Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 02-10-27

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

Sunday, October 27, 2002

CONTENTS

[01] US envoy arrives as contacts are stepped up

[02] Denktash 'in good health' after leaving hospital

[03] Three tourists held as drugs suspects

[04] Strict security for Man United match

[05] Consul in Slovakia sacked 'for crime'

[06] News in Brief

[01] US envoy arrives as contacts are stepped up

Weston was due to meet Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides later yesterday. President Glafcos Clerides, meanwhile, is in Copenhagen for a briefing for EU candidate countries by Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen tomorrow and will return to the island on Tuesday.

British envoy Lord David Hannay arrived earlier in the week. On Friday afternoon, after meetings with the government, he had contacts with politicians in the north in the absence of Turkish Cypriot Leader Rauf Denktash, who is recovering from heart surgery in the US.

Hannay had lunch with 'Prime Minister' Dervis Eroglu and Salih Coshar, 'state minister and deputy prime minister'. Later, Hannay met Hakki Muftizade, special political affairs adviser to Denktash, and Republican Turkish Party leader Mehmet Ali Talat.

After meeting Hannay, Eroglu told reporters that the Cyprus issue was taken up in detail and that “it was hinted” that the Turkish Cypriot side may be faced with a “plan in the future”.

“We presented our views and tried to understand their views,” he said. “It is understood that we may have to face a plan in the future. It was hinted that work had been launched to create a framework that we may have to face in the future.”

Muftizade said that the goal of the meetings with British officials was to contribute to the direct talks on finding a solution to the Cyprus issue, but he added that the Turkish side had some serious concerns because of the likelihood that the Greek Cypriot side would be accepted by the EU on December 13 at the summit in Copenhagen.

“The EU will have divided the island with its own hands in the event that the Greek Cypriot administration becomes an EU member,” he said.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2002

[02] Denktash 'in good health' after leaving hospital

In a written statement Denktash aide Ergun Olgun said the Turkish Cypriot leader was in good health and that he was staying at the Turkish-owned Marmara Hotel where he has been seeing visitors.

Olgun said Denktash would be staying at the hotel for ten days and would be limiting his movements on doctors' orders. He is receiving daily check-ups, Olgun added.

The Turkish Cypriot leader had surgery on a heart valve on October 2 and a second operation on October 20 after complications arose with the stitches in his sternum.

Olgun said now that Denktash had been released from the hospital there would be a better chance to evaluate the Cyprus issue.

“We will be able to return to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and start our work on the policy to be pursued and the technical committees,' he said.

Both sides agreed to set up the technical committees after meetings at the United Nations in New York before Denktash's operation.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2002

[03] Three tourists held as drugs suspects

Alan Martin, Jason Coghlan, and Neil Ticket were arrested in the early morning after police were tipped off that they were allegedly trying to sell drugs.

Drug squad officer Yiannos Yiannakou told Larnaca court that police received information the three men and two other Britons had large quantities of Ecstasy and cannabis in their possession and were looking for customers.

Martin and Coghlan were located at their Ayia Napa hotel, and according to police two tablets were found on Martin.

A search of the suspects' flat allegedly turned up 20 smoked joints containing cannabis and a bag containing seven grams of the same drug.

Police located Ticket later on who said he had no idea about the drugs.

The court also heard that police were looking for two more Britons.

Yiannakou said the three suspects had refused to co-operate with the police.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2002

[04] Strict security for Man United match

They said there would be strict security measures in and outside the GSP stadium in Nicosia as well as along the routes that will be used by Israeli fans travelling to Cyprus.

A police announcement urged local fans to be at the stadium on time to avoid any inconvenience, noting that the gates will open at 6pm. The match starts at 9.45pm.

Israeli supporters will occupy the west stand and part of the south stand of the stadium, while travelling British fans will be seated in the north stand.

Police said local spectators will be taking the east stand and parts of the north and south stands.

Arrangements have been made for local fans to park their vehicles in the north lot, which should be accessed from the road near Orphanides supermarket, the announcement said.

Police have warned that there will be strict body searches of all attending the game and that lighters, bottles, fireworks, and any other dangerous items are prohibited.

People not holding tickets will not be allowed to approach the stadium as there will be no ticket sales at the venue.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2002

[05] Consul in Slovakia sacked 'for crime'

Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said yesterday that Majsky had been found guilty of a crime in Slovakia, but he did not elaborate.

“He was getting paid by the Cyprus Republic and he thought he could do anything he wanted,” Papapetrou said. A new consul has not yet been appointed.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2002

[06] News in Brief

Woman killed crossing road

Police said Demetra Georgiadou was the 75th road fatality since the beginning of the year.

The accident happened at 7.30am while Georgiadou was trying to cross Ayios Pavlos Street. She was hit by a pick up driven by a 27-year-old Nicosia man.

Georgiadou was rushed to hospital but died around an hour later.

Police urged anyone with any information about the accident to contact the nearest station.

Man held after munitions find

The man was arrested in the early hours after police said they found eight 9mm shells, a spent 7.62mm shell, various rubber stamps, a number of empty 'good conduct' certificates from Sri Lanka, and a large number of passport photographs belonging to foreigners, as well as watches and electrical appliances.

Police said the man admitted that his passport was fake and that he used the stamps to issue 'good conduct' certificates to his compatriots for a fee.

His claims concerning the munitions are being investigated, police said.

Grenade attacks

Police said the blasts, which were caused by hand grenades, were heard at around 3am.

Only light damage was caused to the house and the car, they said.

More for the road

The registration of private cars increased to 19,093 from 16,033 in the same period, a rise of 19.1 per cent. Of the total private cars registered, 28.8 per cent were new and the remainder were used vehicles.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2002

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