ATHENS — A Briton living in Cyprus with his wife will accept a manslaughter plea which could see him released from prison for saying he killed her in an act of euthanasia because of blood cancer.

David Hunter has been charged with the death of Janice Hunter, 74, in December 2021 at the couple’s retirement home in the town of Paphos, and Justice Abroad, who represents him, said a plea deal has been reached.

Hunter insisted he smothered his wife in a ‘mercy murder’ after she asked to be spared a long, gruesome death, British newspaper The Independent said, and then attempted suicide with an overdose of pills.

Lawyers asked authorities to charge him with assisted suicide, but were rejected by the island’s attorney general and he was tried in Paphos District Court, according to the report. The couple had been together for 56 years.

The hearing was adjourned in October while Hunter’s legal team and prosecutors discussed moving the charge from murder to the lesser offense of manslaughter.

Michael Polak, Director of Justice Abroad, said: “We are very pleased that the murder charge is no longer on the table as our goal has always been to get David out of jail and back home as soon as possible. “

He said at the next hearing that mitigating circumstances would be brought to show that the couple had a long romantic relationship and that the murder was intended to spare him and fulfill his last wishes.

Hunter will enter a guilty plea Dec. 5, according to the report. “It’s not murder. My wife was asking and asking me to help. I helped her because she was in pain. She was my best friend for 53 years and it’s very hard to go through something like this without your best friend, he said.

]]> https://esenfidanlik.com/israeli-defense-ministry-reassures-greece-and-cyprus-on-trilateral-alliance/ Fri, 18 Nov 2022 17:50:06 +0000 https://esenfidanlik.com/israeli-defense-ministry-reassures-greece-and-cyprus-on-trilateral-alliance/

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz met Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos today in Athens, three weeks after his visit to Turkey and his meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, taking the opportunity to denouncing Iran’s activities and offering Israel’s assistance in easing the ongoing Turkish-Greek dispute.

“Iranian aggression continues to be a great threat to the region and the world,” Gantz said during a joint press conference with his host. “We see Iran’s involvement in the war in Ukraine; the UN Board of Governors voted again tonight affirming that it (Iran) continues to develop its nuclear program. We see its support for terrorism and its proxies in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and also in the West Bank, and just this week an Iranian drone hit a civilian ship. This is another sign of the need to stop the spread of Iranian influence in the region and around the world – and its influence on its affiliates. This is what we are doing under the umbrella of CENTCOM in the region.”

Israel has formed a strong partnership with Greece and Cyprus over the past decade, especially against the backdrop of deteriorating ties with Turkey. Wide-ranging security relationships include joint military exercises, intelligence cooperation and more.

The outgoing minister spent his final days in office trying to stabilize Israel’s regional ties to give his successor time to catch up on the issues involved.

Gantz’s brief visit to Greece should also be seen in the context of Israel’s rapprochement with Turkey over the past year, which has raised concerns in Athens about its impact on the alliance with Israel. Senior Israeli officials wanted to reassure the Greeks that the restoration of relations with Ankara would be measured and limited in its scope and would not come at the expense of the Hellenic alliance with Greece and Cyprus.

Gantz and the officials who traveled with him to Turkey last month conveyed a similar message to their hosts there, offering Israel’s help in easing the protracted dispute between Greece and Turkey. Today in Athens, Gantz told his Greek counterpart that Israel “should try to leverage its ties and relationships in order to build bridges for peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean”.

Joining Panagiotopoulos during a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Gantz made a point of stressing the importance Israel places on ties with Athens. “Israel sees Greece as a strategic partner, and together with Cyprus we will continue to strengthen our trilateral alliance in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

Panagiotopoulos, for his part, said Greece is “committed to maintaining this ever-increasing momentum and also to enriching our defense industrial cooperation.”

In summary, Gantz said, “We must act together in the face of threats and also take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to us. This is how we build and expand the regional architecture against terrorism in the Middle East; this is how we worked to reach an important agreement on the maritime border with Lebanon; and this is how we can try to leverage Israel’s connections and relations with the countries of the region, as a bridge for stability and peace also with our Eastern Mediterranean partners.”

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke is happy to have the chance to continue his work in September after a strong squad made the trip to Turkey.

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Clarke lost Che Adams, Kenny McLean and Nathan Patterson from his original squad for Wednesday’s friendly in Diyarbakir. He was also denied the chance to call up Celtic players such as David Turnbull, Greg Taylor and Anthony Ralston, who are with their club in Australia, while Hoops skipper Callum McGregor was injured anyway.

Brentford full-back Aaron Hickey was unavailable for selection through injury but Clarke otherwise has the party that helped Scotland promote to the UEFA Nations League with wins against Ukraine and the Republic of Ireland last month.

The Scottish boss was also able to welcome back captain Andy Robertson, defender Grant Hanley and midfielder Ryan Jack through injury as he eyes a European Championship qualifying group which also includes Spain , Norway, Georgia and Cyprus.

Clarke said: “If you’re involved in football you understand that you have to move on. It was disappointing for us not to go to the World Cup. I’m sure it was disappointing for Turkey. not to go to the World Cup. But you have to expect the next challenge, which is the qualification for Germany in 2024.

“It was important to put a game in the November window because going from September to March is too long without seeing the players. We managed to get a good percentage of the players with us who were with us in September , even though it’s not an official FIFA window. It was important. We can talk about what we did. We already touched on what we did in the last camp in September and we are looking to improve that.

Robertson, whose Liverpool team-mate Calvin Ramsay could make his debut, is sure the game will be a worthwhile exercise. “Both teams wanted to go to the World Cup and they will be disappointed too, but it’s a good friendly game for both of us,” the left-back said in a pre-match press conference. We will both be competitive and we will both try to get what we need to prepare for the Euro campaign. That’s what we’re working towards, March, when the real stuff starts. We want to go to another major tournament, of course we want to, and Turkey will have the same goal. It will be an interesting test, a good test for us.

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Scotland head coach Steve Clarke begins his preparations for a new campaign with new twists added to familiar issues.

As Clarke prepares to name his squad on Wednesday, we take a look at the burning questions facing the 59-year-old.

Tried and tested or club form?

The usual list of injury withdrawals is this time exacerbated by the club’s loss of form.

With Celtic’s Callum McGregor and Rangers’ Ryan Jack still sidelined, only Southampton’s Stuart Armstrong, Bologna’s Lewis Ferguson, Norwich City’s Kenny McLean and Luton Town’s Allan Campbell earn regular club starts among central midfielders. included in recent teams.

John McGinn has made his last three appearances for Aston Villa from the bench, Scott McTominay his last eight for Manchester United, David Turnbull made his first Celtic start since September on Saturday, while Billy Gilmour played a grand total of 13 minutes in four matches since joining Brighton.

By contrast, Ferguson has started Bologna’s last five games – and scored twice – helping them to four straight wins. The 23-year-old is set to push for a second Scotland start.

There will be endless cries for Vancouver Whitecaps Player of the Year Ryan Gauld to get a first call-up, but the 26-year-old considers himself so out of place in Major League Soccer that he’s not ruling out a change to represent Canada.

A man of loyalty and a believer in continuity, Clarke is more likely to stay with the usual midfield suspects in his initial squad before balancing club form with experience when it comes to selection day.

Time to experiment?

International friendlies have traditionally been seen as a time for managers to experiment, or simply a waste of time for some, but that all changed after the competitive Nations League was introduced into a busy football schedule.

The game against Turkey is Clarke’s only opportunity to strengthen his squad ahead of the Group A opener against Cyprus and Spain in March.

Nonetheless, with Brentford’s Aaron Hickey being sidelined, an opportunity could have opened up for Calvin Ramsay to receive his first call-up after Liverpool’s, albeit brief, debut against Napoli in the Champions League.

However, with Nathan Patterson returning from injury to make two appearances as a substitute for Everton, and Anthony Ralston continuing to impress for Celtic, a potential vacancy at right-back could have been closed.

It is almost certain that captain Andy Robertson, back in form with Liverpool, will return to left-back. And although Kieran Tierney now finds himself behind Oleksandr Zinchenko in the Arsenal pecking order, this dual presence will limit Josh Doig’s chances of making his international debut despite the 20-year-old’s promising debut at Hellas Verona.

Ryan Porteous made an impressive debut in the 0-0 draw with Ukraine in September but, like Cremonese’s Jack Hendry, Leeds United’s Liam Cooper and Nottingham Forest’s Scott McKenna, featured in a club central defense that has misdisclosed goals this weekend.

Grant Hanley’s return to form with Norwich will certainly add to the competition.

Withered on the wings

With Sunderland’s Ross Stewart still unable to build on his promising Scotland debut due to injury and Jacob Brown mostly on the bench for Stoke City since returning to fitness, Southampton’s Che Adams and Queens’ Lyndon Dykes Park Rangers will likely compete for a lone striker role again. .

However, with those two short goals at club level, Lawrence Shankland’s six out of five games for Hearts could earn the 27-year-old a recall.

Who backs up on the wing could be more up for grabs, with Ryan Christie an unused substitute in struggling Bournemouth’s last two games and Ryan Fraser now also on the bench for top-flight Newcastle.

Barrie McKay has lost some of his shine since the Hearts winger was called up late in September, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see James Forrest back in the frame after the 31-year-old returned to form with the Celtic.

Has Kelly’s time come?

Goalkeeper was another position where Scotland have seen healthy competition recently, but is now threatening to become a problem again.

Not helped by an injury decimated Hearts defense, Craig Gordon succumbed to some uncharacteristic recent slip-ups. Motherwell’s Liam Kelly is the only recent call-up – the others being Hearts understudy Zander Clark and Rangers duo Jon McLaughlin and Robby McCrorie – to enjoy regular playing time with his club.

Now might be an opportune time to give the in-form Kelly his first selection ahead of a time when Gordon, 39, finally hangs up his gloves.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin underestimated the resilience of Ukrainians, “overestimated Russia’s capabilities and unwittingly rallied democracies and freedom-loving peoples against its brutal war,” says Gregory Meeks. [AP]

The strategic importance of the Greek port of Alexandroupoli in northeastern Greece, both strategically and in terms of energy, is underlined in this interview with Kathimerini by the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee , Gregory Meeks, who describes relations between Washington and Athens as “incredibly deep”. , strong and bipartisan.

He also expresses the view that these ties will not be affected by the midterm elections in the United States on November 8 for Congress, nor by the national elections which are expected to take place in Greece in the spring.

After all, in the relevant committees of both congressional bodies, the Republican leaders hold an equally skeptical view of Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan‘s unpredictable behavior vis-à-vis their Democratic colleagues, while the opinion of the Majority leaders (Meeks in the House of Representatives and Bob Menendez in the Senate) is just as important in decision-making as that of the minority.

Regarding the prospects for the controversial sale of new F-16 jets to Turkey and upgrade kits for its existing planes, Meeks notes that Congress and the Foreign Affairs Committee he leads are considering requests in the context of safeguarding regional stability, as well as of course protecting the national interest of the United States.

Asked to comment on continued Turkish overflights over the Aegean islands, violations of Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone and Ankara’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric towards Greece, Meeks expresses concern for actions that , in his view, unnecessarily aggravate the climate of tension between two precious NATO allies. .

Last but not least, he believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be defeated in Ukraine, while expressing his optimism about the performance of the Democratic Party, to which he belongs, in the upcoming midterm elections for Congress.

The port of Alexandroupoli is rapidly becoming a strategic hub, both in the military field and in the energy field. How do you see its contribution in the current crisis?

Yes, the port of Alexandroupoli is an incredibly strategic port both militarily and energetically. Economically, the port handles levels of business activity that should not be underestimated when considering global supply chain issues. On the energy front, as Europe seeks to wean itself off Russian energy sources, the port is proving crucial. From a military perspective, additional access for the United States and NATO allies in the Mediterranean provides greater security and stability in the region. These benefits of port are interdependent.

Lately, Turkish leaders have accused the United States of not being objective about Greece and Turkey. How do you respond?

United States foreign policy is based on our values ​​and on defending the national security of the United States and all of our allies.

Will the midterm elections impact Washington’s relationship with Athens and its broader approach to the region?

No. Fortunately, the strong ties and relations between Washington and Athens are incredibly deep, strong and bipartisan. We see it getting stronger under this administration and I don’t believe the midterm elections will change that trajectory.

“The House and my committee continue to monitor the situation and are concerned about any action that would unnecessarily escalate tensions between two key NATO allies.”

Similarly, do you think that the Greek national elections, scheduled for next spring, will change anything in bilateral cooperation?

My goal is to put the relationship between these allies above politics and we have succeeded. No, the partnership will remain hermetic.

How does Congress assess the maritime and energy agreements between Turkey and the government of Tripoli in Libya?

The committee continues to monitor the situation closely.

Will the transfer of new F-16s and upgrade kits for older ones to Ankara continue? And if so, will there be any conditions attached? There is an amendment in the House by Congressman Chris Pappas.

Congress and my committee have reviewed and continue to review all weapons cases with a holistic view of human rights, regional stability, and US national interests.

How does the US Senate view President Erdogan and his actions vis-à-vis Greece (overflights, aggressive rhetoric) and Cyprus (EEZ violations)?

The House and my committee continue to monitor the situation and are concerned about any action that would unnecessarily escalate tensions between two important NATO allies.

How do you see the situation in Ukraine developing? A possibility of an end to the war?

Fortunately, the Ukrainians were extremely brave and managed to defend their homeland, despite the heinous brutality that Moscow inflicted on them. Putin underestimated their resilience, overestimated Russia‘s capabilities, and unwittingly rallied democracies and freedom-loving peoples against his brutal war. He will lose.

Finally, let me turn to domestic politics and ask for your assessment of the House and Senate in the midterm elections.

It’s up to voters to decide now, but in my opinion, Democrats have proven that our leadership can deliver real results, and they will elect us to continue the important work of improving our economy and leading on the world stage. .

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Turkish Cypriot authorities may be preparing to expel United Nations peacekeepers from their bases in northern Cyprus, triggering a new political and security crisis on the divided island, officials told Al Jazeera.

“[The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)] must enter into a mutually acceptable formal agreement with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to continue its presence and operations in the TRNC,” Tahsin Ertugruloglu, who holds the Northern Cyprus foreign affairs portfolio, told Al Jazeera.

“We submitted a proposed status of forces agreement to the United Nations in September. We will decide what action to take once the UN assesses and responds to our proposal,” he said.

UNFICYP was created in 1964 following intercommunal clashes between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. It monitors a buffer zone, known as the Green Line, which separates Greek Cypriots, who now live in the south of the island, and Turkish Cypriots, who live in the north.

The UN Security Council renews UNFICYP’s mandate every six months after the agreement of the internationally recognized government of Cyprus, which is in the south.

This renewal is again scheduled for January, but this time Turkish Cypriots say it must also be done with their consent.

This poses a legal problem for the Security Council because the UN does not recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, self-proclaimed in 1983. It is not a member of the UN and is only recognized by Turkey.

What it lacks in legal status, Northern Cyprus makes up for in military power. An estimated 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed there, vastly outnumbering the Greek Cypriot forces.

They are the remnant of an invasion launched by Turkey in 1974, after Greece attempted to reunite the island in a coup.

All about Famagusta

“This is a very serious problem. I’m afraid that [the Turkish Cypriots] will use every excuse to oust the UN army from its base at Karolou Stefani north of Famagusta,” said Andreas Mavroyiannis, presidential candidate in the February elections in Cyprus.

“I’m not sure that the blue helmets can resist an attempt by the Turkish army to expel them, and that would allow the Turkish side to settle and develop this area north of Famagusta… The use of this real estate is part of the Turkish-Cypriot plan to develop Famagusta,” he said.

Famagusta is a ghost town on the east coast of Cyprus. The Turkish army has occupied it since 1974, but the UN Security Council ordered Turkey to return it to the Greek Cypriots.

Turkey has agreed to do so as part of any plan to reunite the island as a bicommunal federation, a discussion that has been taking place under UN auspices since 1979, but those talks were suspended two years ago. years when the Turkish Cypriots elected an administration that favors permanent partition. of the island into two sovereign states.

Since then, northern Cyprus and Turkey have said they will annex Famagusta, cutting out an important sweetener for reunification.

“I don’t expect the UN peacekeeping force to engage with an army…they’re not going to resist,” said Ahmet Sözen, who chairs the department of political science at the Eastern Mediterranean University in Northern Cyprus.

“If this happens, the UN will be limited to the buffer zone without freedom to cross in the north and will only deal with the Greek Cypriot authorities in the south. But to do an efficient and effective job of controlling the buffer zone, you need cooperation with both sides,” Sözen said.

Mavroyiannis, who has spent the past nine years as Cyprus’s chief negotiator with the Turkish Cypriots, said such a move had to be anticipated if Greek and Turkish Cypriots were to have any hope of being one country.

“Our reaction must be to insist that the UN Security Council expand the Famagusta dead zone to include the Karolou Stefani military base,” he said.

Extending this dead zone would put the base out of reach of development and include it in the territory that would one day be returned to the Greek Cypriots.

What triggered the last crisis?

The Turkish Cypriot ultimatum to the UN came after September 16, when the United States lifted an embargo on arms sales to Cyprus, which had been in place since 1987 to prevent further violence.

Two weeks later, Cyprus was included in the US National Guard’s State Partnership Program, which will allow Cypriot National Guardsmen to train with the New Jersey Army National Guard.

Turkey has “strongly condemned” this agreement.

“With this decision, going beyond disturbing the balance between the two parties on the island, the United States has clearly become biased,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

The developments came amid a souring US-Turkey relationship since Turkey bought S-400 surface-to-air missiles in 2016, a Russian sub-strategic weapon that the US says could be used to spy on the capabilities of its fighter jets.

Turkey refused to part with the weapon and was banned from buying fifth-generation F-35 fighter-bombers. The US Congress has so far prohibited it from upgrading the F-16s it already owns.

“Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus in 1974 was a shocking attempt to redraw borders in Europe in the aftermath of World War II. And to this day, Turkey’s invasion of northern Cyprus must be seen for what it is: an illegal occupation that must end,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez said in November. 2019.

Improve defenses

Cyprus took advantage of this breakdown in US-Turkish relations to improve its defenses.

Since 2020, it has held annual military air and naval exercises with Italy, France and Greece, and its defense minister, Haralambos Petridis, has announced plans to buy air defense systems. But Cyprus insists its intentions are defensive.

“We never dreamed of capabilities that would allow anyone to say we have an aggressive military posture,” Mavroyiannis told Al Jazeera. “At most, we want to have sufficient deterrent capability to incur cost and buy time for the international community to react – so we’re talking about a short period.”

Ertugruloglu, from Northern Cyprus, told Al Jazeera that “Greek Cypriots are wasting their time, they are wasting their money… They can be sure that we will respond to their actions.

“Hopefully they will be mature enough not to overstep their bounds and not do something crazy,” he added.

If Northern Cyprus leader Ersin Tatar withdraws the UN from its base and begins to develop Famagusta, it will be as part of the larger clash between the United States and Turkey, Sözen said.

“[Tatar] is a willing servant of Turkey,” Sözen said. “He says, ‘I fully support Turkish interests, and without Turkey I can’t do anything.’ These actions, if he ever takes them, will not be his own autonomous actions but probably tactics developed in Ankara that he is implementing.

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