Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 98-03-10

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cynews.com/>

Tuesday, March 10, 1998

CONTENTS

[01] US to release report on missing Americans

[02] Akel accuses Clerides of buying votes

[03] Meningitis soldier 'could have been saved'

[04] Armed bank robber gets 10 years

[05] Government determined on peace process

[06] Bourse stays at dizzying highs

[07] Central Bank denies Iraqi cash report

[08] Strong earth tremor recorded

[09] Rapprochement the key, say pressure group leaders

[10] Alki hang on to score suprise win

[11] Leaders separated by single goal

[12] Britain expects `generous' proposal

[01] US to release report on missing Americans

A REPORT on the five American citizens listed as missing since 1974 will be released by the US, State Department Co-ordinator on Cyprus Thomas Miller said yesterday.

Speaking after meeting Humanitarian Affairs Commissioner Takis Christopoulos, Miller said the report would include details relating to Andreas Kassapis, a Cypriot with American citizenship positively identified last week as being dead.

Miller said he could not say exactly when the report would be released, "because we have to update it based on the latest information on the Kassapis case".

He also said they would be talking to the Turkish Cypriot side on the issue of missing persons.

Details of the identification of Kassapis, who was 16 when he died in 1974, were released late on Friday in New York when it was reported that Miller had informed his family following a series of DNA tests on his remains.

Christopoulos said Miller told him some details about the case: "He told me how they found the bones and the difficulties they had because they were not found in a grave," Christopoulos said.

He said the bones, uncovered near occupied Asha village, had been found almost on the surface.

"They were in a field that was ploughed every year and the bones were scattered," Christopoulos said, adding it had been difficult to find enough samples to carry out the DNA tests.

Miller made it clear after his arrival on Sunday that Kassapis' remains had not been found in a mass grave.

"There was no mass grave and there were no other remains that were identified other than those of Kassapis," he said.

Christopoulos said Kassapis' remains would be sent to his relatives in the US for burial.

Miller praised the exchange of information about the missing between the two sides, which took place at the beginning of the year.

"I think the gates were already open with the agreement... and I hope that this particular case can stimulate progress on these humanitarian cases," Miller said.

A total of 1,619 people are on the Greek Cypriot list of missing persons, and the Turkish Cypriots have 803 people missing since the intercommunal troubles of 1963.

"We very much look at this as a humanitarian issue, as I know both sides do, and that was clearly specified in the agreement that they had last July," Miller said.

Christopoulos also said yesterday that a third person, former Swiss diplomat Jean-Pierre Ritter, 67, has been named to the United Nations Committee for Missing Persons (UNCMP).

But Father Economos Christoforou, a representative for the relatives of the missing, said one person would not be enough.

He called for more experts to be sent to help in the identification of the missing, or nothing would be achieved.

"We want, along with this chap, another two, five, six, as many as necessary, real investigators, scientists and experts on research so proper studies can be carried out and we can establish what happened to our people, " Father Christoforou said.

"If there's only one representative of the Secretary-general nothing will be achieved," Father Christoforou said.

[02] Akel accuses Clerides of buying votes

AKEL leader Dimitris Christofias raked over the ashes of his party's defeat in last month's presidential elections again yesterday, slinging accusations in all directions.

He charged the backers of winner President Glafcos Clerides with buying votes.

"People who had never voted for Clerides were suddenly to be seen openly stating they were going to vote for Mr Clerides. With honesty, they stated their reasons: 'Do you see that telly? We got a new one. You see that fridge? It's new - and I got pocket-money too'," Christofias told a Nicosia news conference.

Communist Akel joined forces with centre-right Diko to back former Foreign Minister George Iacovou in last month's elections, but he lost to Clerides by some 6,500 votes.

Christofias again blamed United Democrats leader George Vassiliou and Edek leader Vassos Lyssarides for Iacovou's defeat. Vassiliou backed Clerides in the decisive second round of the elections, while Lyssarides, who secured an impressive 10 per cent in round one, told his party faithful to vote any way they liked in round two.

Christofias said the head of EU delegation position Vassiliou was given by Clerides in return for his backing made him nothing but a glorified dogsbody for the foreign minister.

He said the Edek decision to sit on the fence had played into Clerides' hands and secured him victory.

Christofias also said Edek's participation in the new government would not last, if the socialist party remained true to its principles. Clerides would never honour his pre-election promise to Edek to upgrade the National Council through the creation of a national policy council, Christofias warned.

Clerides' return to power meant another five years of undermining workers' rights, the Akel leader said.

He also said Akel wanted to lead the way in creating a new party of the left, gathering support from all 'progressive' areas. "Only Akel can encompass all progressive people in the broader area of the left," he said.

[03] Meningitis soldier 'could have been saved'

EARLIER diagnosis might have saved the life of a National Guardsman who died of bacterial meningitis yesterday, former state pathologist Marios Matsakis said.

Nineteen-year-old Lefcos Eliades from Kaimakli, who was stationed at a Nicosia district camp, died in the intensive care unit of Nicosia general hospital just before midday. He had been admitted just 11 hours earlier, at 1am.

Health Minister Christos Solomis said the soldier had been ill for a few days but this had been put down to a bad bout of flu.

Matsakis said the crucial factor in the survival of bacterial meningitis sufferers was early diagnosis.

"Had the condition been diagnosed earlier he could have been saved," Matsakis, a Diko deputy, said.

"Early diagnosis would not have guaranteed his survival but it would have increased his chances significantly," he said, while adding that he knew nothing about the specifics of Eliades' case.

Matsakis said some of the symptoms of flu and bacterial meningitis were shared, but others, like stiffness in the neck and photophobia, were unique to the deadly disease.

The soldier's condition deteriorated quickly after his admission to hospital and he was put on a ventilator at around 2.30am after meningitis was diagnosed. But he died less than 10 hours later.

Defence Minister Yiannakis Omirou expressed his condolences to the victim's family and promised the incident would be investigated fully.

All the soldiers serving in Eliades' unit have been given antibiotic tablets, and both Omirou and Solomis promised all other precautionary measures had been taken.

"There is no cause for concern," Omirou said.

Solomis said one or two deaths on the island from bacterial meningitis every year were not unusual.

[04] Armed bank robber gets 10 years

George Constantinou was found guilty of holding up the Hellenic Bank branch at Livadia outside Larnaca in March 1997. Constantinou and an accomplice, who has never been caught, got away with £4,582 in the daylight raid, the Larnaca Assizes court heard.

The court noted that armed robbery carried a maximum sentence of life, but leniency was being shown in Constantinou's case because he had only recently become a father for the first time. The court also noted that Constantinou had not hurt anyone in the raid.

[05] Government determined on peace process

PRESIDENT Clerides is willing to meet Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash if UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan invites them to do so.

The government's readiness to revive the peace process was reiterated by Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides yesterday.

He said the government was "determined and serious" about pushing the peace talks forward.

The statement was made after US State Department Co-ordinator Tom Miller met Clerides yesterday.

Cassoulides said that Miller underlined the "American government's determination to step up its efforts to settle the Cyprus question, within the framework of the UN initiative".

The purchase of Russian S-300 missiles was brought up during the meeting, but Cassoulides would only say they were now understood to be "part and parcel" of the Cyprus issue and security.

UN mediator Diego Cordovez is expected in Nicosia at the end of this month to prepare the grounds for talks, and Miller suggested that top US diplomat Richard Holbrooke will also visit the island once this work is done.

After meeting Miller yesterday, Clerides flew to Athens at the invitation of Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis "to exchange views on the substance of the Cyprus problem as well as our accession course".

Security issues will not be discussed during his visit.

[06] Bourse stays at dizzying highs

REFUSING to descend from last week's dizzying highs, the Cyprus Stock Exchange all-share index yesterday survived a wave of frantic profit-taking to close at 85.33 points - the highest in more than 14 months.

Traders said the market was hit by profit-taking midway through its 90- minute session after starting off higher with investors cashing in on last week's gains.

"The market later rebounded and a positive sentiment is still there although a corrective movement might be setting in," said one trader.

Yesterday's new high followed last week's four successive record closes which saw share prices rise by more than three per cent. There was no trading last Monday because of the Green Monday holiday.

With little more than two months gone from 1998, the market has already more than compensated for the lost ground of a disastrous 1997.

The market's impressive performance so far this year has been fuelled by the re-election last month of conservative President Glafcos Clerides and forecasts for improved GDP 1998 growth on the back of an increase in tourist arrivals over 1997.

Volume yesterday was £2.31 million, just off the record high of £2.37 million registered on Thursday, but more than Friday's £2.03 million.

The 'other companies' sector gained the most - its sub-index closing up 6.16 per cent - with huge interest in the shares of the loss-making national carrier Cyprus Airways in which the government has an 80 per cent stake.

Traders said this interest in the airline's stocks arose from expectations that 1998 would be a record year for tourism in Cyprus, visited by 2.06 million tourists in 1997 and 1.9 million in the previous year.

A total of 305,128 Cyprus Airways shares changed hands before the stock closed 1.8 cents up at £0.41 apiece, constituting 5.6 per cent of yesterday's entire trade.

Tourism is the backbone of the island's economy, earning the treasury about $900 million last year and accounting for about 20 per cent of GDP. It is also the single biggest employer on the island.

There have been no official forecasts of the number of tourists expected to visit the island this year, but one figure making the rounds is a 15 per cent increase over last year's 2.06 million. If so, 1998 will easily break the all-time 1995 record of 2.2 million arrivals.

Another stock that had an impressive run yesterday in the 'other companies' sector was K &amp; G Complex, a property development company that is part of the Galatariotis Group. It gained 2.45 cents to close at 12 cents, with 320,164 shares changing hands before bourse authorities suspended trading in the share when it hit the five per cent ceiling on how much a stock can rise.

[07] Central Bank denies Iraqi cash report

THE CENTRAL Bank yesterday denied reports linking Cyprus to an alleged network of money laundering and smuggling involving Iraq.

According to the British newspaper the Sunday Telegraph, Iraq is using a sophisticated network of offshore companies and Latin American banks to buy weapons and military equipment in violation of UN sanctions.

The paper said details are emerging of how Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is using an elaborate network of intermediaries and financial institutions to channel hundreds of millions of dollars out of Iraq each year.

The funds are being moved through the Middle East and Latin America and are being used to finance the purchase of arms and military equipment.

The process starts with the Iraqi Central Bank sending large quantities of dinars, the national currency, overland

to Jordan, where it is converted into dollars, the paper reported.

Money is then transferred by various means to financial institutions in Latin America - Argentina and Uruguay being the two favoured destinations, it said.

"A number of Iraqi front companies have also opened in the Cypriot port of Limassol to oversee the smuggling operation," the Sunday Telegraph said.

But a Central Bank official, who wished to remain anonymous, yesterday categorically denied the reports.

"We don't give permits to Iraqis to open offshore companies in Cyprus," the official said. He that added all such requests first go to the police.

"The police reject all such cases without exception so this can't happen," the official said, referring to the newspaper report that Iraqi companies are operating out of Limassol.

[08] Strong earth tremor recorded

The tremor was recorded at 1.22pm by the Seismological Centre and its epicentre was pinpointed at sea, 230 kilometres from Paphos between Cyprus and Rhodes.

Although no damage was reported, the shock was felt in Paphos, Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca.

[09] Rapprochement the key, say pressure group leaders

GREEK and Turkish Cypriot members of a Cyprus pressure group yesterday condemned the effects of nationalism and stressed the importance of rapprochement efforts between the two sides.

In an interview with the Cyprus Mail yesterday, New Cyprus Association (NCA) members Joseph Bayadas and Ibrahim Aziz spoke of the significance of bi-communal contact and the need to steer the country away from the more extreme elements of nationalism.

Bayadas, a former Cyprus Ports Authority general manager, said that when the pressure group was first formed in March 1975, its members enshrined three aims in a declaration - strengthening Cyprus as a state, rapprochement between both communities, and the maintenance of democratic institutions.

"The most time has been devoted to rapprochement," Bayadas said, adding that the NCA was among the first groups to work actively for such a purpose.

He said that in 1975, there were about 15,000 Turkish Cypriots still living in the western of the island, cut off from outside contact.

"We tried to circulate Turkish Cypriot newspapers to them and arrange food supplies and doctors for their sick as they had difficulties in moving about freely," Bayadas said.

Later, the NCA began publishing articles urging bi-communal contact, he added, since both communities had been used and the country "seemed to have become the ball in a football match between Greece and Turkey".

"We thought it high time for us Cypriots to make our country the point of reference," Bayadas said.

Aziz, who is NCA president, said the "tragic moment" of the Turkish invasion had led to the uprooting of Turkish Cypriots who had had to flee as refugees to the north of the island.

"Such a de facto separation... brought home the significance of uniting as Cypriots," said the now-retired former Agricultural Institute research officer. He added that Turkish Cypriots faced the "chilling prospect" of losing their Cypriot identity and control of their own destiny.

He said the chief authority in the self-declared 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' was the army, with the average Turkish Cypriot being treated as a second or third-class citizen.

"Even a common soldier is outside the law," said Aziz. "This turns the attention of both young and old (Turkish Cypriots) to think of and desire Cyprus as their own country."

He said Turkish Cypriots did not view Turkish settlers in the same light as the Greek Cypriots, but acknowledged it was a problem.

"The settlers bring insecurity to Cyprus," he said.

Both Bayadas and Aziz denounced the obstruction to Turkish Cypriot participation in the upcoming EU-accession talks by Ankara and 'TRNC' leader Rauf Denktash as "ignoring the benefits" of membership to Turkish Cypriots.

Bayadas highlighted the potential for eradicating nationalism's destabilising effect through membership, dismissing as a fallacy the argument promulgated by Denktash that the Greek Cypriots saw accession as a means to unite with Greece.

The average Greek Cypriot, he said, viewed membership as a way of joining with a larger group of countries, "sharing culture and experience" and gaining more security for the island.

"But Turkey wants separate states under a federal umbrella, allowing her to interfere with the affairs of the whole of Cyprus," Bayadas said.

A solution to the Cyprus problem had to be fought for, Aziz said, and to this end the Turkish Cypriot community had to be taken into account.

Ultimately, said Bayadas, a change of heart was needed on both sides. "People should realise what they are sharing - a common country" he said.

The NCA pressure group currently has 60 subscribing members and is made up of both Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

[10] Alki hang on to score suprise win

ALKI yesterday lifted themselves out of the relegation zone by ending high- flying Ethnikos Achna's unbeaten 14-match run with a shock 1-0 home victory.

In Dherynia, local side Anagennisis eased their relegation worries thanks to a last-minute goal that gave them a 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Evagoras.

Paralimni scored their sixth away win of the season and climbed to seventh place in the table, defeating Apoel 3-2 in Nicosia. Finally, after a spirited second-half performance, Apop subdued Aek 2-1 in a game which will be remembered for the missed chances.

In Larnaca, Alki rode their luck to take three very valuable points. They went in front in the 18th minute thanks to a well-taken goal by Kondolefteros who rounded the keeper before slotting the ball home, and spent the rest of the game defending their lead.

Ethnikos laid siege to the Alki goal, but a combination of profligate finishing, some inspired goalkeeping by Andreou and a bit of bad luck prevented them getting an equaliser. This was only the third defeat of the season for the Achna club.

Anagennisis put last weekend's humiliating 10-1 drubbing by Omonia behind them yesterday, as they lifted themselves one place in the table to 12th, on 13 points, as Evagoras slipped to second from bottom on 11.

Substitute Kostas Elia scored the all-important goal at the second attempt, a minute from time. His first header was parried by keeper Giorgoullis but Elia was able to head the loose ball into the net. It was only Anagennisis's third victory of the season.

The last time Paralimni lost a league game was on December 20 when they last visited Nicosia and went down 2-0 to Omonia. Yesterday, they deserved the three points and if their finishing was better the margin would have been wider.

All goals were scored in the first half, Bizic heading Paralimni in front after five minutes. Ioannou equalised after 18, but in-form Georgian Oudzmadzuridze restored Paralimni's lead in the 25th minute. Sixty seconds later Ioannou again levelled.

The winner was scored by Economou in the 33rd minute, his shot taking a deflection off Charalambous and flying over Apoel keeper Marangos.

The Paphos game came alive immediately after the restart, the first half having finished goalless. An Alexandrou penalty gave Aek the lead, but Apop levelled soon after through Stephanou.

Jovanovic scored the home side's winner from the penalty spot to take his tally for the season to 12. Apop played most of the second half with 10 men after Tryphonos was sent off, but held on for victory.

Today, second-placed Omonia travel to Salamina, who will be without six first-choice players. Four are suspended and two foreigners, Kovacevic and Michic, are injured.

In the other game, Apollonas, who will be without seven regulars, travel to Nicosia to play bottom club Ethnikos Ashias.

Leaders Anorthosis were away to Ael last night.

[11] Leaders separated by single goal

OMONIA'S 3-0 win over Salamina on Sunday cut the goal difference that separates them from league leaders Anorthosis, who were a trifle fortunate to defeat Ael 3-2 the previous night, to one.

Level on points and both having conceded 12 goals, Anorthosis are ahead in the table by virtue of having scored one more goal. This could all change next weekend when Anorthosis play Apoel and Omonia are at home to bottom club Ethnikos Ashias.

Not that the fight for the championship title has become a two-horse race. Apollonas, who on Sunday scraped a 2-1 away win over Ashia, are only three points behind the leaders, while the chances of fourth-placed Ethnikos Achna, five points behind, cannot be dismissed lightly.

With two thirds of the league season played, the situation is far from clear either at the top or the bottom of the table. Only Ashia, rooted at the bottom of the table, seem certain for the drop, while there are four candidates -Evagoras, Anagennisis, Alki, Salamina - for the remaining two relegation places.

Salamina, now just two points above a relegation place, never looked like troubling Omonia on Sunday. They were missing six first-choice players through injury and suspension and also had their mind on tomorrow's quarter- final cup clash with Apollonas.

The game will be remembered for the failure of the Nicosia club's German goal machine, Raufmann, to score, after his eight against Anagennisis the previous week. The striker had a rather quiet afternoon, but he did set up Kaiaphas to score the second goal.

Gitanov had put Omonia in front in the 33rd minute and after a bad spell in the second half, Omonia woke up to score twice in last 10 minutes. Malekkos scored the third in the 86th minute, volleying in from the edge of the area.

Apollonas left Kykkos stadium with three points they did not really deserve, but Ashia, once again paid the price for their lack of experience. Ahead through a Pavlides goal seven minutes after the break, Satchias missed two great opportunities to extend his side's lead.

They conceded two goals in the space of two minutes through slack defending and the game was lost. Both came from crosses. Pefkos headed in the first in the 71st minute and Spoliaric the second with an impressive glancing header.

On Saturday night, Limassol fans, as well as TV audiences, were treated to an exciting tie between Ael and Anorthosis. The game featured plenty of goalmouth action and some bizarre refereeing, which was criticised by the coaches of both sides.

Michailovic, the scorer of Anorthosis' opening goal, was at the centre of the first controversy, when he looked to have been brought down in the Ael area. The ref, Andreas Georgiou, initially pointed to the spot only to change his mind after the obligatory protests by Ael players, awarding a free kick to the home side and showing Michailovic the yellow card.

Midway through the first half, Neophytou equalised and in the 69th minute put his side in front from a penalty-kick, awarded for a foul by Foukaris on Stan.

All drama took place in the last eight minutes. Anorthosis got their lucky break in the 82nd minute when the referee, harshly penalised Ael's keeper Leonis for time wasting, by awarding an indirect free-kick. The ball was rolled to Bambis Andreou, who equalised for Anorthosis.

Three minutes from the end Antoniou was judged to have brought down Kotsonis in the area and Anorthosis were awarded a spot-kick which was converted by Andreou, who had proved his side's golden substitution.

Andreou had come on for Pounas in the 35th minute, when coach Dusan Mitosevic felt his side were not coping with Ael's power game.

[12] Britain expects `generous' proposal

BRITAIN yesterday gave its strongest hint yet that the Cyprus government is expected to woo the Turkish Cypriots on-side for EU accession talks.

"We hope that we will have a very serious offer from the government of Cyprus this week," said Britain's envoy Sir David Hannay in London yesterday.

He was also speaking on behalf of the EU presidency after a working lunch with the island's EU accession talks negotiator George Vassiliou.

Hannay made it clear that the EU expected a "generous" proposal on Turkish Cypriot participation in the talks, from President Clerides.

"The involvement of Turkish Cypriots is of very great importance but I am hopeful," said Hannay.

So far Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has poured cold water on the island's EU membership bid.

Clerides is to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair tomorrow evening and hold talks with Foreign Secretary Robin Cook.

The government's position is expected to be put during the President's round of contacts in London.

Speaking after the lunch Vassiliou said that `it is important to convince the Europeans that we really want to do everything possible to have a federal, united Cyprus join the EU'.

The former President of the Republic also noted that `we are ready to co- operate with the Turkish Cypriots and we would like them to assist in this process.'

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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