Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 96-09-16

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CONTENTS

[01] Turkey will not be ''forced'' on Cyprus

[02] Government has information about Turkish provocations

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[04] UN envoy: you must give and take

[05] European countries to help Cyprus solution

[06] European Parliament to discuss Cyprus tragic events

[07] Clinton sends message to Turkey over Cyprus

1345:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Turkey will not be ''forced'' on Cyprus

''We have no means to force Turkey to leave the north of Cyprus, we can persuade or pressurise but there is too much at stake for us to force Turkey out of northern Cyprus,'' Lord Bethel said, after a meeting here with House of Representative President Spyros Kyprianou.

Lord Bethel also made it clear that the Cyprus problem should be resolved before Cyprus accedes to the European Union and sees the EU membership prospects as ''the only light on the horizon.''

Furthermore, he considers the prevailing situation in Cyprus as probably ''the worse'' since the 1974 Turkish invasion of the island.

Asked if Britain should turn its attention to Turkey to force it change its intransigent position, Lord Bethel replied ''I do not agree that Britain or the US has the ability to force Turkey.''

''We are not able to force Turkey, it is a large, powerful and important country. We cannot force them, we can discuss with them, we can try to persuade them, we can, to a certain extent, exert pressure but anyone who thinks Britain can force Turkey is making a mistake,'' he explained.

Replying to questions, he acknowledged that Britain and the US have forced ''other countries in the region to comply with UN resolutions'' but pointed out that ''we will not force Turkey.''

Asked if there was too much at stake for Britain to force Turkey, Lord Bethel was very straight forward ''frankly yes, there is too much at stake for us to force Turkey out of northern Cyprus.''

Lord Bethel said ''the situation has seldom been worse since 1974 war and we discussed ways of lessening the tension and trying to find a solution to the problem.''

''The only light on the horizon is the proposed entry of Cyprus into the EU, that I sincerely hope will come, and it is very desirable that there should be solution to the Cyprus problem before Cyprus joins, otherwise there will be endless problems, both for the north and the south, and for Turkey as well,'' he told the press.

He believes that Cyprus' entry into the EU ''could be the key to the problem'' and considers that the island's political problem is interlinked to its accession course.

''I do not mean that Cyprus cannot accede without a solution, probably it can. There can be no veto on Cyprus joining but it will be very complicated if Cyprus joins without a solution,'' he explained.

In his remarks, House President Kyprianou said he got the impression that Lord Bethel and the three MPs, who accompany him, will try to find ways to work with Britain, the US and the EU to ''exert some kind of pressure on Turkey.''

''I pointed out to them that the key to the solution in Cyprus lies in Ankara who must abandon its designs against Cyprus. People must not expect from us to give in to Turkish demands for consolidation and legalisation of the division and occupation of Cyprus,'' Kyprianou said.

''I would like to think that the British delegation will work towards Ankara and we must stand firm on our positions'' he added.

Lord Bethel, the Labour MP Robin Corbett and the Conservative MPs Antony Coombs and Nigel Evans, had also separate meetings with representatives of Greek Cypriot political parties.

Tomorrow they will cross into the areas occupied by Turkish troops since 1974, to meet Turkish Cypriot politicians,.

On Wednesday, they will be received by Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and visit the demarcation line dividing the capital Nicosia into two.

CNA MM/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1430:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Government has information about Turkish provocations

''We are evaluating the information we have received from a reliable source and we have taken the necessary precautionary measures,'' Cassoulides said.

He also said ''I have no information about movements that indicate offensive intentions and I trust no such movements have taken place.''

Asked if the situation is calm now, the Spokesman replied ''the situation is calm, there is no unusual move indicating any danger.''

Rising tension on the island since last month's brutal murders of two unarmed Greek Cypriot demonstrators in the UN buffer zone and the killing of a soldier serving with the Turkish occupation forces has resulted in a flurry of media speculation about Turkish intentions to resort to provocative action and cause problems along the demarcation line, dividing Cyprus.

''The National Guard is not on alert, it will take measures if and when the occupation army takes measures,'' Cassoulides said.

The Spokesman quoted a statement by the Defence Ministry, which said late last night ''people were seen moving suspiciously near the Pyla National Guard sentry post in the free areas of the Republic.''

''As a result of these movements, the area was on high alert, warning shots were fired and the higher command took over control of the situation,'' the statement added.

The Ministry informed the UN and calm was restored in the area, Cassoulides added.

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

CNA MM/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1710:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    84.63 (-0.14)
Sectural Indices
Banks                                  91.74 (+0.22)
Approved Investment Companies          76.38 (-0.38)
Insurance Companies                    62.64 (+1.66)
Industrial Companies                   83.76 (-1.40)
Tourist Industries                     77.09 (-1.17)
Commercial Companies                   67.00 (-1.18)
Other Companies                        84.21 (-1.10)
Trading Volume                         CYP 415022.711

* 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

1830:CYPPRESS:04

[04] UN envoy: You must give and take...

This was said by Gustave Feissel, the UN Resident Representative, before flying to Athens, Greece, to join UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Cyprus Han Sung Joo, who left yesterday from the island after five days of talks with the two communities.

Han and Feissel had already a meeting with Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos. Tomorrow they will be in Ankara for talks with Turkey's Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller.

Feissel, who arrived at Larnaca airport from Nicosia by a UN helicopter, stressed the need for both sides to redouble efforts for a Cyprus settlement.

''We have always said it was very important that the two sides reaffirm the need for a federal, bicommunal, bizonal settlement, reaffirm that these tragic events in fact do not reflect the sentiment of the two sides of the two communities and recognise that they must redouble their efforts to work for a settlement'', he said.

Feissel added ''redoubling one's efforts also means that you have to be willing to compromise, to give and take. This is the only way negotiations will move forward towards a settlement.''

Asked to comment on reports that Britain, Germany and France have expressed a willingness to undertake an initiative on the island, Feissel expressed the view that this was due to the recent events on the island.

''We only have to get busy now because you never know how things will develop, therefore the need for progress towards a settlement has become even more important, or more urgent,'' Feissel said.

He added ''the two sides have to accept, at the end of the day, whatever it is that is a settlement but the UN and others can play a very important part by helping the two sides by giving them ideas, making suggestions, discussing what the options are, so to speak, and in this way we can use the effort then to come to an agreement''.

Last month, Turkish troops and extremists brutally murdered two Greek Cypriot youths and injured more than 50 others, during peaceful anti-occupation demonstrations in the UN-controlled buffer zone in Dherynia, eastern Cyprus.

Earlier this month, a soldier of Kurdish origin of the Turkish occupation army was found dead and a second injured in their observation post on the demarcation line.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory.

CNA EC/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1850:CYPPRESS:05

[05] European countries to help Cyprus solution

Government Spokesman Yiannakis Cassoulides clarified, however, that the three EU members did not express any intention to undertake an initiative to solve the protracted Cyprus problem.

He said ''the three European countries have expressed interest in the developments in Cyprus and the need for a solution, and expressed intention to help.''

This was the message conveyed to President Glafcos Clerides by the ambassadors of these countries, the Spokesman added.

''The ambassadors had instructions to convey this message to the President, nothing more than that,'' Cassoulides remarked.

The Government Spokesman noted that it was not known whether this interest would become an initiative at the end.

Addressing a committee of the World Veterans' Federation Saturday in Nicosia, President Clerides said ''a new initiative is expected in the near future for a compromise solution of the Cyprus problem''. He did not elaborate.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory.

CNA AP/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2020:CYPPRESS:06

[06] European Parliament to discuss Cyprus tragic events

The debate will take place in the presence of the Irish Presidency of the European Union and the European Commission, and will be held within the framework of the general discussion on the political situation in Turkey and the EU-Turkey customs union.

Turkish troops and extremists brutally murdered two unarmed Greek Cypriot youths and injured more than 50 other people during peaceful anti-occupation demonstrations in the UN-controlled buffer zone in Dherynia, eastern Cyprus.

A Cyprus parliamentary delegation made up of the leaders or representatives of the island's political parties, currently in Strasbourg, contributed in securing Wednesday's debate on the recent events in Cyprus.

The Cypriot MP's had meetings with the leaders of the Euro Parliament's political groups.

CNA NB/EC/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2030:CYPPRESS:07

[07] Clinton sends message to Turkey over Cyprus

Quoting diplomatic sources in Washington, the Cyprus radio said the message was conveyed through US Defence Secretary William Perry, who arrived in Ankara earlier today for talks with the Turkish government on the situation in Iraq.

The diplomatic sources said the decision of the US administration to send a message through its Defence Secretary, ''constituted an indication of US concerns over the situation in Cyprus''.

The radio said the ''diplomatic sources'' assess that the US message would seriously be taken into consideration and that no Turkish provocations would take place in Cyprus.

Widespread rumours have suggested that the Turks are planning to escalate tension on the island with new provocative acts.

CNA corespondent in Washington said the Pentagon could not confirm that Perry was planning to convey a message from President Clinton to the Turkish government.

A Pentagon official confined himself to saying that the visit of the US Defence Secretary concerned the situation in Iraq.

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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