Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 98-05-16

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

Saturday, May 16, 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Squaddie sent home in disgrace

[02] Holbrooke 'apologised' to Clerides for controversial remarks

[03] No-fly zone only as part of demilitarisation

[04] Madden: Britain working to improve EU ties with Turkey

[05] Andre cancellation could land promoters in court

[06] Waiter charged with Aids crime

[07] Get the UN off my roof

[08] Concern grows over toxic waste allegations

[09] Euro sports conference backs Greek call for Olympic truce

[10] UN officials to visit gypsies

[11] Kyrenia couple arrested for spying in north

[12] Top hotels appeal to unions to scale down demands

[13] Top sponsorship at the races

[14] Anorthosis clinch double after 36-year wait

[01] Squaddie sent home in disgrace

A BRITISH squaddie serving with the UN in Cyprus has been sent home in disgrace after going on a drinking binge in the off-limits resort of Ayia Napa.

"He jumped into a taxi, went to Ayia Napa, got drunk and was caught on his return. The private has been sent home and stripped of his UN medal," a UN military source confirmed yesterday.

UN sources said the young private was only caught outside his Nicosia barracks because "instead of trying to sneak back in he had a drunken brawl with the taxi driver".

The private of the First Royal Tank Regiment is the first soldier to break the ban, imposed last month, which covers 3,000 British bases troops and 380 UN peacekeepers.

The 380-strong British UN force was banned from Ayia Napa following an attack on a British tourist in April.

Holidaymaker Jeremy Caprio, 35, lost an eye when he was jumped on by off- duty British soldiers outside an Ayia Napa disco.

UN sources said last night that the peace force investigation into the assault on Caprio had been completed and the report sent to headquarters in New York. The sources declined to say whether the investigation found any British soldiers guilty of assaulting Caprio.

In order to keep morale high among British troops, army commanders have shipped in Australian Abba clones Bjorn Again for a series of concerts on the island.

[02] Holbrooke 'apologised' to Clerides for controversial remarks

U.S. SPECIAL envoy for Cyprus Richard Holbrooke rang President Clerides last week to apologise for saying Clerides did not represent the people of northern Cyprus, the President said yesterday.

During his visit to Cyprus earlier this month, Holbrooke failed to kick- start deadlocked settlement talks but caused a storm by stating Clerides did not represent the people of northern Cyprus and had "admitted this himself."

The strength of the reaction apparently did not go unnoticed by Holbrooke, who, Clerides said, rang on May 8 to clarify his position.

The President said Holbrooke made it clear he had not intended to cause a problem. Clerides said he now considered the whole matter closed.

The leader of governing Disy, Nicos Anastassiades, divulged what he said were more details of the Holbrooke phone call.

"It was on the day of the National Council meeting and Mr Holbrooke apologised because his statements had been misinterpreted, assuring the President that he always considered him and does consider him as the representative of the Cyprus Republic, of Cyprus as a whole and not just as leader of the Greek Cypriot community," Anastassiades said.

On Thursday, US Ambassador Kenneth Brill stated the official US line was that Clerides was President of all of Cyprus.

While not referring to any phone calls from Holbrooke, government spokesman Christos Stylianides said yesterday the government was satisfied with recent statements by US officials on this issue and the deadlock in settlement talks.

"We express satisfaction at statements by US officials who lay the main and exclusive blame for the non re-start of bi-communal talks on the Turkish side, and for statements which refer to the President as the legal representative of the Republic and the Cyprus people," he said.

The Holbrooke phone call comes in a week when State Department spokesman James Rubin also clarified that Washington squarely blamed the Turkish side for the current talks impasse.

But while Nicosia is delighted at these statements, Ankara is furious. The Turkish Foreign Ministry yesterday summoned the deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy, Frank Ricciardone, to clarify the situation.

The Ministry made no statement afterwards, but Ricciardone was quoted by a Turkish television station as saying he had expressed concern at the "preconditions" for talks set by the Turkish side. Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, smarting at the EU's decision to begin accession talks with the government, is refusing to return to the negotiating table unless his break-away state in northern Cyprus is granted international recognition.

Only Turkey recognises the self-declared state.

[03] No-fly zone only as part of demilitarisation

Omirou, who flew to Greece yesterday to meet his Greek counterpart Akis Tsohadzopoulos, was commenting on the US saying it was "discussing" a proposal by Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos for the creation of a no-fly zone over Cyprus.

"We would be ready to discuss the proposal outlined by Pangalos in the context of a wider framework on demilitarisation of Cyprus," Omirou said.

Pangalos reportedly said the government decision to deploy Russian-made S- 300 missiles, a deployment the US wants cancelled, could be reviewed if the US and Nato would consider guaranteeing a no-fly zone for military aircraft over Cyprus.

Omirou slammed those pushing for the cancellation of the missile order, due for completion in August.

"There is an orchestrated effort to deform the Cyprus problem from one of invasion and occupation to present it as a problem of Cyprus buying one or other weapons system," he said.

Turkey has repeatedly threatened a military strike against the missiles should they be deployed.

[04] Madden: Britain working to improve EU ties with Turkey

Madden, speaking after an hour-long meeting with President Glafcos Clerides, pointed out that the British EU presidency "is trying to work, as indeed Luxembourg asked the presidency to work, on EU-Turkey relations and produce a strengthening of the relationship." He added that such a development would be "beneficial to Cyprus as well."

The High Commissioner said the British presidency and the Commission were working with the other member states to produce a European strategy for Turkey.

"We are trying to produce a successful meeting of the Association Council with Turkey on the 25th of May," he added.

Questioned whether Britain was in favour of "acknowledgement" for the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime, Madden said his country "does not recognise it" and "we are not going to change that position."

"In parallel," he added "we are trying to assist in efforts to produce a settlement of the Cyprus problem; that requires the two leaders of both communities to make a big input into that. That settlement should be based on the concept of political equality, as defined by the UN Secretary General."

Asked about Sir David Hannay's future plans in relation to Cyprus, Madden said the British Special Envoy for Cyprus was currently working on relations between Turkey and the EU, but was "not forgetting about Cyprus."

Sir David is in Scotland to attend a series of conferences along with US Presidential envoy for Cyprus Richard Holbrooke, former secretary of state Henry Kissinger, Nato Secretary-General Javier Solana and Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. The conferences are taking place between May 14 and 17 and such issues as the Asian crisis and the Cyprus problem are being discussed.

A meeting is expected to take place between Sir David, Holbrooke and Cem to discuss the Cyprus issue and Turkey's relations with the EU.

[05] Andre cancellation could land promoters in court

THE CANCELLATION of the Peter Andre concert rescheduled for next Friday could land promoters Seif in court, the singer's management warned yesterday.

Andre's agent Paul Fitzgerald told the Cyprus Mail from London yesterday that the matter was in the hands of Andre's lawyers, who would decide the next step.

The concert, which had already been postponed, was cancelled after the Andre camp refused to sanction a new change to the programme. Seif had told the singer's management that the venue would now have to be moved from Nicosia's Eleftheria Indoor Stadium to the Monte Caputo nightspot near Limassol because the stadium -- initially booked for May 1 -- was already booked for a basketball game on the 22nd.

The concert had first been postponed because the lighting could not be set up to the singer's requirements in time for May 1.

But poor organisation was not Fitzgerald's only gripe. He also charged there had been irregularities over payment. Seif, he said, had paid the initial deposit on the concert, but had not come up with anything since then.

Seif could not be reached for comment yesterday.

People who bought tickets for the concert can now obtain a refund from wherever they purchased them.

Andre fans disappointed by the news, can however take heart, as Fitzgerald says Australian-Cypriot Andre very much wants to perform in Cyprus, just as soon as the right promotions company is found.

[06] Waiter charged with Aids crime

AN HIV-positive Larnaca waiter was yesterday formally charged with having unprotected sex with three women without informing them of his condition.

Twenty-eight-year-old Andreas Nicolaou Michael denied the charges before Larnaca District Court.

The suspect -- who had been remanded till May 21 earlier this week -- was brought up before the court yesterday and charged behind closed doors. He is charged with having sex with one Norwegian and two Cypriot women without informing them he had Aids or taking any precautions.

Michael was released on £1,000 bail on condition he surrender his passport to police. He is to re-appear before the same court on Monday.

The waiter, who works in Ayia Napa, was arrested on Tuesday after a married woman complained to police he had had sex with her without informing her of his condition. The woman has taken an Aids test but will not know whether she has contracted the deadly virus till the end of the month, the court heard during the remand hearing on Wednesday.

The court heard the suspect tested HIV-positive in October 1993. He lived in Sweden between December 1995 and June 1996 and police are investigating whether he was involved in similar offences there.

Michael is currently receiving treatment for his condition at the Larnaca Aids clinic.

He is being prosecuted under a 45-year-old law enacted to stop the spread of cholera on the island. The law provides for a prison sentence of up to two years or a fine of £1,500, or both, for the deliberate spread of a life- threatening disease.

Michael's is the third case involving the negligent spread of Aids in Cyprus. Last month, an HIV-positive London Cypriot woman was jailed for seven months after pleading guilty to having unprotected sex with two men without informing them of her condition. Aids fisherman Pavlos Georgiou was jailed for 15 months on similar charges in 1997.

[07] Get the UN off my roof

AN ELDERLY couple whose Ayios Dhometios home is a designated Unficyp post have asked President Clerides to help have the UN removed from their roof.

Blind George Assiotis who lives with his wife on the ground floor of the three-story house -- UN53 -- on Thali Street, wrote to Clerides last week.

Assiotis has in the past had several runs-ins with the soldiers on his roof, usually British peacekeepers, and has accused them of trashing the third floor of his house.

But just as Assiotis was circulating his letter to the press, the UN monthly magazine Blue Beret published an article praising the improved co- operation between the UN and the resident of the observation post.

The Blue Beret said a number of noise-reducing measures had been implemented and that Assiotis was "delighted".

"He has asked if we can stay on in June," the magazine said.

"Allied to this has been a 'good neighbour' scheme (gardening and essential maintenance) to the building, which has made life at UN53 more pleasant for both the soldiers and the residents".

But Assiotis remains unimpressed.

In his letter to Clerides, he said the damage to his house was incalculable, and unless something was done he and his family would be refugees.

Yesterday, he said that although the present regiment on his roof was better than the last, "they will change again next month".

"It is not a matter of who is on the roof," he said. "I want the UN to leave from my house. If things continue as they are it will fall down."

A UN spokesman said yesterday Assiotis had been at odds with them for the past ten years.

He said the soldiers on the roof were behaving as quietly as possible. "But the fact remains that the house is in the buffer zone," the spokesman said.

Assiotis is paid £42 a month by the government for having peacekeepers perched on his roof.

He refuses to accept that his house is in the buffer-zone and has put up a large sign to this effect outside the house in both Greek and English.

But the government has confirmed that the house is in fact inside the UN- controlled area, though confusingly the official UN sign is placed beyond the Assiotis house.

Today the third floor of the house is in ruins; the bedrooms and bathroom have been boarded up and tiles and kitchen fittings have been ripped from the walls.

Assiotis has accused British peacekeepers of causing the damage.

The UN has promised to look into his claims.

Assiotis also claims that in the past, soldiers had frequently urinated from the roof, thrown down used tea bags, and constantly banged their feet and weapons on the roof.

[08] Concern grows over toxic waste allegations

THE ISRAELI embassy yesterday declined to comment on Greenpeace claims that an Israeli firm was routinely dumping toxic waste at sea just 40 miles south of Cyprus.

"I have no comment," a spokesman for the embassy said yesterday. He added that the Sabbath made it impossible to get any information on the issue "till Monday... maybe".

Speaking on a private television station on Thursday night, the director of Greenpeace Mediterranean, Mario Damato, claimed a chemical industry based in Haifa was dumping its waste off the Cyprus coast three times a week. He said the waste contained heavy metals and other highly dangerous pollutants and posed a serious threat to marine life. The toxins could pass down the food chain to poison people, the Greenpeace man said.

But an Environment Service official dismissed the international pressure group's fears.

He said the government had no information about such disposals at sea. The seas around Cyprus were clean and fish catches were routinely checked for contamination and were clear, he added.

The Environment Movement of Cyprus was far from satisfied with the government response yesterday.

The credibility of Greenpeace, as the "biggest environmental group in the world," could not be questioned, the greens stated.

"We express our deep concern about the dumping of toxic waste by an Israeli firm close to the coast of Cyprus, because it carries deadly dangers for fish-eaters among us," the group stated.

[09] Euro sports conference backs Greek call for Olympic truce

A COUNCIL of Europe conference has adopted a Greek initiative to call a truce to world conflict during the Olympic games.

The two-day informal conference came to a close yesterday at the Hilton in Nicosia, with member states putting their weight behind the Greek proposal.

It will now go before Council foreign ministers who will try to take it further.

The Greek government -- which is current CoE president -- welcomed yesterday's move because it would now "generate interest in the wider international community."

Greece's bid for global peace during the games coincides with its preparations for the 2004 Olympiad in Athens.

Greek deputy foreign minister George Papandreou submitted the proposal and his advisor Dallas Constantinou told the Cyprus Mail from Strasbourg: "The Greek initiative builds on the IOC 1993 initiative to put forward confidence-building measures and public communication events."

He described the CoE adoption as "very useful to build on the general momentum."

Constantinou was optimistic that an Olympic truce was possible, not only in world trouble spots but also in the field of protecting human rights.

"There was a truce in Sarajevo during the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer."

It is understood the Greeks are now in discussion with the International Olympic Committee to try to establish the legal framework to set up an Olympic peace centre at the ancient Olympic site in Athens.

"Such a centre would aim at bringing people closer together for the sake of peace, and would work towards securing an active truce in conflict areas," a Greek diplomat told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

He added: "we want to refute the idea that Greeks just like to talk loud and cause trouble, when really we are a peace-loving nation."

Other major topics discussed during the conference included the problems of drug taking, with Russia conceding that doping among its track and field athletes had seen a three per cent rise in the last year -- higher than any other CoE country.

Another proposal put forward was to restrict the number of foreigners fielded by football club sides to only five.

This would be in direct conflict with the EU's Treaty of Rome and the Bosman ruling, which allows players of EU countries total freedom of movement and bans any restrictions on foreign players.

[10] UN officials to visit gypsies

A UN spokesman said the visit would be in line with standard procedure and that UN personnel would include a doctor and a translator.

The three detainees, said to be Greek Gypsies from Limassol, have been identified as Costas Demetriou, 35, Georgios Charalambous, 35 and Georgos Alexiou, 26.

They were reported missing to Limassol police on Tuesday afternoon and it was later confirmed they had been arrested in the occupied areas near Strovilia around 7.30pm on Monday.

[11] Kyrenia couple arrested for spying in north

Thirty-three-year-old teacher Dolunay Ilteris was arrested on April 23 along with Niyazi Bakgor, said to be her fiancé. A friend of hers, Maronite Mihalis Violaris, is also wanted in the occupied areas.

According to Turkish press reports, Ilteris had in her possession a camera fitted with a mirrored telescopic lens and a mobile phone with a connection to the free areas.

Ilteris and Bakgor, who share a house in Kyrenia, are being kept under observation.

[12] Top hotels appeal to unions to scale down demands

ACTE claimed the reports had been fabricated by the unions in an attempt to confuse hoteliers and workers and to mislead the public regarding the real stance of ACTE members.

ACTE was founded a year ago and represents three, four and five stars hotels and class A and luxury hotel apartments and tourist villages. Its members employ 3,000 people.

A statement issued yesterday by ACTE repeated earlier claims that labour costs in Cyprus hotels accounted for half of total hotel costs, a figure the association claims is unacceptable in comparison to a 20-30 per cent figure in Europe and the Middle East. ACTE members say they have moreover experienced a sharp rise in operating costs at a time when occupancy has decreased at a time when Cyprus faces strong competition from cheaper European destinations.

The association has described union demands as unrealistic, arguing "hoteliers want to keep the workers they have trained but with wages that reflect the reality of the open market and that market's ability to pay them."

The hoteliers want to maintain their employees' wages at current levels for a period of at least three years "in order to avoid going bankrupt."

High costs have already led to hotels cutting back staff by some 30 per cent, but ACTE yesterday argued this has affected the quality of their product. They called on the unions to participate in "a mature and sensible dialogue to reach a common solution acceptable to all concerned parties."

[13] Top sponsorship at the races

This is the 10th year in which LCI have sponsored races in Cyprus, and this year's St James Stakes is especially significant as the gaming club it is named after has just moved to new more luxurious premises on London's Old Park Lane, complete with salle privée and a sports bar with giant TV screen created by St Tropez based designer Christophe Herbert.

The new club, which, according to LCI Marketing Director Mayilyn Eden who is in Nicosia for the event, has many Cypriots among its affluent members, is already doing better than the old St James in the London Hilton.

Prize money for the St James Stakes, and the Les Ambassadeurs will be £10, 000 and the trophies will be by Waterford Cyrstal.

UK market leader LCI is currently the fastest-growing international casino operator, having just landed a licence to build a new casino complex to be built in South Africa. The company has also purchased 25 per cent of Aladdin Gaming in Las Vegas and has just started work on a new Arabian- nights style Casino on the site of the old Aladdin Club.

But the company is also watching with interest the developing government position on casinos in Cyprus, and Eden said yesterday that should the casinos get the green light in Cyprus, they would have a "ready-made" clientèle, thanks to Turkey's recent ban on its casinos.

She added that high-class casinos would boost the number of first-class tourists visiting the island, and would have a knock-on effect on the whole tourism industry, as first-class gambling tourists "require first-class hotels, transportation, golf courses and other facilities."

During its current visit in Cyprus, the LCI team has also presented a donation to locally-based charity The Patients' Welfare Trust.

[14] Anorthosis clinch double after 36-year wait

ANORTHOSIS completed the league and cup double last night, after defeating Apollonas 3-1 at the Makarios stadium.

Two goals in three minutes towards the end of the second half secured Anorthosis' victory and their first double in 36 years. The last time they had won the cup was way back in 1975.

Apollonas, who did not really deserve to lose this tight game, will be consoled by the fact that they are guranteed a place in European competition as cup representatives.

Once again, Apollonas were reminded of the need to sign a strong stiker to lead their attack. Their forward line had been their biggest weakness all season and it showed again last night, especially in the second half when they had most of play but lacked penetration. In fact they only threatened Panyiotou's goal after they had fallen 3-1 behind.

It was a disappointing spectacle, with both sides showing excessive caution for most of the game. Both packed the midfield area and closed down space to prevent each other from eastablishing any passing rhythm.

Inevitably, openings were at a premium. In fact the first shot at goal did not come until the 20th minute when Anorthosis' keeper Panayiotou parried the ball from a Spoliaric free-kick and gathered it before Georgiou or Michelic could get to it.

Three minutes later, in their first proper attack of the game, Anorthosis took the lead, Krismarevic placing the ball beyond Apollonas' young keeper Michael.

Apollonas were level in the 35th minute from a set piece. Pittas, the captain, floated in a free-kick, Panayiotou stayed on his line, and Spoliaric rose to head the ball into the net.

Ten minutes into the second half, Apollonas coach Vutsecovic brought on Tsolakis in place of Georgiou, to give his attack more options, but the substitution made little difference.

Apollonas enjoyed territorial advantage until the last 15 minutes. Then, Tomic served warning by playing an excellent pass to Krismarevic, who wasted the opprtunity.

Twelve minutes from time and against the run of play, Anorthosis were in front again, Michailovic finding Okkas who finished clinically, leaving Michael no chance.

Within three minutes the champions had scored again to settle the game. Melanarkitis' shot hit the post and the ball landed at the feet of Louca who poked the ball into the unguarded goal.

There was no way Apollonas would get back into the game. The final whistle signalled the start of a new round of celebrations for the Famagusta club.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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