Tales from the coffeeshop Victimhood back to the fore as drama queen emerges

GOOD to see the bickering kids have found a new toy (or should I say Tui) to fight over at a time when it was too hot to think or walk straight. It was a wonderful way to fire up the self-righteousness of the kids on both sides as they competed for victimhood rights.

In the blue corner, we had the wronged Greek Cypriots enjoying landing a punch while in the red corner the wronged Turkish Cypriots were moaning because it was a blow below the belt. Sadly, there was no referee in the ring to decide who was in the right, so the squabbling continued.

The latest bout was over a report that big German tour operator Tui had reached an agreement with the Cyprus government not to promote or sell day trips to the north in its holiday packages to the island. This was said in an email sent by a Tui manager based on the island, a screenshot of which appeared in Kibris.

Victimhood hysteria gripped our entitled brothers in the north, who have been ranting and raving about this “malicious” move, aimed at wrecking their economy. It was an over-dramatic reaction as this was not a knock-out blow.

ERSIN Tatar, discarded his image as the tough, uncompromising leader and turned into a drama queen, protesting about the Greek Cypriots “blackmailing” tour operators and “blockading” the north’s tourism sector, with the aim of “collapsing its economy.”

What was needed the most, he said, “is the establishment of cooperation,” and he did not even set conditions such as recognition of separate sovereignty for this cooperation.

Meanwhile, in the republic of Kyproulla, although journos saw the alleged blockading as a positive step, the government was in a bit of a quandary over how to handle the matter. There was obviously a temptation to gloat about its achievement and win the freedom fighters support but this would have undermined the prez’s sincere rhetoric about the resumption of talks.

Deputy minister of tourism Costas Koumis took the former line, implying that he had done this by avoiding denying it when asked. He said “I do not think it is right to make statements about an agreement which concerns two parties.”  

Realising that this could destroy the prez’s image as a merchant of goodwill and sincerity on the Cyprob, after a couple of days the government decided it was right to make a statement. Mini Me said the government had not asked Tui to scrap excursions to the north.

CONCERNED that the publicity could affect its business in Turkey, where it takes some two million tourists each year, Tui had to enter the ring.

In a statement to the Cyprus Mail, it did not deny the existence of the email, which was sent by a local member of staff, but added that this “does not reflect the position of Tui Cyprus in content and form”.

It added that “the employee in question has been warned to not make unapproved statements which misrepresent the company’s position.” It also pointed out that its customers were “able to freely choose whatever excursions and activities they want to engage in while on holiday in Cyprus.”

Nothing was mentioned about the errant employee’s use of the word “occupied” to describe the north in the email, but I suspect Tui has profusely apologised to the Turkish government about this faux pas. If I were the employee, I would have started looking for a new job.

THE CYPROB team, which was set up last April, met for the first time on Friday under chief negotiator Menelaos Menelaou, in view of the positive developments in New York in September.

The team is not made up of experts but of representatives of all the political parties, which is a guarantee that they will never agree on anything. It is more like a junior national council with the party leaders represented by their sidekicks. How will this team operate, when its members have radically different agendas and objectives? Some of the members are opposed to BBF.

Is this Prezniktwo’s way of ensuring there are always disagreements in the team and no decisions are ever taken, through no fault of his own? That’s why he just loves setting up a committee.

The good news is that at Friday’s meeting, which lasted two hours, there was a “productive exchange of views,” about how the team will operate.

IT APPEARS the Prez is not very confident that the supreme constitutional court will decide to terminate the services of Odysseas for inappropriate behaviour and has already devised a Plan B.

His justice minister announced that constitutional reform is in the pipeline and if approved it would establish a ‘supervisory council’ to supervise the auditor-general and to give its approval before the audit office releases any report. It is a reform designed to control Odysseas in the event the court decides that his inappropriate behaviour was not so inappropriate to justify his sacking.

Odysseas’ most loyal disciple and spokesman Marios Petrides lambasted the reform proposal when asked for his comments, saying the audit office was never consulted about the reform and that the term “modernisation was being used for communications purposes.”

The Cyprus audit office was in no need of modernisation, as it had been receiving praise from all over the world for “the adoption of the most up-to-date standards of quality control management,” he said.

WAS IT these up-to-date standards of quality control management that allowed Odysseas to publicly bully state officials that did not bow to him and to act like the supreme overlord of the government?

The idea of the supervisory council was not proposed by any international organisation, said Petrides and added: “What was proposed by British colleagues was the establishment of a management team and this was done since 2019. All reports, since then are approved by the team.”

Give us a break. Only a fool would believe that a megalomaniac like Odysseas, who genuinely believes in his infallibility and moral superiority, seeks the approval of his subordinates on the management team for his reports. One of the audit office managers who had dared to disagree with him over an issue was suspended by the team player and has still to return to work.

GOVERNMENT plans to ruin every beach on the island continue unabated. The latest target for destruction is the unspoiled Petra tou Romiou beach, the birthplace of the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Aphrodite.

Deputy minister of tourism Costas Koumis has decided to turn Petra tou Romiou into a new Mackenzie Beach putting umbrellas and sunbeds and before long licences for cafés and bars would also be given. It is a scandalous decision, which the Greens leader Giorgos Perdikis described as “unacceptable”.

This was a Natura area, protected by the EU directive on ecosystems, that cannot be developed into a “tourist beach,” he said. I hate to admit it, but I fully agree with Perdikis. The government philistines that have made it their mission to destroy all the island’s spots of natural beauty, must be stopped. 

I am certain Aphrodite would also be on our side.

THE CONSUMERS’ association in its attempts to justify its existence issues advice that targets people that have never been inside a shop in their life.

In its latest announcement it warned parents about the prices of school supplies, pointing out that the price of a schoolbag ranges from €3.99 to €209.95, while pencil case prices were between €0.79 and €51.40.

Does it actually think there is any parent in Kyproulla who would pay €200 for a schoolbag for their kid because they thought there was nothing cheaper available?

IF YOU thought today’s offering was a bit light on news, please show a bit of understanding because this is the slow season. On Saturday, the august Tass news agency, carried a story under the headline, “The preparations for the traditional pasta syka (dried figs) in progress in Lysou.”

The news report informed us that “in this period in Lysos village of the Paphos district the preparations for the drying and production of the pasta syka of the area, known as ‘maxilles’ or ‘madjiles’ are progressing with the housewives of the area using the old method of production.”

SPEAKING of traditional products, halloumi – PDO or fake – is being used by top chefs for all sorts of fancy dishes.

On Tuesday, The Guardian had an article devoted to our national cheese, under the headline “Beyond frying: alternative ways to cook halloumi.” The writer informed its readers that “for the best flavour pop it on the barbecue,” and that on a warm day “there is nothing better than finely sliced halloumi with watermelon.”

This is not news to us, but the writer informed us that one chef swaps chicken for grilled halloumi in Caesar’s salad while another makes it in a traybake with ras-el-hanout roasted chickpeas and broccoli. And then there are the halloumi croutons.

Halloumi is conquering the world and we still cannot decide how much cow’s and goat’s milk it should contain.