The commander of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), Ibrahim Kalın, was in Athens last Friday and went to the Maximos Mansion, where Greek-Turkish relations were discussed, as well as issues relating to organised crime. Kalın first met with the commander of the Greek National Intelligence Service (EYP), retired Ambassador Themis Demiris, and then they travelled together to the Maximos Mansion, where they were received by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. During the discussion on Greek-Turkish relations, the issue of marine parks was raised, as was the laying of the GSI cable in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The problem here is not whether Greece has the right to lay the cable and Turkey disagrees, but whether Turkey is recognised as an interested party in the Eastern Mediterranean, in which case it should be informed. We believe that, at some point, the nonsense being spouted to satisfy every warmonger will stop, and the French company that will lay the cable will inform the interested parties, namely Turkey and Egypt.
Of course, nobody knows how this simple issue might develop, since Turkey has an equally large number of idiots. I saved the cherry on the cake for last. No, the Cyprus problem was not discussed at the Kalın-Mitsotakis meeting. According to what we are learning from an independent Turkish Cypriot source, the Turks do not consider Christodoulides, beyond his communication-oriented approaches ahead of the 2028 presidential election, to be ready for serious discussions.
Prisoners of war
Some prisoners of war are really having a hard time. The president of the Pancyprian Association of Prisoners of War 1974, Mr Vassos Christou, told Philenews that, according to information he received from a former Presidential Commissioner, approximately 60–70 people had somehow found their way onto the list of missing persons.
The organised prisoners of war are not claiming that all these people were illegally included on the list of missing persons, but are calling for an investigation to establish whether these are genuine cases of prisoners of war. At the same time, Mr Christou says that seven members of the association who are included on the list of missing persons contacted him and complained that their allowance had been cut off. Cases of missing persons as well...
Averof
Averof Neophytou needs to clarify his position. Will he go through his party’s process for selecting a presidential candidate, or will he do what Christodoulides did? As an old-school DISY supporter who is particularly fond of him told me, “Averof is not going to become what he accused Christodoulides of being, namely a deserter.” We are sure of that. So what is Averof up to, and what does he want? Does he believe that there will be serious developments on the Cyprus problem, and therefore that DISY’s electoral process for selecting its candidate should not begin before the Cuéllar initiative reaches its conclusion? In other words, at least until the end of the year. If there really is an initiative and there really are developments, we say, why not? In such a case, the presidential election should also be postponed. On the other hand, given the meagre results achieved so far on the Cyprus problem, perhaps we are all in danger of playing Christodoulides’ game. By “game”, we mean the presidential election.
Sandy saga
“Sandy” stood up two journalists last week. Manolis at Cyprus Times and Elina at Alpha. She had scheduled interviews but failed to turn up, at least at Alpha, according to a post by the journalist from the Latsia-based channel. After publishing three excerpts from her interview, Manolis claimed that she had “flooded him with lies”.
Sandy's decision to step into the limelight was a huge risk from the outset. On the one hand, she laid her cards on the table regarding her line of defence; on the other, once you go live in interviews with journalists, there is always the risk that you will come under pressure and say things that could subsequently put you in a difficult position in court.
Odysseas' demands
This Odysseas Michaelides really has no sense of restraint. Politis wrote last Sunday that “Sandy” had largely based its messages on the climate of suspicion created by Nikos Clerides and his brother, Costas Clerides (former Attorney General), when the former made public, and the latter backed, a letter alleging that Supreme Court judges had conflicts of interest with law firms in relation to major and critical decisions.
The following day, Odysseas posted on social media attacking the director of Politis, claiming that, because of his obsession (!) with him, he was trying to implicate him in the Sandy case. He even referred to an existing lawsuit against him, adding in grandiose fashion that his involvement in the Sandi affair would be added to it.
For the sake of setting the record straight, let us say that there is no lawsuit against the director of Politis, but against a contributor who writes for Politis. The case keeps going back and forth, with Odysseas constantly asking for adjournments. He even asked us to withdraw it while also demanding that we pay his costs.
Let us also look at the substance of the matter as far as Sandy is concerned. He says he has absolutely nothing to do with it; before long, he will probably be telling us that he does not even know former Attorney General Costas Kliridis, who, incidentally, also sent a message to Judge Christodoulou telling him not to touch his brother Nikos. Really, our dear Odysseas?
When he decided to remove Papadakis from ALMA’s electoral lists on 6 April 2026, he had a heated discussion with Papadakis and his team about the validity of Sandy's messages. He told them — something that was later leaked publicly — the following: “But Costas Clerides showed me these messages too.” He did, of course, clarify that the matter was political and that Papadakis had to go, while one of his associates also mentioned some messages... from Epstein.
Anyway, there is a possibility that he will be called as a witness in the trial due to begin before the Criminal Court in mid-September, in which case we may hear from him in person. Apart from Papadakis and the other now well-known “Rhodopetaloi”, there are many others in Sandy's messages, such as Solia “Rhodopetalos” Ionas Nicolaou, Paphos “Rhodokephalos” Averof Neophytou, Prince “Rhodostavros” Nikolas Papadopoulos, the late Alexoui, and “Mavrokephalos” Costis Efstathiou. They even dragged poor Deputy Attorney General Savvas Angelides into it because they saw “Savvas Law” somewhere, but the telephone number listed belongs to ELAM lawyer Savvas Savvides.
Singers and actors
Yiannis Parios responded to his critics after his latest concert in Cyprus, saying that singers are not civil servants who retire once they reach a certain age. The man has a point. Singers retire according to their voice. And you, Mr Parios, were once a great voice.
“Zenios” was absolutely furious, about the viral AI video showing Giorgos Zenios as “Rikkos Mappouros”, throwing punches at well-known political figures on our island. Speaking on Sigma’s programme Mesimeri kai Kati, he stressed that he had already contacted his lawyer and would take action against whoever made the video. We, however, consider the video to have been both humorous and certainly not at all disparaging towards Zenios, otherwise known as Rikkos Mappouros. On the contrary, it elevated him as a character. In other words, instead of the stingy, sycophantic and miserly Cypriot from Sigma’s series, it turned him into a hero fighting against the country’s political establishment. We understand that Zenios did not want this promotion to a little Zorro. He prefers the specifications of Tsiakkas’s Mappouros.
Achilles Shield
Defence Minister Vassilis Palmas is not given to exaggeration. In the case of the “Achilles Shield”, however, he seems to have become rather enthusiastic. He said that the military agreement between Greece and Israel for the development of the “Achilles Shield” strengthens security and strategic cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, adding: “Greece, Cyprus and Israel face common risks, with Turkey as the main point of reference, and jointly seek to safeguard their sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Someone should explain this to us. Did we buy the Shield too, or will Greece and Israel take turns covering us for free?
Kyrenia shipwreck and politics
It is true that it took two or three days for the President of the Republic to issue a statement about those who died in the Kyrenia shipwreck. And when he did, it was combined with the accident in Ayia Napa. On the other hand, of course, our First Lady, Philippa Karsera, sent a warm letter to Nilden Bektaş Erhürman. She sent it, as she says, as a sensitive mother who cares about children and understands the pain of so many mothers who lost their children in the sea off Kyrenia. Well done, Philippa.
