Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 99-03-11

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

Thursday, March 11, 1999

Turkish threats over Varosha

A VARIETY of Cyprus problem stories made yesterday's front pages, ranging from the Turkish threats to open Famagusta for settlement to the latest visits by foreign diplomats to the area.

Phileleftheros reported that the Turks, using the Ocalan affair as an excuse, had said they would open up the sealed off area of Famagusta for gradual settlement. This would be done in retaliation for the alleged support given by Cyprus and Greece to the Kurds of the PKK.

According to a retired Turkish diplomat, Sukru Elengtag, the Turkish Foreign Ministry had been discussing the Famagusta issue with the regime in the north. Elengtag expected an announcement about the opening of the town in the next few days, as calls in support of this had become louder.

Alithia said that the Government Spokesman had indirectly confirmed information according to which the German presidency of the EU, in co- operation with France, Holland and Britain, was preparing an initiative in Cyprus.

The spokesman said he could not say more as the government's discussions with the German presidency's envoy Detlef Graf zu Rantzau did not deal with specifics. The other positive point was that Rantzau did not even mention confederation as a possible settlement.

Haravghi reported that Akel leader Demetris Christofias had asked, during his meeting with Rantzau, that Germany and the EU not give the impression that they were discussing Turkey's proposal for confederation. Rantzau responded positively to the request, Christofias said.

Elsewhere in the paper, Christofias was quoted defending his party's call for the resignation of the government. The Akel leader said that this was not a constitutional issue, as the government had claimed, but a moral issue. "A government whose policies are bankrupt should resign," he said.

Machi published yet another 'exclusive', claiming that the secret services of foreign countries were in a race to, first, put the Cyprus Republic under their control and, second, to destroy it. This conclusion was reached by the intelligence services in Cyprus and Greece after witnessing the actions of foreign agents on the island.

The paper also revealed a scheme by the secret services of the US, assisted by those of Britain, Israel and Turkey, to destabilise Cyprus.

Simerini reported that the House Education Committee was shocked to hear a Ministry of Education official claiming that 172 secondary school teachers were unfit to teach because they were suffering psychological problems.

According to claims by the Parents' Association, some of these teachers went into class under the influence of strong medication. As a result, they were unable to teach or to keep discipline. The teachers' union admitted there was a problem but said the number of problematic teachers had been exaggerated.

Politis reported that the Ministries of Finance and of Communications were on a collision course as a result of the 1999 budget for Cyta, which was prepared by the latter.

According to the report, Finance Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou is furious because of the high spending stipulated in the budget.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999

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