Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 99-03-17

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

Wednesday, March 17, 1999

Paraskevaides to set up chain of chemists

A VARIETY of stories appeared on yesterday's front pages, with most of them focusing on domestic issues rather than the national problem.

Politis reported that the Paraskevaides Group of companies was planning to take over some 40 chemist's shops and set up a chain. The move will be discussed at a meeting of the Pharmacists' Society next week, while the purchase of the shops is expected to be completed next month.

The Paraskevaides Group has already identified which pharmacies it wants to take over. These will be modernised, refurbished and given a uniform appearance, while the chemists working in them will be kept on by the buyer. The group's move was related to the anticipated introduction of the National Health Scheme, the paper said.

Haravghi led with a story aimed at boosting the morale of the 159 workers on strike for the 46th day at the two Larnaca hotels that belong to the Lordos group. "The wave of support and solidarity of all the workers of Cyprus for the just cause of the 159 strikers is getting bigger," it reported.

The strikers underlined their "steel resolve" to continue the fight "until the arrogance and arbitrariness of the employers are defeated and there is vindication". Union reps who visited the strikers yesterday took a message of solidarity from construction workers and £2,000 for the strike fund. Strikers will go on a protest march in Larnaca and Nicosia tomorrow and hold a concert outside the hotels.

Machi focused on the public exchange between the director of the Nicosia Central Prison and the Chief of Police, which was provoked by the former's claim that policemen transferred convicts loaded with drugs and other banned items to prison. The Minister of Justice and Public Order had called for an end of the public exchange.

Meanwhile the Prison Director told Antenna TV that poison smuggled into the prison by convicts could have been intended for him. He added that the wardens knew all about the plot and intervened at the right time to stop it, dismissing suggestions that the convicts had taken control of the prisons.

Simerini reported that the situation in Turkey was chaotic after the recent spate of bombings in Istanbul. Large tour companies in Germany and Sweden had already cancelled trips to Turkey for security reasons and more cancellations were expected after the announcement by the PKK that Turkey was a war zone and was not safe for tourists.

The Kurdish bombing campaign had an effect on the stock market, with the share index of the Istanbul stock exchange dropping by 4.5 per cent on Monday. The Istanbul bomb attack which killed 13 people on Saturday was followed by an explosion in Ankara on Monday from which there were no fatalities.

Alithia reported that Turkey would file an application at the International Court in The Hague because of the lack of support from the European Union in its effort to have sanctions imposed on Greece for its alleged support of the PKK.

The Turkish foreign ministry had studied three agreements signed with Greece in the 1930s which provided, among other things, that neither would get involved in the other's internal affairs nor take action that would threaten the security of the other country. Meanwhile, Turkey's general staff has reported Greece to Nato for its "increased hostility" towards Turkey.

Phileleftheros reported that the German presidency of the EU had urged the Cyprus government to make compromise moves on the Cyprus problem, while making it clear to the Turkish side that it could not prevent the island's accession to the Union.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999

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