ to a woman who was identified as his ex-wife.

The Cypriot authorities described the man as ”mentally unstable” and will be brought before a local court, on Wednesday.

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It is unacceptable to shift the burden of responsibility for the migration crisis on the shoulders of the Republic of Cyprus, President Nicos Anastasiades stressed on Tuesday.

The President held a meeting in Nicosia with the President of the European Council Donald Tusk, who is preparing the ground for this week`s EU – Turkey Summit on the migration crisis.

“Ι conveyed to President Tusk our position that the Republic of Cyprus does not intend to consent to the opening of any chapters, if Turkey does not fulfill its obligations as described in the Negotiating Framework and the Ankara Protocol,” President Anastasiades said.

He underlined that he explained to President Tusk “it is unwarranted, counter-productive, not to mention unacceptable, not by President Tusk, to shift the burden of responsibility for the migration crisis on my shoulders or on the shoulders of the Republic of Cyprus.”

In his statements, Tusk said that he is not in Nicosia to exert pressure on Cyprus. “I am here to listen to your positions ahead of the EU Council this week,” he noted.

He stressed that when it comes to accession, “I want to make it clear that the rules have not changed. The same strict conditionality applies and moving forward will still require the agreement by all 28.”

“No third country can ever be more important to me than any of our member states,” Tusk pointed out. Furthermore he expressed his full support to the ongoing efforts for a settlement in Cyprus.

In his statements, Anastasiades expressed his absolute satisfaction for the objective stance he adopted both during the recent European Councils and during today`s meeting. “A stance that corresponds with the President`s institutional capacity as the guardian of the EU`s principles and values,” he added.

He said that during today’s meeting they had the opportunity to exchange some thoughts, ideas and concerns as regards the upcoming European Council and, among others, I informed the President of the position of Cyprus as regards Turkish requests.

He noted that Cyprus, “as Turkey’s EU closest neighbor, has always been a strong supporter of Turkey’s full accession to the EU, on the condition of course that Turkey fulfills its obligations, as described in the negotiating framework, including the full and non-discriminatory implementation of the Ankara Protocol.”

“At the same time, I conveyed that we fully understand the problems EU member states face as a result of the unprecedented flow of migrants, and in particular the serious problems faced by Greece following the closure of routes to Europe,” he said.

Anastasiades said that “in this regard – and despite the fact that the migration crisis is in no way connected with the discussion on the re-energisation of Turkey’s accession process -, Cyprus has maintained a very constructive stance”.

He recalled that Cyprus consented to the opening of Chapter 17, accepted Turkey’s participation in informal Summits
on migration and consented to the Action Plan.

He said that during their deliberations, he reminded to President Tusk the well-known fact that since 2004 Turkey has persistently refused to fulfill any of its obligations vis-à-vis the EU and its member states, including the Republic of Cyprus, Turkey’s refusal to implement fully the Additional Protocol vis-à-vis Cyprus is the reason the Council decided unanimously to freeze 8 negotiating chapters in December 2006 and that in addition to its refusal to implement the Additional Protocol towards Cyprus, Turkey has submitted letters, by which Cyprus is characterized as “defunct”. Further, most recently on 29 November 2015 the Turkish Prime Minister reiterated Turkey’s position that they do not recognize the Republic of Cyprus, he added.

To this end, he stressed, it must be understood by our EU partners that possible acceptance of the Turkish demands, without implementation of Turkey’s long pending obligations would in essence constitute – with my own consent – acceptance that the Republic of Cyprus is, indeed, “defunct”.

Anastasiades said that he underlined to President Tusk that “at this critical phase of the negotiations for a solution of the Cyprus problem such a proposal leads me – without my intention – to come to a confrontation with Turkey. In fact, any confrontation with the Turkish Government, particularly at this critical phase in the negotiations, is the last thing we are looking for.”

“In this regard, I explained to President Tusk that it is unwarranted, counter-productive and not to mention unacceptable to shift – not by President Tusk – the burden of responsibility for the migration crisis on my shoulders, or on the shoulders of the Republic of Cyprus,” he added.

“In view of what I have mentioned, I conveyed to President Tusk our position that the Republic of Cyprus does not intend to consent to the opening of any Chapters if Turkey does not fulfill its obligations as described in the negotiating framework and the Ankara Protocol,” he stressed.

On his part, Tusk said the main purpose of his visit to Cyprus today is to discuss further steps in the European Union`s cooperation with Turkey on how to handle the migration crisis. “I am not here to exert pressure on Cyprus. I am here to listen to your position ahead of the European Council this week,” he added.

He recalled that “at our EU summit last week, we discussed a further strengthening of our cooperation with Turkey,” noting that “this is an important pillar of our common and comprehensive European strategy. But it is never wise to build a plan on one pillar only. We should not, and we will not. The other pillars of our common European strategy consist of getting back to Schengen, ending the wave-through-policy, including along the Western Balkans route. And also massively stepping up humanitarian assistance to the most affected countries, not least Greece,” he noted.

“Last week I was mandated to prepare an agreement between Turkey and the European Union on further strengthening our cooperation in the migration crisis. I am now working on the details. This is why I am here today in Nicosia. And this is why I will continue to Ankara this evening,” Tusk went on.

He said that the Turkish proposal worked out together with Germany and the Netherlands still needs to be re-balanced so as to be accepted by all 28 Member States and the EU institutions. The objective is to conclude the negotiations Thursday and Friday this week but we are not there yet.

“One of the issues to be sorted out is the key question of legality. We need to ensure that any new large-scale return scheme between Greece and Turkey fully complies with EU law and our international commitments. This means that we must ensure that all get an individual assessment in Greece before a decision to return them to Turkey. And it also means that we must ensure that those in need of international protection receive appropriate protection in Turkey. Another issue to be addressed is that of possible alternative routes from Turkey to other EU countries such as Bulgaria. This also has to be factored in for the agreement to be effective,” he noted.

“But our cooperation with Turkey goes much beyond migration. The current dynamics offers an opportunity to re-energise the relations between the European Union and Turkey”, he said.

At the same time, he stressed that “the European Union is a Union of 28 Member States. Cyprus is as important as Germany, France, the Netherlands or any other Member State. No third country can ever be more important to me than any of our Member States. We should use this opportunity, and make sure that all benefit from this new dynamics, also Cyprus.”

Furthermore he noted that when it comes to accession, “I want to make it clear that the rules have not changed. The same strict conditionality applies and moving forward will still require the agreement of all 28.”

Tusk also said that they discussed the ongoing efforts in the Cyprus settlement negotiations, “which have my full support. I listened carefully to President Anastasiades and reassured him we fully understand that the negotiations are at an important juncture and that all EU actions are directed at facilitating these negotiations. A successful outcome, with support from both sides of the island, would give a fresh start not only to Cyprus, but to the whole of Europe and the wider region,” he noted.

Referring to Cyprus `s economic recovery, he noted that “only three years ago, you were standing on the brink of a financial abyss. Today you are standing on your own feet again, without having used all the resources made available to you by your eurozone partners and the IMF. This success is a result of your own efforts. It is a good sign for Cyprus, the euro zone and Europe.”

Article written by CNA