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Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-02-22
Saturday, February 22, 2003
CONTENTS
[01] Pressure mounts on DenktashBy Jean ChristouTHE NOOSE appeared to be
tightening around Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash yesterday as he
accused UN envoy Alvaro de Soto of plotting against him and tension rose
between him and Ankara.As a flurry of diplomatic activity began in earnest
ahead of UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan's visit next week, speculation
also intensified as to a likely third version of the UN plan.Turkish
Cypriot press yesterday quoted Denktash as saying De Soto was hiding things
from him but he stopped short of accusing Ankara, opposition newspaper
Afrika said. He wondered why, after six hours of contacts with Turkish
officials, De Soto did not bother to brief him on the content of the
meetings.He said De Soto was plotting against him and that he has become
suspicious about not being informed on the content of the meetings in
Ankara. “De Soto has been trying to prepare something in Turkey and to
present it to us later,” he said. “De Soto refrained from giving detailed
information about the meeting, saying that he did not want to act as a
messenger between the sides. He should inform us on issues, which he
discussed in Turkey. He cannot bargain with Turkey by ignoring the Turkish
Cypriots. We cannot accept it,” he added. At home, Denktash came under fire
from former Communal Party leader Mustafa Akinci and from Republican
Turkish Party leader Mehmet Ali Talat.Akinci said that Denktash, by asking
too much, had destroyed the chance for a settlement. “By demanding the
impossible, he managed to avoid even what was feasible,” he said.Talat said
the Turkish Cypriot leader never wanted a solution. 'He says that he will
not sign the UN plan. He does not want Kofi Annan to visit the island,”
Talat said. However, he does not even know what the plan contains. This
means that he does not reject particular points of the plan but the whole
of it. This means that he never wanted a solution.” The papers quoted a
source close to Denktash as saying it was improbable that Annan, who will
first visit Athens and Ankara, would be able to secure a deal during his
visit. “Nobody here expects anything to happen by February 28,” the source
added.Backing up the Secretary-general on his visit will be US State
Department Co-ordinator Thomas Weston, who arrived yesterday, and Britain's
special envoy Lord David Hannay is due on the island today. Weston said
that the decisions to be taken in the coming days would determine the
future of the island and should not be underestimated. He said this was
going to be his most important trip to Cyprus. “This is obviously a crucial
time ahead,” Weston said.The British High commission said Hannay was coming
with an open return ticket. Both diplomats are scheduled to meet president
elect Tassos Papadopoulos and outgoing president Glafcos Clerides as well
as Denktash and other officialsAlthough a third plan has not been
officially announced, its existence is by now an open secret. The Greek
Cypriot side is worried that it might prove less favourable than the second
version, while Denktash is adopting a “wait and see attitude”.“I think we
remain modestly optimistic that there can be a deal next week,” a source
close to the talks told Reuters yesterday.Papadopoulos held an early-
morning three-hour meeting with De Soto after which he said the UN envoy
told him there would be a third plan “if and when the Secretary-General
decides”.His statement was echoed by Clerides, who said he did not know
whether the UN Secretary-General would submit a revised plan.De Soto flew
to Ankara shortly after yesterday's meeting for further contacts with the
Turkish government. There, he met Deputy Undersecretary Baki Ilkin, who
briefed him on the results of the first meeting between Greece and Turkey
on the issue of security and guarantees in Cyprus. Speaking on arrival in
Ankara, De Soto said that a solution to the Cyprus problem could still be
found by February 28.
[02] Chinese students accused of vicious attack on compatriotsBy George
PsyllidesPOLICE yesterday told a Nicosia court how two Chinese suspects
doused two compatriots with petrol and threatened to torch them if they did
not pay up the money they allegedly owed.The two men, who are students at a
Nicosia college, were arrested yesterday after their car was seen moving
suspiciously in a military area near the village of Dhali.Chen Xin, 21, a
stocky man with short peroxide blond hair, and 22-year-old He Xin, a short
slender individual with black short hair and reddish highlights, looked
bewildered as they took their place in the dock while police investigator
Demetris Demetriou painstakingly went through a list of 13 alleged offences
with the help of two translators - Chinese to English and English to
Greek.Police said they were investigating 13 possible offences, including
attempted murder, abduction with intent to commit premeditated murder,
grievous bodily harm, conspiracy to commit felony and a string of other
lesser wrongdoings.The court heard that soldiers manning the buffer zone in
the Potamia area near Dhali had noticed a car moving suspiciously at around
2.30pm on Thursday.The soldiers intercepted the car while police arrived on
the scene to find the two suspects along with a third Chinese man, Chang
Hao, who was bleeding in the back seat.Police said Chen was driving the
Nissan Sunny while He was sitting at the back with Chang.The three were
taken to a nearby police station were it was determined that the number
plates on the car had been stolen from Paphos, from a Pajero belonging to a
Cypriot.Police found that the Nissan belonged to another Chinese man and
should have been carrying visitor's number plates.The court heard that
customs were searching for the specific car to confiscate it.Police said
they found bloodstains on the back seat of the car, as well as two large
military-style knives, a steel crowbar and pieces of wood with blood on
them.The suspects claimed Chang's injuries were caused after he fell from
his bicycle, but this was disputed by state pathologist Sophocles
Sophocleous, who after examining Chang, determined his wounds had been
inflicted by a cutting instrument, probably a knife.According to Chang's
testimony, he was in the yard adjacent to the Intercollege library with his
roommate on Tuesday, when they were allegedly assaulted by the suspects,
wielding bottles containing petrol.Police told the court the suspects
allegedly doused their two compatriots and tried to set them alight.They
subsequently allegedly assaulted them with knives, inflicting multiple
injuries on Chang, who was stabbed 11 times.The incident was noticed by
passers-by, forcing the suspects to drag the victims into the car, which
had been in Chang's possession, and drive them outside Nicosia.During the
trip, the suspects again doused Chang and his roommate with petrol and
threatened to torch them.They returned them to their flat, where they
forced themselves in, and allegedly stole Chang's passport and laptop.At
noon on Thursday, the two suspects visited Chang again and Chen allegedly
tried to stab him. Chang defended himself using a blanket as a shield.He
was then dragged out of the house and carried to the area where they were
later caught by the soldiers.Police said the suspects had testified that
Chang owed them $15,500 among other things.Chang's roommate, who fled from
their flat, was also being sought, police said.His name as been placed on
the stop list to prevent him from fleeing the country, police told the
Cyprus Mail.Both Chang and his roommate are staying on the island
illegally.They had been registered as students but were stricken off the
list after repeatedly failing to show up for class.The car belonged to a
friend of Chang's who had allegedly told him he got the plates after paying
its duties.Asked if they objected to the police request for their remand
Chen replied he was hungry and assured the court that he could not flee the
island if he was released because his passport had been seized by
authorities.Judge Michalis Papamichael remanded the pair in custody for
eight days but only after a time consuming effort to explain to them the
proceedings and their rights, losing his patience as he wondered whether
the suspects did not understand the procedures or were pretending not to.
[03] Coma Briton flying home todayBy Tania KhadderHEALTH Minister Frixos
Savvides has made good on his promise to send a British man in a coma home
in time for his birthday. Stefan Schelze, who will be 43 on March 10, is
scheduled to leave this morning on a Cyprus Airways flight from Paphos to
Manchester, Cyprus Airways spokesman Tassos Angelis confirmed yesterday
afternoon. Although the flight was fully booked, the airline has made
arrangements to accommodate Schelze.“It is our policy, that because this is
a compassionate case, we will do everything we can and make it a priority
to accommodate this man,” Angelis said. Schelze suffered serious head
injuries in a moped accident on December 9. Because he did not have
insurance, he has been in limbo for the past two months awaiting
repatriation. Upon hearing about his case on Wednesday, Savvides offered to
send Schelze home to his family.“I still believe that people care about
things like this in Cyprus,” Savvides told the Cyprus Mail yesterday. “Many
people tried to help.”Savvides extended gratitude to the doctors who had
cared for Schelze since his injury, and to the Cyprus Mail for bringing the
story to his attention. He also said that Helios Airways had offered to
send Schelze back free of charge if the Cyprus Airways flight fell through.
Until today, Schelze was being cared for at Paphos General Hospital. He was
taken off a ventilator on January 9, but has not regained consciousness and
cannot move on his own. His doctor, Fylaktis Constantinides, says that he
has begun to respond to some stimuli, and moves his eyelids when someone
calls his name. When he arrives in Manchester, his niece, Helen McCarthy,
will greet him along with an ambulance that will take him directly to a
local hospital for further care. McCarthy, who has been working to bring
Schelze home for the last two months, said she was overwhelmed by the
situation and the kindness of the people of Cyprus. She now looks forward
to his return, and says she is optimistic about his prospects. “I can't
wait for him to get here. I think that we can do a lot with him,” she said
yesterday.
[04] Koutsou to resignBy a Staff ReporterNEW Horizons leader Nicos Koutsou,
who got a disappointing 2.1 per cent share of the vote in last week's
presidential elections, confirmed yesterday that his resignation would be
handed in at the party's National Conference on March 16, suggesting
members should hold a secret ballot for the vote. Koutsou thanked the
Executive Office for unanimously rejecting his resignation, but insisted it
was a matter of political responsibility. Regarding his presidential
campaign, he maintained that with little funding, the party had achieved
many of its aims, but failed in the final score Koutsou's candidacy
received. Asked about the Annan plan, Koutsou said the party's stance, as
rejectionist, remained the same, highlighting that the way the plan had
been handled had now led to a new plan even worse than the original.Koutsou
scored almost one per cent less than his party achieved in the last
parliamentary elections, even though he was the only mainstream candidate
openly to reject the Annan plan.
[05] Fraud squad probes £120,000 lossesBy a Staff ReporterTHE police
financial fraud unit are investigating a case of alleged misappropriation
of funds at a Co-operative Bank branch in Paphos. According to CyBC last
night, the sum of £120,000 has been misappropriated. The losses came to
light when a number of clients tried to withdraw sums of money from their
accounts but were unable to do so. Financial fraud officers were called in
and Co-op Bank employees were questioned.
[06] Who's who in Cabinet, by CyBCBy a Staff ReporterCyBC speculated last
night on the new cabinet soon to be formed by president-elect Tassos
Papadopoulos. The channel predicted that DIKO deputy Marcos Kyprianou would
take the helm at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, while the Interior Ministry
was likely to be run by AKEL House spokesman, Andreas Christou. Names put
forward by CyBC for the ministries of Commerce and Finance were AKEL
deputies Stavros Evagorou and Kikis Kazamias respectively, while AKEL
deputy for Famagusta, Sotiroula Charalambous, was suggested as the new
Minister of Labour.KISOS has yet to provide Papadopoulos with a list of
candidates available for ministerial positions but will do so on Sunday.
[07] European Court fines Turkey for barring Turkish Cypriot from crossing
to bi-communal meetingsBy a Staff ReporterTURKEY has been found guilty of
violating a Turkish Cypriot doctor's human rights by the European Court of
Human Rights (ECHR) and ordered to pay a total settlement of €19,715. The
Court heard that paediatrician Ahmet Djavit An had repeatedly been barred
by the Turkish Cypriot authorities from crossing to the government
controlled areas to participate in bi-communal meetings. The doctor said
their continuous refusal was in breach of the European Convention for Human
Rights.The ruling, made on Thursday, voted in favour of Djavit An and said
Turkey's refusal to grant him permission to cross into the Republic and the
UN-controlled buffer zone to meet with people from the other community was
in violation of two articles of the European Human Rights Convention, which
protected individuals' rights to freedom of peaceful assembly. The Court
said that between March 8, 1992 and April 14, 1998 only six out of 46
requests for such permits had been granted.Turkey was ordered to pay €15,
000 for non-pecuniary damages and €4,715 for legal costs and expenses. The
court voted in favour of the plaintiff by six votes to one. The Turkish
judge sitting at the bench made the only rejection. Turkish claims that
Ankara could not be held responsible for events in the areas of Cyprus it
occupied were dismissed. It was clear, from the large number of troops
engaged in active duties in the occupied territories, that the Turkish army
exercised effective control over that part of the island, it said.
Therefore, such control demanded Turkey's responsibility for the policies
and actions of the Turkish Cypriot regime, the ECHR added.But, the Turkish
government argued the doctor had not exhausted all domestic remedies to
deal with the situation in the north. Nevertheless the court rejected these
claims and said Turkey had not proved any of the remedies it had suggested
would have rectified the situation or compensated the applicant in any way.
However, the court stressed this ruling was not to be wrongly interpreted
as a general statement that remedies were ineffective in the Turkish
Cypriot regime, or that applicants were absolved from having normal
recourse to remedies that were available and functioning. The EHRC said it
believed all the meetings Djavit An had wanted to attend had been designed
to promote dialogue between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, with the
hope of securing peace on the island.Accordingly, the ruling concluded
there had been interference with the applicant's rights to freedom of
peaceful assembly.
[08] 13 new court cases against TurkeyBy a Staff ReporterTHIRTEEN new
appeals have been filed against Turkey at the European Court of Human
Rights (ECHR), demanding compensation for property seized after Turkey
invaded Cyprus in 1974.The appeals have been filed by the Erotocritou and
Co. law office on behalf of 13 applicants who own land in the north and are
prevented from accessing, owning and exploiting it by the Turkish army.The
plaintiffs, who demand a total of £6.3 million in compensation, join a long
list of Greek Cypriot property owners prevented from accessing their land
because of the Turkish occupation.The highest compensation sought involves
five of the applicants from the village of Akanthou in the Kyrenia
district.They demand £3 million from Turkey for depriving them of their
property, including a large farming unit and huge expanses of agricultural
land.The rest involve three more plaintiffs from Akanthou, four from the
Morphou district and one from Kyrenia.The appeals are based on a similar
case in which the ECHR ruled in favour of the Greek Cypriot applicant. In
1998, Titina Loizidou was awarded $640,000 in damages, and another $374,000
in costs. Last September, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe expressed its grave concern about Turkey's failure to pay Loizidou,
and ruled it was disregarding its international obligations.
[09] Another dissident apologises on eve of key DISY meetingBy George
PsyllidesFOREIGN Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides yesterday remained tight-
lipped about his intentions for the DISY leadership while a second
dissident deputy apologised to party members for the grief caused by last
Sunday's election defeat and resigned his position in the party's political
bureau.Rikkos Erotocritou followed the example of deputy Prodromos
Prodromou, who on Thursday apologised for the bitterness he may have caused
by supporting outgoing Attorney-general Alecos Markides in the presidential
elections.One day before DISY's supreme council, which could seal the fate
of five dissident party members who supported Markides, Erotocritou
publicly apologised and resigned his position on the party's political
bureau.Speaking on state radio, Erotocritou said he was apologising to DISY
members for the bitterness he caused by supporting Markides.He said the
only honourable thing was to apologise, adding he would have thought about
it twice if time could be turned back.“I express my sincere remorse and
deep apology to the DISY people, which I consider myself part of, for the
grief caused to them by a defeat they are not to blame for,” Erotocritou
said.He revealed he would send a letter to DISY chief Nicos Anastassiades
to submit his resignation.The party's supreme council, which meets today,
is expected to discuss the reasons for the election defeat and possible
disciplinary measures against the 'five'.The council's authority to
discipline members has been disputed by the five dissidents, but despite
initial declarations from Anastassiades that he would have them expelled,
it now seems he may have second thoughts, as such a move could cause a huge
rift in the party.Cassoulides, who has not ruled out a leadership challenge
for the unity of the party, stressed his main priority was DISY's unity and
not any personal ambitions. “DISY should turn the page and make a new start,
” he said.Cassoulides declined to reply if he would challenge Anastassiades
for the leadership or whether he had been offered the seat of deputy
chairman.“When I will be in a position to take my decisions I will announce
them,” he said.He confirmed meeting Anastassiades yesterday, adding he
disagreed with his decision to call an electoral congress on March 16.He
said the congress should be held soon and not in June as scheduled, but not
as early as March 16.“I think March 16 is too soon for the grassroots to
understand the various positions and arguments; it should happen a bit
later, a few weeks later, so there would not be any complaints that instead
of solving problems this congress would create more,” Cassoulides said.He
said the congress should act as a purgatory, which would solve pressing
problems to enable DISY to turn the page and continue on a course of
constructive opposition.
[10] Dummy crocodiles keeping flamingos away from danger zoneBy Alex
MitaDUMMY crocodiles are keeping flamingos away from areas of the Larnaca
Salt Lake where over 50 have died from lead poisoning in recent weeks.The
news came at a meeting of the House Environment Committee, which yesterday
ordered the closure of a shooting range next to the lake. The deaths of the
flamingos have been attributed to poisoning caused by lead pellets fired
over the lake. The Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry, Makis
Constantinides, told deputies that steps to reduce deaths among the
flamingos had paid off. “We have introduced dummy crocodiles in the areas
where we found the dead birds as well as noise making machines, and we have
managed to isolate the area from the flamingos,” Constantinides said.“We
haven't had any deaths in the last three to four days.”Klitos Andreou of
the Veterinary Services said post mortem examinations carried out on 28
flamingos had shown they had consumed large amounts of pellets.“Tissue and
chemical examinations on the birds showed damage from a toxic substance we
believe to be the lead pellets fired from a nearby shooting range,” Andreou
said. Water samples sent to the State Laboratory showed there was heavy
toxicity in the water where the birds were found dead. A representative of
the State Laboratory explained:“We received five samples of water from the
Larnaca salt lake, and we carried out examinations comparing them to
samples we took from the Akrotiri Salt lake,” the representative said.“The
results showed a high level of toxicity in the areas where the dead birds
were found. However, these are just preliminary results and more tests have
to be carried out to determine the exact cause of the toxicity of the
water.”Comments by a representative of the shooting range next to the lake
that it had been operating for nearly 20 years without any deaths raised
questions as to how the birds suddenly began dying off.A representative of
the Fisheries Department explained.“In the past, there were sufficient
populations of shrimp in the lake and the flamingos did not actually have
to stir the lake bed in order to find food.“However, despite the good
rainfall we had this year and the last, the shrimp populations have
decreased, and the flamingos are now sieving the lake bed for food. This
way, they not only take mud and other micro-organisms in the lake bed but
also the lead pellets that have settled there from the firing range. We
believe that the reason the birds didn't die in the past was because there
was always a sufficient supply of food,” she said. Constantinides said the
government's position was that the shooting range should cease operating
within the area and that it be relocated as soon as possible.The Committee
also agreed to review laws on the metal used in shotgun pellets.Asked why
lead pellets were used in the shooting range instead of steel ones, the
shooting range representative said the law stipulated that only lead
pellets could be used, something rejected by Green Deputy George
Perdikis.“The law says the pellets should be made of lead, but it does not
tell you that you can't use pellets made of steel,” he said.
[11] Family offer reward for missing brothersBy Stefanos EvripidouTHE
FAMILY of two brothers that disappeared over seven days ago are offering a
£50,000 reward to anyone who has information that will help locate the two,
dead or alive. Nicholas Sinesi Kannas, 31, and his 27-year-old brother,
Kyriacos, have been missing since last Saturday, despite a large-scale air,
sea and land search operation launched by police and special rescue unit,
EMAK. They were last reported seen at their farm in Panayia ton Ampelion
outside Kofinou on Saturday at 1.30pm by a local herder. Andreas Sinesi,
their elder brother, called on the public to give any information that
might lead to the whereabouts of the missing brothers: “On behalf of our
family, we are offering £50,000 cash to anyone who gives direct information
on the whereabouts of my brothers, dead or alive.”The search continued
yesterday between Kofinou and Alaminos, and on the coastal strip between
Zygi and Mazotos.Police and EMAK officers concentrated their search on an
old quarry 3-4 metres deep with water between Kofinou and Alaminos. Using a
large pump with a capacity of 250 gallons of water per hour, they began
intense efforts to drain the quarry, but nothing showed up. Senior Rural
officer in charge of the week-long search, Theodoros Sergiou told reporters
yesterday the search would continue: “We are now in an area between
Alaminos and Kofinou and are in the process of pumping water out of an old
quarry. The search will continue.”Justice Minister Alecos Shiambos admitted
earlier in the week that the disappearance of two brothers appeared to be a
criminal act. He said there was still no clue regarding the brothers'
disappearance, but added that the clues and evidence gathered so far
pointed towards a criminal act.
[12] Cyprus will have to leave non-aligned movement when it joins the EUBy
Jean ChristouCYPRUS will have to pull out of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM)
when it joins the EU next year, outgoing Government Spokesman Michalis
Papapetrou said yesterday.The NAM, which was founded in 1961, represents
114 developing countries around the world and was originally set up as a
counter body to the rival Cold War blocks.Cyprus, since its independence in
1960, has been a consistent and active founding member of NAM. The first
President of the Republic, Archbishop Makarios, was one of the founders of
the Movement and several NAM conferences have been held in Cyprus.
Papapetrou said that even though Cyprus would no longer be a member of NAM,
the island would continue to maintain special links with the organisation.
“A lot of things connect us with this movement, including historical
tradition,” he said.The latest NAM conference, which opened in Malaysia
yesterday, was being held under the shadow of the proposed US-led war on
Iraq, which the organisation opposes. The 114-member states represent the
overwhelming majority of the 191 UN member-states, and six of its countries
sit on the 15-member Security Council.Cyprus is being represented at the
conference by its High Commissioner in Malaysia, the Press and Information
Office said. “Usually the Foreign Minister and the President attend, but
they could not because of the elections,” a spokesman said.The first
Conference of Non-Aligned Heads of State, at which 25 countries were
represented, was convened in Belgrade in September 1961, largely through
the initiative of Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito.Subsequent conferences
involved ever-increasing participation by developing countries. The 1964
Conference in Cairo, with 47 countries represented, featured widespread
condemnation of Western colonialism and the retention of foreign military
installations. Thereafter, the focus shifted away from political issues to
the advocacy of solutions to global economic and other problem.
[13] Greek-Turkish security talks endBy a Staff ReporterTALKS between
delegations from Greece and Turkey on security and guarantees in Cyprus
ended in Ankara yesterday without a specific result, according to the
Cyprus News Agency. Greek sources referred to the intransigence of the
Turkish side both on the procedure and the substance of the talks.The same
sources said the Turkish side reiterated its existing positions and
stressed the significance it attaches to maintaining the Treaty of
Guarantee, making it clear that it will not negotiate the right to
undertake unilateral action in Cyprus. CNA, referred to Greek sources as
saying the Turkish side favoured the stationing of a large number of forces
in Cyprus, around 10 thousand men, and appeared negative to a proposal by
the head of the Greek delegation who supported the gradual withdrawal of
troops until their full withdrawal when Turkey becomes a member of the
European Union.
[01] Pressure mounts on DenktashBy Jean ChristouTHE NOOSE appeared to be
tightening around Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash yesterday as he
accused UN envoy Alvaro de Soto of plotting against him and tension rose
between him and Ankara.As a flurry of diplomatic activity began in earnest
ahead of UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan's visit next week, speculation
also intensified as to a likely third version of the UN plan.Turkish
Cypriot press yesterday quoted Denktash as saying De Soto was hiding things
from him but he stopped short of accusing Ankara, opposition newspaper
Afrika said. He wondered why, after six hours of contacts with Turkish officials, De Soto did not bother to brief him on the content of the meetings.He said De Soto was plotting against him and that he has become suspicious about not being informed on the content of the meetings in Ankara. “De Soto has been trying to prepare something in Turkey and to present it to us later,” he said. “De Soto refrained from giving detailed information about the meeting, saying that he did not want to act as a messenger between the sides. He should inform us on issues, which he discussed in Turkey. He cannot bargain with Turkey by ignoring the Turkish Cypriots. We cannot accept it,” he added. At home, Denktash came under fire from former Communal Party leader Mustafa Akinci and from Republican Turkish Party leader Mehmet Ali Talat.Akinci said that Denktash, by asking too much, had destroyed the chance for a settlement. “By demanding the impossible, he managed to avoid even what was feasible,” he said.Talat said the Turkish Cypriot leader never wanted a solution. 'He says that he will not sign the UN plan. He does not want Kofi Annan to visit the island,” Talat said. However, he does not even know what the plan contains. This means that he does not reject particular points of the plan but the whole of it. This means that he never wanted a solution.” The papers quoted a source close to Denktash as saying it was improbable that Annan, who will first visit Athens and Ankara, would be able to secure a deal during his visit. “Nobody here expects anything to happen by February 28,” the source added.Backing up the Secretary-general on his visit will be US State Department Co-ordinator Thomas Weston, who arrived yesterday, and Britain's special envoy Lord David Hannay is due on the island today. Weston said that the decisions to be taken in the coming days would determine the future of the island and should not be underestimated. He said this was going to be his most important trip to Cyprus. “This is obviously a crucial time ahead,” Weston said.The British High commission said Hannay was coming with an open return ticket. Both diplomats are scheduled to meet president elect Tassos Papadopoulos and outgoing president Glafcos Clerides as well as Denktash and other officialsAlthough a third plan has not been officially announced, its existence is by now an open secret. The Greek Cypriot side is worried that it might prove less favourable than the second version, while Denktash is adopting a “wait and see attitude”.“I think we remain modestly optimistic that there can be a deal next week,” a source close to the talks told Reuters yesterday.Papadopoulos held an early-morning three-hour meeting with De Soto after which he said the UN envoy told him there would be a third plan “if and when the Secretary-General decides”.His statement was echoed by Clerides, who said he did not know whether the UN Secretary-General would submit a revised plan.De Soto flew to Ankara shortly after yesterday's meeting for further contacts with the Turkish government. There, he met Deputy Undersecretary Baki Ilkin, who briefed him on the results of the first meeting between Greece and Turkey on the issue of security and guarantees in Cyprus. Speaking on arrival in Ankara, De Soto said that a solution to the Cyprus problem could still be found by February 28.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Saturday, February 22, 2003
[02] Chinese students accused of vicious attack on compatriotsBy George
PsyllidesPOLICE yesterday told a Nicosia court how two Chinese suspects
doused two compatriots with petrol and threatened to torch them if they did
not pay up the money they allegedly owed.The two men, who are students at a
Nicosia college, were arrested yesterday after their car was seen moving
suspiciously in a military area near the village of Dhali.Chen Xin, 21, a
stocky man with short peroxide blond hair, and 22-year-old He Xin, a short
slender individual with black short hair and reddish highlights, looked
bewildered as they took their place in the dock while police investigator
Demetris Demetriou painstakingly went through a list of 13 alleged offences
with the help of two translators - Chinese to English and English to
Greek.Police said they were investigating 13 possible offences, including
attempted murder, abduction with intent to commit premeditated murder,
grievous bodily harm, conspiracy to commit felony and a string of other
lesser wrongdoings.The court heard that soldiers manning the buffer zone in
the Potamia area near Dhali had noticed a car moving suspiciously at around
2.30pm on Thursday.The soldiers intercepted the car while police arrived on
the scene to find the two suspects along with a third Chinese man, Chang
Hao, who was bleeding in the back seat.Police said Chen was driving the
Nissan Sunny while He was sitting at the back with Chang.The three were
taken to a nearby police station were it was determined that the number
plates on the car had been stolen from Paphos, from a Pajero belonging to a
Cypriot.Police found that the Nissan belonged to another Chinese man and
should have been carrying visitor's number plates.The court heard that
customs were searching for the specific car to confiscate it.Police said
they found bloodstains on the back seat of the car, as well as two large
military-style knives, a steel crowbar and pieces of wood with blood on
them.The suspects claimed Chang's injuries were caused after he fell from
his bicycle, but this was disputed by state pathologist Sophocles
Sophocleous, who after examining Chang, determined his wounds had been
inflicted by a cutting instrument, probably a knife.According to Chang's
testimony, he was in the yard adjacent to the Intercollege library with his
roommate on Tuesday, when they were allegedly assaulted by the suspects,
wielding bottles containing petrol.Police told the court the suspects
allegedly doused their two compatriots and tried to set them alight.They
subsequently allegedly assaulted them with knives, inflicting multiple
injuries on Chang, who was stabbed 11 times.The incident was noticed by
passers-by, forcing the suspects to drag the victims into the car, which
had been in Chang's possession, and drive them outside Nicosia.During the
trip, the suspects again doused Chang and his roommate with petrol and
threatened to torch them.They returned them to their flat, where they
forced themselves in, and allegedly stole Chang's passport and laptop.At
noon on Thursday, the two suspects visited Chang again and Chen allegedly
tried to stab him. Chang defended himself using a blanket as a shield.He
was then dragged out of the house and carried to the area where they were
later caught by the soldiers.Police said the suspects had testified that
Chang owed them $15,500 among other things.Chang's roommate, who fled from
their flat, was also being sought, police said.His name as been placed on
the stop list to prevent him from fleeing the country, police told the
Cyprus Mail.Both Chang and his roommate are staying on the island illegally.They had been registered as students but were stricken off the list after repeatedly failing to show up for class.The car belonged to a friend of Chang's who had allegedly told him he got the plates after paying its duties.Asked if they objected to the police request for their remand Chen replied he was hungry and assured the court that he could not flee the island if he was released because his passport had been seized by authorities.Judge Michalis Papamichael remanded the pair in custody for eight days but only after a time consuming effort to explain to them the proceedings and their rights, losing his patience as he wondered whether the suspects did not understand the procedures or were pretending not to.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Saturday, February 22, 2003
[03] Coma Briton flying home todayBy Tania KhadderHEALTH Minister Frixos
Savvides has made good on his promise to send a British man in a coma home
in time for his birthday. Stefan Schelze, who will be 43 on March 10, is
scheduled to leave this morning on a Cyprus Airways flight from Paphos to
Manchester, Cyprus Airways spokesman Tassos Angelis confirmed yesterday
afternoon. Although the flight was fully booked, the airline has made
arrangements to accommodate Schelze.“It is our policy, that because this is
a compassionate case, we will do everything we can and make it a priority
to accommodate this man,” Angelis said. Schelze suffered serious head
injuries in a moped accident on December 9. Because he did not have
insurance, he has been in limbo for the past two months awaiting
repatriation. Upon hearing about his case on Wednesday, Savvides offered to
send Schelze home to his family.“I still believe that people care about
things like this in Cyprus,” Savvides told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.
“Many people tried to help.”Savvides extended gratitude to the doctors who
had cared for Schelze since his injury, and to the Cyprus Mail for
bringing the story to his attention. He also said that Helios Airways had
offered to send Schelze back free of charge if the Cyprus Airways flight
fell through. Until today, Schelze was being cared for at Paphos General
Hospital. He was taken off a ventilator on January 9, but has not regained
consciousness and cannot move on his own. His doctor, Fylaktis
Constantinides, says that he has begun to respond to some stimuli, and
moves his eyelids when someone calls his name. When he arrives in
Manchester, his niece, Helen McCarthy, will greet him along with an
ambulance that will take him directly to a local hospital for further care.
McCarthy, who has been working to bring Schelze home for the last two
months, said she was overwhelmed by the situation and the kindness of the
people of Cyprus. She now looks forward to his return, and says she is
optimistic about his prospects. “I can't wait for him to get here. I think
that we can do a lot with him,” she said yesterday.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Saturday, February 22, 2003
[04] Koutsou to resignBy a Staff ReporterNEW Horizons leader Nicos Koutsou,
who got a disappointing 2.1 per cent share of the vote in last week's
presidential elections, confirmed yesterday that his resignation would be
handed in at the party's National Conference on March 16, suggesting
members should hold a secret ballot for the vote. Koutsou thanked the
Executive Office for unanimously rejecting his resignation, but insisted it
was a matter of political responsibility. Regarding his presidential
campaign, he maintained that with little funding, the party had achieved
many of its aims, but failed in the final score Koutsou's candidacy
received. Asked about the Annan plan, Koutsou said the party's stance, as
rejectionist, remained the same, highlighting that the way the plan had
been handled had now led to a new plan even worse than the original.Koutsou
scored almost one per cent less than his party achieved in the last
parliamentary elections, even though he was the only mainstream candidate
openly to reject the Annan plan.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Saturday, February 22, 2003
[05] Fraud squad probes £120,000 lossesBy a Staff ReporterTHE police
financial fraud unit are investigating a case of alleged misappropriation
of funds at a Co-operative Bank branch in Paphos. According to CyBC last
night, the sum of £120,000 has been misappropriated. The losses came to
light when a number of clients tried to withdraw sums of money from their
accounts but were unable to do so. Financial fraud officers were called in
and Co-op Bank employees were questioned.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Saturday, February 22, 2003
[06] Who's who in Cabinet, by CyBCBy a Staff ReporterCyBC speculated last
night on the new cabinet soon to be formed by president-elect Tassos
Papadopoulos. The channel predicted that DIKO deputy Marcos Kyprianou would
take the helm at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, while the Interior Ministry
was likely to be run by AKEL House spokesman, Andreas Christou. Names put
forward by CyBC for the ministries of Commerce and Finance were AKEL
deputies Stavros Evagorou and Kikis Kazamias respectively, while AKEL
deputy for Famagusta, Sotiroula Charalambous, was suggested as the new
Minister of Labour.KISOS has yet to provide Papadopoulos with a list of
candidates available for ministerial positions but will do so on Sunday.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Saturday, February 22, 2003
[07] European Court fines Turkey for barring Turkish Cypriot from crossing
to bi-communal meetingsBy a Staff ReporterTURKEY has been found guilty of
violating a Turkish Cypriot doctor's human rights by the European Court of
Human Rights (ECHR) and ordered to pay a total settlement of €19,715. The
Court heard that paediatrician Ahmet Djavit An had repeatedly been barred
by the Turkish Cypriot authorities from crossing to the government
controlled areas to participate in bi-communal meetings. The doctor said
their continuous refusal was in breach of the European Convention for Human
Rights.The ruling, made on Thursday, voted in favour of Djavit An and said
Turkey's refusal to grant him permission to cross into the Republic and the
UN-controlled buffer zone to meet with people from the other community was
in violation of two articles of the European Human Rights Convention, which
protected individuals' rights to freedom of peaceful assembly. The Court
said that between March 8, 1992 and April 14, 1998 only six out of 46
requests for such permits had been granted.Turkey was ordered to pay €15,
000 for non-pecuniary damages and €4,715 for legal costs and expenses. The
court voted in favour of the plaintiff by six votes to one. The Turkish
judge sitting at the bench made the only rejection. Turkish claims that
Ankara could not be held responsible for events in the areas of Cyprus it
occupied were dismissed. It was clear, from the large number of troops
engaged in active duties in the occupied territories, that the Turkish army
exercised effective control over that part of the island, it said.
Therefore, such control demanded Turkey's responsibility for the policies
and actions of the Turkish Cypriot regime, the ECHR added.But, the Turkish
government argued the doctor had not exhausted all domestic remedies to
deal with the situation in the north. Nevertheless the court rejected these
claims and said Turkey had not proved any of the remedies it had suggested
would have rectified the situation or compensated the applicant in any way.
However, the court stressed this ruling was not to be wrongly interpreted
as a general statement that remedies were ineffective in the Turkish
Cypriot regime, or that applicants were absolved from having normal
recourse to remedies that were available and functioning. The EHRC said it
believed all the meetings Djavit An had wanted to attend had been designed
to promote dialogue between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, with the
hope of securing peace on the island.Accordingly, the ruling concluded
there had been interference with the applicant's rights to freedom of
peaceful assembly.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Saturday, February 22, 2003
[08] 13 new court cases against TurkeyBy a Staff ReporterTHIRTEEN new
appeals have been filed against Turkey at the European Court of Human
Rights (ECHR), demanding compensation for property seized after Turkey
invaded Cyprus in 1974.The appeals have been filed by the Erotocritou and
Co. law office on behalf of 13 applicants who own land in the north and are
prevented from accessing, owning and exploiting it by the Turkish army.The
plaintiffs, who demand a total of £6.3 million in compensation, join a long
list of Greek Cypriot property owners prevented from accessing their land
because of the Turkish occupation.The highest compensation sought involves
five of the applicants from the village of Akanthou in the Kyrenia
district.They demand £3 million from Turkey for depriving them of their
property, including a large farming unit and huge expanses of agricultural
land.The rest involve three more plaintiffs from Akanthou, four from the
Morphou district and one from Kyrenia.The appeals are based on a similar
case in which the ECHR ruled in favour of the Greek Cypriot applicant. In
1998, Titina Loizidou was awarded $640,000 in damages, and another $374,000
in costs. Last September, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe expressed its grave concern about Turkey's failure to pay Loizidou,
and ruled it was disregarding its international obligations.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Saturday, February 22, 2003
[09] Another dissident apologises on eve of key DISY meetingBy George
PsyllidesFOREIGN Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides yesterday remained tight-
lipped about his intentions for the DISY leadership while a second
dissident deputy apologised to party members for the grief caused by last
Sunday's election defeat and resigned his position in the party's political
bureau.Rikkos Erotocritou followed the example of deputy Prodromos
Prodromou, who on Thursday apologised for the bitterness he may have caused
by supporting outgoing Attorney-general Alecos Markides in the presidential
elections.One day before DISY's supreme council, which could seal the fate
of five dissident party members who supported Markides, Erotocritou
publicly apologised and resigned his position on the party's political
bureau.Speaking on state radio, Erotocritou said he was apologising to DISY
members for the bitterness he caused by supporting Markides.He said the
only honourable thing was to apologise, adding he would have thought about
it twice if time could be turned back.“I express my sincere remorse and
deep apology to the DISY people, which I consider myself part of, for the
grief caused to them by a defeat they are not to blame for,” Erotocritou
said.He revealed he would send a letter to DISY chief Nicos Anastassiades
to submit his resignation.The party's supreme council, which meets today,
is expected to discuss the reasons for the election defeat and possible
disciplinary measures against the 'five'.The council's authority to
discipline members has been disputed by the five dissidents, but despite
initial declarations from Anastassiades that he would have them expelled,
it now seems he may have second thoughts, as such a move could cause a huge
rift in the party.Cassoulides, who has not ruled out a leadership challenge
for the unity of the party, stressed his main priority was DISY's unity and
not any personal ambitions. “DISY should turn the page and make a new start,
” he said.Cassoulides declined to reply if he would challenge Anastassiades
for the leadership or whether he had been offered the seat of deputy
chairman.“When I will be in a position to take my decisions I will announce
them,” he said.He confirmed meeting Anastassiades yesterday, adding he
disagreed with his decision to call an electoral congress on March 16.He
said the congress should be held soon and not in June as scheduled, but not
as early as March 16.“I think March 16 is too soon for the grassroots to
understand the various positions and arguments; it should happen a bit
later, a few weeks later, so there would not be any complaints that instead
of solving problems this congress would create more,” Cassoulides said.He
said the congress should act as a purgatory, which would solve pressing
problems to enable DISY to turn the page and continue on a course of
constructive opposition.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Saturday, February 22, 2003
[10] Dummy crocodiles keeping flamingos away from danger zoneBy Alex
MitaDUMMY crocodiles are keeping flamingos away from areas of the Larnaca
Salt Lake where over 50 have died from lead poisoning in recent weeks.The
news came at a meeting of the House Environment Committee, which yesterday
ordered the closure of a shooting range next to the lake. The deaths of the
flamingos have been attributed to poisoning caused by lead pellets fired
over the lake. The Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry, Makis
Constantinides, told deputies that steps to reduce deaths among the
flamingos had paid off. “We have introduced dummy crocodiles in the areas
where we found the dead birds as well as noise making machines, and we have
managed to isolate the area from the flamingos,” Constantinides said.“We
haven't had any deaths in the last three to four days.”Klitos Andreou of
the Veterinary Services said post mortem examinations carried out on 28
flamingos had shown they had consumed large amounts of pellets.“Tissue and
chemical examinations on the birds showed damage from a toxic substance we
believe to be the lead pellets fired from a nearby shooting range,” Andreou
said. Water samples sent to the State Laboratory showed there was heavy
toxicity in the water where the birds were found dead. A representative of
the State Laboratory explained:“We received five samples of water from the
Larnaca salt lake, and we carried out examinations comparing them to
samples we took from the Akrotiri Salt lake,” the representative said.“The
results showed a high level of toxicity in the areas where the dead birds
were found. However, these are just preliminary results and more tests have
to be carried out to determine the exact cause of the toxicity of the
water.”Comments by a representative of the shooting range next to the lake
that it had been operating for nearly 20 years without any deaths raised
questions as to how the birds suddenly began dying off.A representative of
the Fisheries Department explained.“In the past, there were sufficient
populations of shrimp in the lake and the flamingos did not actually have
to stir the lake bed in order to find food.“However, despite the good
rainfall we had this year and the last, the shrimp populations have
decreased, and the flamingos are now sieving the lake bed for food. This
way, they not only take mud and other micro-organisms in the lake bed but
also the lead pellets that have settled there from the firing range. We
believe that the reason the birds didn't die in the past was because there
was always a sufficient supply of food,” she said. Constantinides said the
government's position was that the shooting range should cease operating
within the area and that it be relocated as soon as possible.The Committee
also agreed to review laws on the metal used in shotgun pellets.Asked why
lead pellets were used in the shooting range instead of steel ones, the
shooting range representative said the law stipulated that only lead
pellets could be used, something rejected by Green Deputy George
Perdikis.“The law says the pellets should be made of lead, but it does not
tell you that you can't use pellets made of steel,” he said.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Saturday, February 22, 2003
[11] Family offer reward for missing brothersBy Stefanos EvripidouTHE
FAMILY of two brothers that disappeared over seven days ago are offering a
£50,000 reward to anyone who has information that will help locate the two,
dead or alive. Nicholas Sinesi Kannas, 31, and his 27-year-old brother,
Kyriacos, have been missing since last Saturday, despite a large-scale air,
sea and land search operation launched by police and special rescue unit,
EMAK. They were last reported seen at their farm in Panayia ton Ampelion
outside Kofinou on Saturday at 1.30pm by a local herder. Andreas Sinesi,
their elder brother, called on the public to give any information that
might lead to the whereabouts of the missing brothers: “On behalf of our
family, we are offering £50,000 cash to anyone who gives direct information
on the whereabouts of my brothers, dead or alive.”The search continued
yesterday between Kofinou and Alaminos, and on the coastal strip between
Zygi and Mazotos.Police and EMAK officers concentrated their search on an
old quarry 3-4 metres deep with water between Kofinou and Alaminos. Using a
large pump with a capacity of 250 gallons of water per hour, they began
intense efforts to drain the quarry, but nothing showed up. Senior Rural
officer in charge of the week-long search, Theodoros Sergiou told reporters
yesterday the search would continue: “We are now in an area between
Alaminos and Kofinou and are in the process of pumping water out of an old
quarry. The search will continue.”Justice Minister Alecos Shiambos admitted
earlier in the week that the disappearance of two brothers appeared to be a
criminal act. He said there was still no clue regarding the brothers'
disappearance, but added that the clues and evidence gathered so far
pointed towards a criminal act.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Saturday, February 22, 2003
[12] Cyprus will have to leave non-aligned movement when it joins the EUBy
Jean ChristouCYPRUS will have to pull out of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM)
when it joins the EU next year, outgoing Government Spokesman Michalis
Papapetrou said yesterday.The NAM, which was founded in 1961, represents
114 developing countries around the world and was originally set up as a
counter body to the rival Cold War blocks.Cyprus, since its independence in
1960, has been a consistent and active founding member of NAM. The first
President of the Republic, Archbishop Makarios, was one of the founders of
the Movement and several NAM conferences have been held in Cyprus.
Papapetrou said that even though Cyprus would no longer be a member of NAM,
the island would continue to maintain special links with the organisation.
“A lot of things connect us with this movement, including historical
tradition,” he said.The latest NAM conference, which opened in Malaysia
yesterday, was being held under the shadow of the proposed US-led war on
Iraq, which the organisation opposes. The 114-member states represent the
overwhelming majority of the 191 UN member-states, and six of its countries
sit on the 15-member Security Council.Cyprus is being represented at the
conference by its High Commissioner in Malaysia, the Press and Information
Office said. “Usually the Foreign Minister and the President attend, but
they could not because of the elections,” a spokesman said.The first
Conference of Non-Aligned Heads of State, at which 25 countries were
represented, was convened in Belgrade in September 1961, largely through
the initiative of Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito.Subsequent conferences
involved ever-increasing participation by developing countries. The 1964
Conference in Cairo, with 47 countries represented, featured widespread
condemnation of Western colonialism and the retention of foreign military
installations. Thereafter, the focus shifted away from political issues to
the advocacy of solutions to global economic and other problem.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
Saturday, February 22, 2003
[13] Greek-Turkish security talks endBy a Staff ReporterTALKS between
delegations from Greece and Turkey on security and guarantees in Cyprus
ended in Ankara yesterday without a specific result, according to the
Cyprus News Agency. Greek sources referred to the intransigence of the
Turkish side both on the procedure and the substance of the talks.The same
sources said the Turkish side reiterated its existing positions and
stressed the significance it attaches to maintaining the Treaty of
Guarantee, making it clear that it will not negotiate the right to
undertake unilateral action in Cyprus. CNA, referred to Greek sources as
saying the Turkish side favoured the stationing of a large number of forces
in Cyprus, around 10 thousand men, and appeared negative to a proposal by
the head of the Greek delegation who supported the gradual withdrawal of
troops until their full withdrawal when Turkey becomes a member of the
European Union.
Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003
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