Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-07-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] US - Turkish provocations

[02] Occupation army - Greek nationals

[03] Kasoulides - US - Turkish overflights

[04] SOCCER: UEFA U-18

0950:CYPPRESS:01

[01] US - Turkish provocations

The US has also repeated it will continue to work under the UN umbrella to resolve the Cyprus question and stressed the need to resume negotiations for a settlement.

Noting that 24 years have elapsed since 1974, US State Department spokesman James Rubin said this "only underscores our belief that the Cyprus dispute has gone on too long without a resolution."

The US, he pointed out, "continues to work under the UN umbrella to resolve the dispute."

Asked to comment on the violation of the Republic's sovereign airspace by Turkish planes and Yilmaz's presence in occupied Cyprus, Rubin said "displays of military equipment by either side only unnecessarily raise tensions on the island and make the search for peace more difficult."

Rubin said, as far as he knew, Turkish combat aircraft did not overfly Nicosia during the celebrations although Turkish Cypriot Cessnas and helicopters may have done so and a Turkish air force acrobatics team staged an air show near Kyrenia.

The US has been in the past very critical of the arrival of Greek aircraft to Cyprus, at the invitation of the government of the Republic, noting such moves increase tension.

Cyprus Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides called yesterday on all foreign objective observers to react to the illegal presence of Turkish military aircraft and Yilmaz in the same way they do when Greek planes are in Cyprus.

Rubin said the unofficial presence of US embassy employees at celebrations by the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime marking 24 years since the Turkish invasion "is in no way an endorsement of the event."

Referring to last week's meeting in Washington between American and European Union officials, Rubin said "both sides stressed the need to jump start settlement negotiations on Cyprus."

The EU will look for ways to involve the Turkish Cypriot side in the process of Cyprus' accession to the EU, he added.

He said both sides "will continue to raise their concerns with the government of Cyprus over its intention to purchase the S-300 missiles", a Russian anti-aircraft missile system.

Rubin said the US and the EU want to see Turkey's relations with the EU and Greco-Turkish relations improve and acknowledged a call from NATO Secretary-General Xavier Solana for confidence-building measures as more direct contact between the parties.

CNA DA/MM/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

0955:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Occupation army - Greek nationals

The Greek nationals, Thomas Niakopoulos, 36, and Aspasia Saiti, both from Larisa, entered the Turkish-occupied eastern town of Famagusta with their rented car through the British Bases checkpoint on the Vrisoules - Famagusta road.

The Cyprus authorities were making efforts through the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in Cyprus (UNFICYP) to secure the release of the two Greeks, who arrived on the island on July 16 and were staying at a hotel in the southern coastal town of Limassol.

CNA EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1200:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Kasoulides - US - Turkish overflights

On Monday, Turkish military aircraft overflew Cyprus in a provocative show of strength to participate in celebrations the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime was organising to mark 24 years of Turkish occupation in Cyprus.

Furthermore, Turkish naval vessels and submarines arrived at the closed ports in Cyprus' occupied coasts and the country's Premier Mesut Yilmaz paid a one-day visit, reiterating his threats against government plans to deploy anti-aircraft missiles for defensive purposes.

Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides had called on foreign objective observers to respond to these provocative actions in the way they react to the presence of Greek aircraft in Cyprus.

US State Department spokesman James Rubin said Tuesday that Turkish combat aircraft did not overfly Nicosia during the celebrations, and failed to confirm the flights of Turkish Cessnas and helicopters.

He did, however, acknowledged that a Turkish air force acrobatics team staged an air show near the occupied port of Kyrenia, on the northern coast, without actually saying such action was in fact a violation of Cyprus' sovereign air space.

"I was under no illusions about the response to the Turkish provocations. My earlier statement was made to let people know that we are not being taken for a ride," Kasoulides told the press before a cabinet meeting here today.

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

CNA KN/MM/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1210:CYPPRESS:04

[04] SOCCER: UEFA U-18

In the other three matches played in Cyprus last night for the same Championship, Germany thrashed Spain 4-1, Ireland beat England 1-0 and Portugal won Lithuania 2-0.

In their first games, Sunday night, Germany beat Lithuania 7-1, Ireland won Croatia 5-2, Spain beat Portugal 2-1 and England beat Cyprus 2-1.

The final stage has been separated into two groups. The first two teams from each group will qualify for the Under-18 World Cup to be held in Nigeria between April 3-24, 1999.

CNA GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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