Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 96-08-26

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From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" <dist@hri.org>

CONTENTS

[01] Government not surprised over Denktash's statements

[02] Cyprus disagrees with Amnesty International

[03] Ankara funded extremists' transport to occupied Cyprus

[04] Lawyers to appeal for Cyprus solution

[05] Cyprus Stock Exchange

0925:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Government not surprised over Denktash's statements

Michaelides told the Cyprus television last night that Denktash is once again trying to change the basis of a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Denktash himself signed two high level agreements with late Makarios and former President Spyros Kyprianou in 1977 and 1979, providing for the establishment of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation in Cyprus.

Those who have credited Denktash with honest desire for talks with President Clerides in an attempt to reach a solution to the Cyprus problem should understand that he rejects the idea of a federation as the basis for a solution, as described in UN resolutions, Michaelides noted.

He also said that Denktash is trying to manipulate recent events in the UN buffer zone in Dherynia, during which two Greek Cypriots were brutally murdered by Turkish troops and extremists, to support his claim that Greek and Turkish Cypriots cannot live together.

The involvement of members of the Turkish extremist islamic group ''Grey Wolves'' has been acknowledged by Turkish and Turkish Cypriot newspapers, which also revealed that their transportation to the Turkish-occupied part of the island was funded by the Turkish government.

The Minister said the Cyprus government continues its efforts for international condemnation of the recent Turkish atrocities in Dherynia.

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

1220:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Cyprus disagrees with Amnesty International

Commenting on the report Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides said yesterday the government considers ''important'' the fact that Amnesty International is dealing with the humanitarian problem of missing persons in Cyprus.

He stressed, however,''the Greek Cypriot side disagrees with the view of Amnesty International to break up the Committee on missing persons.''

Michaelides added the Cyprus government is prepared to contribute to the ''maximum'' towards an ''effective resumption of the procedures'', in the framework of the tripartite Investigatory Committee for the missing persons in Cyprus.

Amnesty International report, issued in London, said ''as a result of structural flaws, insufficient powers, lack of experienced staff and confidential procedures'', the Committee has not been effective ''in satisfying even its limited humanitarian goals or in satisfying international obligations concerning investigations of these crimes.''

It also calls on the UN to establish a ''new body - an international commission of inquiry - which satisfies the strict international standards for such investigations, with adequate resources and powers, to conduct a thorough and impartial inquiry into all cases of 'disappearance', 'missing' and deliberate and arbitrary killings arising out of the events in 1963-64 and 1974.''

The vice president of the Committee of Relatives of Missing Persons Nicos Theodosiou said the proposal to break up the tripartite Committee ''raises some queries.''

Theodosiou added that the proposals for a new Committee, could improve the effectiveness of the existing Committee.

The Greek Cypriot side has submitted to the UN Committee 1,493 files on persons listed as missing and the Turkish Cypriot side 500.

On Thursday, UN Secretary-General's resident representative in Cyprus Gustave Feissel fended off criticism saying the Committee ''is not a UN Committee''.

He explained it was not set up by the UN but by the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities and the UN ''happens to pay for the Committee.''

CNA AP/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1320:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Ankara funded extremists' transport to occupied Cyprus

This was revealed by Turkish left-wing newspaper ''Eurensel'' and reproduced by Greek daily ''Eleftherotypia''.

Citing a statement by Mehmet Ali Talat, leader of the Republican Turkish Party, in the occupied territory, ''Eurensel''says that 200 ultra right-wingers from Turkey were transported to Cyprus under the covert support of Ankara.

Cyprus Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides had revealed that some 3.000 Turkish extremists took part in the new Turkish atrocities.

A group of them visited Denktash, at his office in the occupied northern part of Nicosia. Photographs were printed in the Turkish Cypriot press.

''Eurensel'' notes that the money spent for the support of the ''Grey Wolves'' comes from Turkey's ''promotion fund'' which has been accused for the funding of secret operations abroad.

It also points the finger at Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller as the person responsible for the administering of the funds. Ciller was at the time acting Prime Minister as Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan was away.

Citing True Path Party vice-president, Hasan Ekinci as saying that no-one knows anything on the case and that only Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller is in a position to know, ''Eurensel'' notes that she was the person responsible for administering the funds when the ''Grey Wolves'' members arrived in Cyprus.

The newspaper also supports that the ultra-nationalists that were responsible for the brutal murder of the two Greek Cypriots were not volunteers but persons enjoying the support of the Turkish government.

CNA MCH/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1345:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Lawyers to appeal for Cyprus solution

A delegation of the two countries' bar associations had a meeting today with President Glafcos Clerides to whom they presented their action plan.

Athens Bar Association President Antonis Roupakiotis said the lawyers would try to convince foreign governments, through their legal bodies, that Cyprus should be reunited, as an independent state.

The Greek lawyer stressed the need for the solution of the protracted Cyprus problem. He said the delegation told President Clerides that Greek and Cypriot lawyers would refer to international forums and bar associations about their own responsibilities to ''convince their governments and people that a Cyprus solution should be at last be demanded.''

Roupakiotis expressed hope that the recent killings of two Greek Cypriot young protestors by the Turkish occupation troops would show that ''the major problem is the violation of rules of the international legality''.

He said they have already appealed to the European bar associations and that in a forthcoming forum, to take place in Athens, they would ask participating lawyers to influence the policies of their respective governments.

Cyprus Bar Association President Xenios Xenopoulos said the meeting with President Clerides was part of a coordinated effort to project worldwide the recent Turkish atrocities on the island.

He added the lawyers involved would try to project the two assassinations in the ''strongest way'' as a further example of human rights flagrant violation by Turkey in Cyprus.

Xenopoulos pointed out ''our problem lies with Turkey and not with the Turkish Cypriots.''

He said they also discussed with President Clerides ways to utilise government information on the murderers' names as well as perspective measures and action to be taken by the Republic.

The Greek delegation arrived on the island yesterday. The two bar associations were due to meet later today. A delegation would also have meetings with Attorney General Alecos Markides, Archbishop Chrysostomos and political party leaders.

CNA AP/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1700:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    87.23 (+0.82)
Sectural Indices
Banks                                  93.17 (+1.17)
Approved Investment Companies          79.60 (+0.24)
Insurance Companies                    67.08 (+0.65)
Industrial Companies                   87.90 (+0.19)
Tourist Industries                     80.18 (+0.73)
Commercial Companies                   73.16 (+0.55)
Other Companies                        85.84 (-0.46)
Trading Volume                         CYP 441517.080

* The difference in brackets represents the percentage increase (+) or decrease (-) of the index from the previous stock exchange meeting.

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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