Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-05-04

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

Sunday, May 4, 2003

CONTENTS

[01] UN 'to ask Turkish Cypriots to ease the rules'

[02] Checkpoint opens at Ay. Dometios

[03] People from both sides continue to flow across the Green Line

[04] Politis accuses government of hypocrisy

[05] English School sutudent killed in bike crash

[01] UN 'to ask Turkish Cypriots to ease the rules'

THE UNITED Nations will hold talks with the Turkish Cypriot regime tomorrow in an effort to change the current rules on the conditions of stay for Greek Cypriots entering the occupied north.

The Foreign Ministry has asked the UN to take action to ensure that Greek Cypriots crossing over to the north have their human rights respected.

The request came after last week's reports that Turkish Cypriots entered the house of Greek Cypriot enclaved people in Ayia Triada village and forced their children and grandchildren who were visiting them to leave. The regime reportedly ordered the children and grandchildren to spend the night at a local hotel in Ayios Therissos.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, the ministry released a statement, on the instruction of President Tassos Papadopoulos, protesting strongly to UNFICYP and denouncing the behaviour of the occupation regime towards a number of Greek Cypriots as inhuman and humiliating.

The ministry has asked "the UN to take all necessary action so that the Turkish sidemeets its obligations that emanate from the 1975 Third Vienna Agreement and the provisions of UN Security Council resolutions regarding the enclaved people", it said.

The ministry said the government is closely monitoring the behaviour of the occupation 'authorities' towards Greek Cypriots who visit their villages and ancestral homes in the occupied areas.

"It notes with regret and grave concern that in its effort to gain political advantages, the occupation regime does not hesitate to adopt behaviour that violates the basic human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Greek Cypriots and insults human dignity," it added.

The ministry noted that "the government is determined to exhaust all available means under the circumstances to secure the protection of the rights of Cypriot citizens who enter the Turkish occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus".

At least 188,000 Greek Cypriots have crossed to the occupied north since April 23 when the regime there decided to ease restrictions on free movement, which it had imposed in 1974. According to police estimates, at least 50,000 Turkish Cypriots have visited the free areas in the last ten days.

Last week the occupation regime changed the terms of stay for Greek Cypriots, allowing them to spend up to three nights there as long as they could provide a hotel receipt upon their return.

According to diplomatic sources, the UN will be meeting with representatives of theTurkish Cypriot regime tomorrow morning to see if it is possible to remove the hotel receipt requirement for those wishing to stay overnight in the occupied north.

Politis accuses government of hypocrisy

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Sunday, May 4, 2003

[02] Checkpoint opens at Ay. Dometios

POLICE announced yesterday that the Ayios Dometios checkpoint in Nicosia will be opened tomorrow for cars only, while pedestrians will still only be able to cross from the Ledra Palace checkpoint. The new checkpoint, being opened in an effort to ease traffic congestion around the other checkpoints, is near the race track on Demokratia Avenue in Ayios Dometios.

According to police, a ministerial committee which met on Friday has decided to ask the United Nations for the opening up of more checkpoints to allow for the easier flow of traffic between the two sides.

In their statement, the police reminded the public about the dangers of entering the buffer zone at non-designated points: "Within the buffer zone, minefields have been laid down since 1974, which pose a serious threat to the lives of anyone who enters it." They also pointed out the was danger that someone might unwittingly enter a minefield laid down by Turkish forces.

The police said that those who enter the occupied north from non-designated points also run the risk of coming across mines or being arrested by the occupation forces.

Politis accuses government of hypocrisy

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Sunday, May 4, 2003

[03] People from both sides continue to flow across the Green Line

THE FLOW of people crossing the Green Line continued unabated yesterday, as Greek and Turkish Cypriots flocked to the occupied north and free south respectively for the second weekend running.

By 5pm yesterday a total of 4,096 Turkish Cypriots had crossed over to the free areas from the north, while 11,416 Greek Cypriots entered the occupied areas.

Police are expecting an increased number of people crossing today and tomorrow, with figures anticipated to be up on those recorded on Friday, when 16,000 Greek Cypriots and 3,800 Turkish Cypriots made the journey across the Green Line.

Since the first checkpoint was opened by the Turkish Cypriot side on May 23 police estimate that almost 240,000 people have crossed the divide.

The total number of Greek Cypriots recorded as crossing over to the north by police was yesterday estimated at 188,000, while the number of Turkish Cypriots was estimated atjust over 50,000.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Cypriot newspaper Kibris reported yesterday that two GreekCypriot men were assaulted by a Turkish man in Kyrenia on Friday, after they allegedly stood in his way.

According to the paper the two Greek Cypriots were taken to a hospital in the north where they were treated for their injuries, while the Turkish man was later arrested.

Politis accuses government of hypocrisy

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Sunday, May 4, 2003

[04] Politis accuses government of hypocrisy

Politis newspaper yesterday accused the government of double standards, in response to the government's criticism of the paper's decision to advertise two hotels in the occupied north.

The spat follows the decision of the occupying regime earlier this week to allow GreekCypriots to remain in the north for three nights, providing they book into hotels there for the duration of their stay.

Politis responded to reported comments by Government Spokesman KyprosChrysostomides that the paper's decision to include the hotel adverts was "overstepping the mark" by accusing the government of hypocrisy.

According to the paper, the recent package of measures packet for Turkish Cypriots, which includes provision for trade of agricultural products with the north, could be violating the property rights of Greek Cypriots who possessed land in the north before the invasion.

Chrysostomides yesterday declined further comment on the issue.

"The position of the government is clear having announced the policy vis-à- vis the Turkish Cypriots and there are no further comments," he said.

Politis accuses government of hypocrisy

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Sunday, May 4, 2003

[05] English School sutudent killed in bike crash

A 19-year-old student from the English School in Nicosia was killed in a motorbike accident early yesterday morning. At around 2.30am, Andreas Adamides from Strovolos was riding a high-powered motorbike on Grivas Digenis Avenue in Engomi when he collided with a crash barrier.

Adamides, who was not wearing a crash helmet, was killed instantly. Police are asking anyone with further information about the accident to get in touch with their nearest police station.

Politis accuses government of hypocrisy

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

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