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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 22 OcTOber 2020
Cyprus, Greece, Egypt to Turkey: drop the rancor, join us

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS ing "terror cells" in northern
Associated Press Africa that threaten Eu-
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — rope's security.
The leaders of Cyprus, The Greek leader repeated
Egypt and Greece on a call for his country's Eu-
Wednesday renewed an ropean Union partners to
invitation to Turkey to be- stop arms sales to Turkey
come a partner in reaping and to take note of An-
the potential benefits of kara's "many violations" of
offshore gas deposits, while its customs union with the
urging Ankara to end its 27-member bloc.
"aggressive" actions in the "A third country that's a
eastern Mediterranean. candidate for European
Their one-day regional Union membership cannot
summit in Cyprus came be exempted from customs
amid high tension between duties, taste the benefits of
neighbors and NATO allies the common market and
Greece and Turkey over at the same time threaten
maritime borders, after An- the European Union's east-
kara sent a research vessel, ern borders and cause up-
escorted by warships, to heaval in all of the Mediter-
disputed waters between ranean," Mitsotakis said.
the Greek islands, southern Anastasiades praised
Turkey and Cyprus. Turkey Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, center, Greece's Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, left, and Egypt as an "important EU
has also sent drilling ships Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi clad due during their meeting at the presidential palace in partner" and an "agent of
where Cyprus says it has capital Nicosia, Cyprus, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020. regional stability" because
exclusive economic rights. Associated Press of its efforts to fight terror-
Talks between Cypriot "The timing of this trilateral fering a place within the it's also defending the en- ism and stem migrant flows.
President Nicos Anastasia- meeting coincides with ad- three-way partnership if ergy rights of breakaway El-Sissi said although his
des, Egyptian President ditional dangers that are Ankara drops its belliger- Turkish Cypriots on war-di- country hosts five million
Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and unfortunately created by ence. "I'll say it again that vided Cyprus. refugees, it has never lever-
Greek Prime Minister Kyria- Turkey's leadership which in our (partnership) Turkey Greece and Cyprus have aged that to secure politi-
kos Mitsotakis included co- dreams up imperial prac- could also take part, no signed maritime border cal or economic gains from
operation in fields ranging tices and aggressive acts one excluded it from the agreements with Egypt. the EU. Turkey is receiving
from energy to combat- from Syria, to Libya, from start," Mitsotakis said. "But They dismiss a similar deal substantial financial aid
ting terrorism. All three con- Somalia to Cyprus, from the more often than not, what that Ankara signed with from Brussels to care for its
demned Turkey's numerous Aegean to the Caucusus," marginalizes it are its own Libya's Tripoli-based gov- own large refugee popu-
"provocations" that they Mitsotakis said. actions unfortunately." ernment as "legally invalid." lation, which it has repeat-
said have sharply escalat- But both Mitsotakis and An- Turkey claims huge swaths Mitsotakis said Turkey has edly threatened to allow
ed tensions and are threat- astasiades extended an of the eastern Mediterra- transported "Syrian merce- to enter Europe through
ening regional peace. olive branch to Turkey, of- nean as its own, and says naries" to Libya, proliferat- Greece.q

Stampede kills 11 Afghans seeking visas to leave country

were injured at the stadi- firmed receiving 36 bodies of recent attacks, espe-
um, where they were trying and said another eight se- cially in Helmand province.
to get visas to enter neigh- curity forces were wound- The Pakistani Consulate in
boring Pakistan. He said ed. An Afghan security of- Nangarhar was closed for
most of those who died ficial said the forces were almost eight months due to
were elderly people from in a convoy that was am- the coronavirus pandemic.
across Afghanistan. bushed. The official, who Anticipating a large crowd,
Separately, at least 36 Af- was not authorized to brief officials decided to use the
ghan police were killed in media on the event and so stadium and assigned 320
an ambush by Taliban mili- spoke on condition of ano- staffers to help manage
tants in northern Afghani- nymity, said several police the process, Khogyani said.
stan, officials said. Humvees were set ablaze. The Pakistani Embassy in
It was the deadliest attack Jawad Hijri, a spokesman Kabul said it has issued
since the Taliban and the for the provincial govern- more than 19,000 visas in
Afghan government be- ment, said the deputy po- the past week alone af-
Afghan carry body of a woman who was killed in a stampede gan holding long-delayed lice chief was among those ter Islamabad approved a
the city of Jalalabad east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, peace talks last month, part killed. friendlier visa policy and re-
Oct. 21, 2020. of a process launched un- Taliban spokesman Zabi- opened the border in Sep-
Associated Press der a deal signed between hullah Mujahid claimed re- tember following months of
By TAMEEM AKHGAR in a soccer stadium to get the United States and the sponsibility for the attack. closure.
Associated Press visas to leave the country, insurgents in February. The Afghan President Ashraf Millions of Afghans have
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) officials said. talks are seen as the coun- Ghani, speaking to Parlia- fled to Pakistan to escape
— At least 11 women were Attaullah Khogyani, the try's best chance for peace ment, asked "why are the war and economic hard-
trampled to death when spokesman for the gover- after decades of war. Taliban killing Afghans?" ship, while thousands travel
a stampede broke out nor of the eastern Nangar- Rahim Danish, director of He said the Taliban still be- back and forth for work
Wednesday among thou- har province, said another the main hospital in north- lieve in a "false narrative of and business, or to receive
sands of Afghans waiting 13 people, mostly women, ern Takhar province, con- conquest" following a spate health care. q