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Cyprus News Agency 96-07-10.Cyprus News Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Giorgos Zacharia <lysi@MIT.EDU>CONTENTS
0930:CYPPRESS:01[01] Albright announces trip to Greece-Cyprus-TurkeyWashington, Jul 10 (CNA) -- US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Madeleine Albright, will travel to Greece, Cyprus and Turkey from July 15 to 20 to explore potential opportunities to bring the parties together in order to achieve a comprehensive agreement and lasting peace in the region.Ambassador Albright, in her capacity as US Representative to the United Nations and as a member of the National Security Council and President Clinton's cabinet, will depart Monday, July 15, for Greece, Cyprus and Turkey. She will be accompanied by Special Presidential Emissary for Cyprus Richard Beattie, State Department's Coordinator for Cyprus James Williams, the Director of State Department's Office of Southern European Affairs Robert Cavano and specialists from the Pentagon. In Athens, Ambassador Albright will meet Greek government officials on July 16 and 17. Among the issues to be discussed are the Cyprus problem the disputes in the Aegean Sea, and Bosnia. After Athens, Mrs Albright will travel to Nicosia on July 17 to examine the effectiveness of the UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus and to explore potential opportunities to bring the parties together in order to achieve a comprehensive agreement and a lasting peace in the region. After Nicosia, she will fly on to Ankara to meet Turkish government officials on July 18 and 19 to discuss a variety of bilateral and multilateral issues of importance to the United States and Turkey, including Cyprus, the Aegean, Iraqi oil issues and Operation Provide Comfort. CNA DA/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1240:CYPPRESS:02[02] Irish EU presidency appoints representative for CyprusNicosia, Jul 10 (CNA) -- A retired Irish diplomat, Kester Heaslip, has been appointed as representative for Cyprus of the Irish presidency of to European Union (EU).EU Council of Ministers for General Affairs, due to meet on Monday in Brussels, will decide on Heaslip's specific mission. His appointment will also be discussed next week at the European Parliament plenary. Heaslip has served as his country's ambassador in Bonn and the Hague. He also headed the Economic Division at the Irish Foreign Ministry. He is expected to submit reports to the Irish EU presidency and the EU Council of Ministers. Heaslip replaces Federico di Roberto, who acted as representative of the Italian EU presidency in the first half of 1996. The Cyprus government has seen the appointment of a representative of the rotating EU presidency for Cyprus as a first step towards the appointment of an envoy representing the EU. The Union has decided to be more actively involved in the search for a Cyprus settlement, in view of the start of membership talks with Cyprus, six months after the EU Intergovernmental Conference, now under way. Cyprus applied for EU membership in July 1990. It signed an association agreement with the European Community in 1972 and a customs union agreement in 1987. Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal from this east Mediterranean island republic, a UN member. CNA AP/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1450:CYPPRESS:03[03] Cypriot journalists denounce columnist's murderNicosia, Jul 10 (CNA) -- The Cyprus Union of Journalists has protested to international unions of journalists about the cruelty of the Denktash regime in the Turkish-occupied northern part of the island, to bar a Union delegation to attend yesterday the funeral of murdered prominent Turkish Cypriot columnist, Kutlu Adali.The Union had sent a written request to the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces Spokesman, Waltemar Rokoszweski, asking him to mediate so that a five-member delegation could attend the funeral in the Turkish-occupied areas. However, the reply from the Denktash regime was negative. The Greek Cypriot journalists made a second attempt to attend the funeral when they went to the Ledra Palace checkpoint but were again refused entry. They handed a wreath to a Turkish Cypriot journalist at the checkpoint and asked him to pass on their condolences. The journalists also sent a written letter of condolences to the Turkish Cypriot newspaper ''Yeni Duzen'', the newspaper Adali worked for, condemning the murder. In a press release the Union said the murder was a ''political crime which is directed against all Cypriots, Turks and Greeks, who work for the restoration of unity in an independent and peaceful country, without foreign troops, settlers or interventions.'' The Union will continue sending letters to international press organisations, condemning the assassination of the 61-year-old columnist, on Saturday. A group calling itself ''Turkish Revenge Brigade'' (TIT), an underground terrorist organisation of Turkey's right-wing fascist Grey Wolves group, claimed responsibility for the murder. Adali was well known for his harsh criticism against the pseudo-state and its policy of implanting Turkish settlers in the occupied areas following the Turkish invasion of 1974 and occupation of 37 per cent of the island's territory. The funeral of Adali was the main front page story in the Turkish Cypriot press today. ''Yeni Duzen'' said ''We have handed him over to eternity''. ''Halkin Sesi'' said ''Kutlu Adali in the grave as thousands cheered''. ''Birlik'' wrote ''Rest in peace''. Pro-Denktash newspaper ''Kibris'' wrote ''Thousands of people are shouting: Do not silence. When you are silent, your turn will come''. It also referred to the wreath laid on behalf of Greek Cypriot politicians and the presence of Greek Cypriot journalists. A ceremony was also held at the offices of ''Yeni Duzen'' in memory of Adali. As his coffin was carried throughout the occupied part of Nicosia, people shouted ''We shall not become a Turkish prefecture'', ''People like Adali do not die'', ''End the state terrorism''. CNA EC/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1510:CYPPRESS:04[04] Cyprus concerns about Islamists' rise in TurkeyNicosia, Jul 10 (CNA) -- The Cyprus government regards the Islamists' rise to power in Turkey as a negative development for the region.Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides was asked to comment on the formation of a coalition in Turkey between the Islamist Party led by Necmettin Erbakan and the right-of-centre True Path Party of former Premier Tansu Ciller and the consequences this new government will have on the Cyprus issue. ''All Turkish governments were completely negative on the Cyprus problem'', Michaelides replied. He also expressed concern over the Islamist Party's rise to power in Turkey, a country which wants to have closer relations with Europe and stressed that this is something which concerns Cyprus, Europe and the United States. However, Michaelides expressed the view that the internal instability will continue in Turkey and eventually a new crisis will erupt in this country. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of the island's territory. CNA EC/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1640:CYPPRESS:05[05] Security issue central in Albright's meetingsNicosia, Jul 10 (CNA) -- The security issue will be central in the meetings US Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Madeleine Albright, will have during her visit to Athens, Nicosia and Ankara, where she will be accompanied by US Special Presidential Emissary for Cyprus, Richard Beattie.This was stated here today by Government Spokesman Yiannakis Cassoulides, during his daily briefing of the press. Cassoulides said that during her meetings, Albright will examine possibilities for an overall settlement of the Cyprus problem as well as the effectiveness of the UN Peace-keeping Force (UNFICYP) on the island. Albright is coming to Nicosia on July 17, after visiting Athens, while on July 18 and 19 she will be in Ankara. Meanwhile, Cassoulides mentioned that Irish European Union presidency representative for Cyprus, Ambassador Kester Heaslip, will be visiting Cyprus after a tour to European capitals. French Minister of European Affairs, Michel Barniar, is also expected to visit the island, but the exact date of his visit has not yet been set. Cassoulides also reaffirmed the Cyprus government's preference for the appointment of a permanent European Union representative for Cyprus. CNA MCH/RG/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1720:CYPPRESS:06[06] Cassoulides: efforts for solution to concentrate on substanceNicosia, Jul 10 (CNA) -- Government Spokesman, Yiannakis Cassoulides, said here today that the government will not cooperate in efforts to solve the Cyprus problem which do not concentrate on the substance of the problem.Asked to comment on recent statements made by the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Cyprus, Han Sung Joo, about moving on the Cyprus issue in stages, Cassoulides said that ''if the UN wish to open a chapter on the confidence building measures, then our side will not cooperate''. However, he clarified that during his meeting with President Glafcos Clerides, Han did not put forward the positions he presented in public concerning an ''incremental approach'' to the Cyprus problem. Commenting on the visit to Cyprus of British representative for Cyprus, Sir David Hannay, Cassoulides said, Sir David made ''a thorough evaluation of the positions of the two sides''. He also stated that ''what has to be done now, as Sir David also mentioned, is to find the differences and form opinions on how to bridge the gap''. Cassoulides also described as ''positive'' ''Britain's position coincides with that of the Cyprus' government stressing the need to focus on the substance of the problem without searching for middle solutions, middle agreements and confidence building measures''. CNA RG/MCH/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1950:CYPPRESS:07[07] Clerides and Hannay meet aboard ''Kaiti II''Nicosia, Jul 10 (CNA) -- President of the Republic, Glafcos Clerides, met today with the British representative for Cyprus, aboard President Clerides' yaucht, ''Kaiti II'', named after his daughter.After the meeting, which lasted seven hours, during which time the yacht sailed from Larnaca to Ayia Napa, neither President Clerides nor Sir David wished to speak to the press. Sir David Hannay, was accompanied by the British High Commissioner to Cyprus, David Madden. CNA RG/MCH/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY2010:CYPPRESS:08[08] Case of Greek Cypriots challenging British Bases court postponedNicosia, Jul 10 (CNA) -- The hearing of the case of two Greek Cypriots who are challenging the jurisdiction of the British Bases courts on the island was today postponed for October.Charalambos Shiambetas and Costas Charalambous, both charged with traffic offences, also dispute the legitimacy of Bases police to report citizens of the Republic as well as their legal status. According to the Committee against British policy and the presence of the British Bases in Cyprus, the case was postponed because the lawyers of the accused supported no decision was taken in the Bases court regarding their jurisdiction, and the same applies to the hearing in the High Court. The British court on its part expressed disagreement with the defence lawyers arguments and said they will justify their position at the end of the procedures. Three appeal judges have come to Cyprus from London for the hearing of the case before the Bases High Court. Through the 1960 Treaty of Establishment, which gave Cyprus its independence from British rule and set up the Republic of Cyprus, Britain retains two military bases on the island. However, legal experts express different opinions in the interpretation of the Treaty's provisions and whether the Bases are sovereign. CNA MA/MCH/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCYCyprus News Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |