Cyprus News Agency 96-06-11.

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From: Panayiotis Zaphiris <pzaphiri@glue.umd.edu>

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus President meets UN Secretary-General

[02] UN Chief criticises Turks over buffer zone killing

[03] National guardsman jailed for leaving post, disobedience

[04] Briton jailed for entering Cyprus through illegal entry

1100:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Cyprus President meets UN Secretary-General

The two men are expected to review developments in the Cyprus peace process and exchange views on future steps towards a lasting solution.

The peace process has been blocked repeatedly by the Turkish side, which insists on its negative and intransigent positions.

Another issue expected to be on the agenda are the UN proposal for further unmanning of areas along the UN-controlled buffer zone, where military posts of the island's National Guard and the Turkish occupation forces are in close proximity.

Already the two sides on the island agreed in 1989 to a partial unmanning agreement in areas of the old city of Nicosia. The UN proposes extension of this agreement to cover other areas.

President Clerides has proposed a broader unmanning to be extended between the island's two mountain ranges, namely Pentadaktylos, in the Turkish-occupied northern areas, and Troodos in the free areas of the Republic, in the southern part.

The Cypriot President has also proposed the complete demilitarisation of this east Mediterranean island, providing for the disbanding of the National Guard and the simultaneous withdrawal of the Turkish occupation troops. The proposal also provides for the establishment of an international force to keep peace.

The humanitarian question of missing persons is also expected to be discussed at the Geneva meeting. The discussion on this issue will take place in the light of Boutros-Ghali's letters to the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides, setting a number of preconditions before the Secretary-General appoints his new representative in the tripartite Investigatory Committee on Missing Persons, to replace Swiss diplomat Paul Wurth, who has retired.

Last night, President Clerides attended a dinner given by the UN Chief. It was attended by Cyprus Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides and Government Spokesman Yiannakis Cassoulides.

Also present were the newly appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Cyprus Han Sung-Joo and his deputy representative Gustave Feissel.

After today's meeting, President Clerides will fly on to New York.

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1140:CYPPRESS:02

[02] UN Chief criticises Turks over buffer zone killing

This was noted in a report to the UN Security Council by UN Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, which calls for the six-month renewal of the mandate of the UN Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), until December 1996.

The report, as quoted by ''Reuters'', refers to last week's ''tragic death of the young national guard soldier'', which illustrates the urgent need of an agreement to unman a number of posts along the cease-fire line where the two sides are in close proximity, and to prohibit the use of loaded weapons there.

''In this context I was dismayed at the attempt by the Turkish Cypriot security forces to prevent UNFICYP by the threat of force from fulfilling its duties in the buffer zone,'' the UN Chief says.

He notes that ''UNFICYP soldiers trying to reach the location of the shooting were delayed some 25 minutes by Turkish Cypriot security forces firing warning shots each time the UNFICYP patrol tried to move forward.''

In his report the UN Chief also notes that UNFICYP ''lodged a strong protest with the commander of the Turkish forces in Cyprus against this unacceptable forcible attempt to prevent UN personnel from fulfilling their duties in the buffer zone.''

Boutros-Ghali says ''UNFICYP is also pursuing with the Turkish Cypriot authorities the question of possible criminal proceedings and appropriate disciplinary action''.

The report reaffirms that Panayi was unarmed and notes that he was shot by a Turkish Cypriot soldier, who ''had been observed by UNFICYP infiltrating the buffer zone with his gun in the immediate vicinity of the spot where the body of the national guard soldier was found.''

In Nicosia, UNFICYP Spokesman Waldemar Rokoszewski was quoted Tuesday by the local English-language daily ''Cyprus Mail'' as saying that both the national guardsman and the Turkish Cypriot soldier were in the buffer zone.

''The area where the incident took place has never been disputed. The incident clearly took place in the buffer zone,'' he pointed out.

The Turks have claimed that Panagi had crossed into the Turkish-occupied area.

The UN Spokesman confirmed the 25-minute delay in UNFICYP's reaching Panayi, adding that the British UN peacekeepers had made three attempts to reach the wounded soldier and each try was stopped by a separate warning shot from the Turkish troops.

The UN men eventually reached Panayi after lengthy negotiations with the Turkish Cypriot soldiers.

Doctors verified that Panayi was still alive when a UN ambulance reached him in the buffer zone.

Meanwhile, similar observations are made in an ''Sunday Times'' article, June 8, 1996, which says that ''the Turkish Cypriot Wolf Regiment prevented British soldiers from helping a teenage Greek Cypriot conscript whom the Turks had shot'', noting that the young soldier ''bled to death.''

Noting that the incident occurred on the visit to the island of Sir David Hanney, British Special Representative to Cyprus, the newspaper says that shots were fired by Turkish soldiers against four British UN soldiers who tried to rescue the young soldier.

As the same article stresses ''belligerent Turkish and Turkish Cypriot forces on Cyprus are subjecting British troops serving here with the UN to threats and petty harassment.''

The British paper also notes that Panayi ''had gone unarmed and in daylight to trade his camouflage cap for a Turkish one.''

Panayi was the seventh National Guard soldier shot and killed in the buffer zone by the occupation army in the last ten years.

Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal.

CNA MCH/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1400:CYPPRESS:03

[03] National guardsman jailed for leaving post, disobedience

George Karotsakis was abducted in November last year by the Turkish occupation regime when he entered the UN-controlled buffer zone, which separates the free areas of the Republic, in the southern part, and the Turkish-occupied areas, in the northern part.

Karotsakis had left his military post to exchange chocolates for cigarettes with a Turkish soldier. Eventually he was released after about two weeks in the occupied areas.

Passing sentence, the court president Christoforos Tseligas said ''the sentence imposed by martial courts in such cases must serve as a deterrent for other soldiers.''

He described the offences Karostakis committed as ''grave'' and said ''the court has a duty to put an end to the tendency soldiers have to get into contact with Turkish soldiers along the demarcation line.''

This, he said, is a necessary measure following the murder of seven national guardsmen in the past few years. Only last week, Turkish troops killed a 19-year-old Greek Cypriot soldier, who entered the UN-controlled buffer zone, apparently to talk to the Turkish soldier on the opposite side of the zone.

The UN said its men in the area were prevented from going near the shot Greek Cypriot soldier by Turkish troops who fired at them.

CNA MM/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1410:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Briton jailed for entering Cyprus through illegal entry

Jack Jellicoe, aged 19, had entered the free areas of the Republic from the Turkish-occupied areas after arriving there from Turkey.

He was taken to Nicosia Central Prisons to serve his sentence.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of the island's territory. The pseudo-state in the occupied areas is recognised only by Turkey.

CNA EC/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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