Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 97-10-21

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[02] Cyprus at UNESCO assembly

[03] Cyprus protests violations by Turkish Air Force

[04] Famagusta Mayor denounces Turkish claims

[05] Cypriot Minister addresses WTO General Assembly

[06] Cyprus replies to US comments

1555:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    77.07 (-0.63)

Highest: 82.46 (2/1/97)
Lowest : 73.90 (30/1/97)

Sectural Indices

Banks                                  88.18 (-0.14)
Approved Investment Companies          62.75 (-0.30)
Insurance Companies                    56.84 (-0.70)
Industrial Companies                   74.71 (-3.50)
Tourist Industries                     64.77 (-0.67)
Commercial Companies                   44.89 (-0.75)
Other Companies                        58.72 (-0.09)

Trading Volume                         CYP 613026.776

CNA MCH/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1630:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Cyprus at UNESCO assembly

A senior civil servant outlined the government's concerns to UNESCO Director General Federico Mayor and pointed out the pillage of the island's archaeological and religious artefacts carried on unabated since Turkish troops invaded in 1974.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education Andreas Fylaktou also told Mayor about the dire living conditions Greek Cypriot enclaved in occupied Cyprus have to endure.

Turkey, he said, and its occupation troops bear the responsibility for all this squarely on their shoulders. CNA MM/‹CH/1997

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1645:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Cyprus protests violations by Turkish Air Force

In a letter addressed to the 52nd General Assembly and the Security Council, Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the UN, Ambassador Nicos Agathocleous, stresses:

"These highly provocative and aggressive actions of Turkey cause serious concern and heighten tension in Cyprus."

He points out that "from 30 September to 14 October, 1997, an alarmingly increasing number of violations of the airspace of the Republic of Cyprus and of the Nicosia FIR have taken place by military aircraft of the Turkish Air Force."

He also records a detailed list of all violations and notes that "such provocative actions by Turkey, which are continuing, are in contravention of the provisions of the Security Council resolutions on Cyprus."

During the said period there were six cases of airspace and FIR violations on four different days by 26 Turkish military aircraft, including F-16 fighters and RF-4 reconnaissance planes.

The letter, which circulated as a document of the General Assembly and the Security Council, points out that relevant UN resolutions stated that "such overflights increase political tension on the island and undermine efforts towards achieving a final settlement (to the Cyprus problem)".

It also adds that "at he same time, they are in violation of the international air traffic rules and seriously endanger civil aviation flights over Cyprus."

Turkish military aircraft have repeatedly violated Cyprus air space and the Nicosia FIR over the past twenty-three years, since Turkish troops invaded and occupied the island's northern part, in complete disregard of international safety regulations.

The government has protested against the violations to international fora but Turkey appears unwilling to comply with international law and order on this score.

CNA AP/MCH/1997

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1830:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Famagusta Mayor denounces Turkish claims

Famagusta Mayor, Andreas Pougiouros, sent a telegram to UN Secretary- General, Kofi Annan, the leaders of the five permanent members of the Security Council and the EU Ambassador to Cyprus, Gilles Anouil, strongly protesting against claims on the town by a Turkish Cypriot foundation.

Taner Dervis, head of the Evkaf foundation, which represents Moslem religious foundations in Cyprus some of which date back to Ottoman times, announced yesterday he began a legal action to take over control of the town.

Dervis claimed Evkaf was the rightful owner of more than half of the properties in Famagusta, which is fenced and uninhabited since 1974 when its 60.000 Greek Cypriot population left it as a result of the Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus' northern third.

Pougiouros described these claims as "provocative" and said Evkaf was trying to take control of Greek Cypriot properties in a "cunning way".

"Famagusta and the remaining of the occupied areas belong to us, the Greek Cypriot rightful owners," he stressed.

He called upon the UN and the EU to put an end to the town's illegal occupation "before it's too late", in compliance with international law and the UN Charter on human rights.

Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash earlier this year had threatened to open Famagusta to settlement if the government of Cyprus went ahead with a planned missile purchase from Russia.

CNA AP/MCH/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1900:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Cypriot Minister addresses WTO General Assembly

Addressing the 12th session of the World Tourism Organisation's General Assembly, taking place in Constantinople (Istanbul), Christofi said tourism affects the lives of millions of people.

"In Cyprus, during the last 20 years tourism has demonstrated a unique and remarkable success", he said.

Last year, Cypriots hosted about two million tourists while the contribution of the sector to the gross domestic product was around 20 per cent.

The Minister said foreign exchange earnings surpassed the 1.5 billion US dollars, representing more than 44 per cent of the total earnings from the export of goods and services together.

Tourism, Christofi added, "offers employment to 25 per cent of our gainfully employed population" and "constitutes the main pillar of our economic growth."

The Minister said the government is "prepared and willing to offer our experience and lead the way to regional and inter-regional cooperation in the broader tourism sector, thus laying down the foundations for peace and security and for the economic development of all the people in the region."

CNA EC/GP/1997

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2000:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Cyprus replies to US comments

This position is outlined in a Foreign Ministry statement issued here today in response to statements made by US State Department Spokesman, James Rubin, calling for a return to an overflight ban over the island.

The Foreign Ministry statement explains that "there has never been an agreement for a moratorium of overflights in Cyprus' sovereign airspace."

It clarifies that the Cyprus government announced last year that in an effort to contribute to a good climate to conduct the UN-sponsored direct negotiations, it had decided not to ask the participation of the Greek Airforce in exercises until September (before the end of the negotiations).

"The results of the talks in New York and Montreux did not justify an extension of the unilateral decision during the "Nikiforos" military exercise" (that took place earlier this month).

The statement says "there can be no agreement for a moratorium with Turkey, which tries to equalise the violations of Cyprus' sovereign airspace by the Turkish Airforce with the Cyprus government's legal invitation of the Greek Airforce to participate in exercises of the National Guard, within the framework of the joint defence dogma."

"Parallel with our unilateral decision, the US administration said that Turkey decided to avoid overflights for the same period," the Foreign Ministry says.

"We would like to remind that Turkey repeatedly violated its promise towards the US administration," the Ministry adds.

It clarifies that the statement to avoid overflights concerned military aircraft and not transport planes.

The buzzing of the aircraft which carried Greek National Defence Minister, Akis Tsohatzopoulos by Turkish fighters, constitutes "a paramount provocation by Turkey which should have been condemned by those who are intensely interested in overflights in Cyprus' sovereign airspace," the statement points out.

The island's Foreign Ministry adds "the Cyprus government reserves the right to decide, if it judges that circumstances require so, whether it should or not and for how long, avoid extending invitations to the Greek Airforce to participate in its military exercises".

The US State Department spokesman told the press yesterday in Washington that "we would like to see the overflight ban returned to... We would hope that all sides would appreciate the benefits of reinstituting a complete and open-ended moratorium on military overflights in Cyprus at the earliest possible time."

CNA EC/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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