Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-07-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] US - Turkish invasion

[02] SOCCER: Cyprus clubs - European Cups

[03] Kyprianou - Akkuyu - European counterparts

[04] Boatpeople - Repatriation

[05] Clerides - US - Turkish violations

[06] University of Cyprus - School of Modern Greek

0930:CYPPRESS:01

[01] US - Turkish invasion

McCurry was asked Wednesday to comment on the 24th anniversary of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

"The fact that 24 years have gone by since the 1974 conflict only underscores our belief that it's time for this conflict to be amicably resolved by both Turks and Greeks on Cyprus," he said.

He added that this could be achieved "in consultation with those in the international community who have gone to considerable effort to help them address their differences."

Asked to comment whether the US considers the 1974 situation in Cyprus an invasion or a conflict, the White House spokesman said "it's a conflict and I think it's been well characterised."

McCurry added that what we need in Cyprus "is less conflict and more opportunities for the parties themselves to resolve amicably their differences."

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

CNA DA/AP/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1000:CYPPRESS:02

[02] SOCCER: Cyprus clubs - European Cups

Champions Anorthosis, a refugee club from the Turkish-occupied town of Famagusta, scored a 2-0 away win over Valletta, Malta.

The return match will be played next Wednesday and Anorthosis look almost certain they will qualify for the second qualifying phase of the Champions League, to meet Greece's champions Olympiakos.

Cyprus League runners-up Omonia of Nicosia scored an impressive 5-1 home win over Northern Ireland club Linfield, for the UEFA Cup.

CNA GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1120:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Kyprianou - Akkuyu - European counterparts

In a letter addressed to the Presidents of all European Parliaments, Kyprianou expressed his "grave concern" over the Turkish plans, giving in detail the position of the Cypriot Parliament's regarding the intended construction of the reactors.

The House President explained the various risks associated with this possible development and outlined the "hazardous impact that such development could have on life, health and the environment in the area."

He noted that by the time the House's document was completed to be communicated to his European counterparts "our fears as to the potentiality of a nuclear accident, due to the reactor's proximity to a seismically active area, have been further justified."

On June 27, an earthquake measuring 6,3 on the Richter scale in the southern Adana area, whose epicentre was only 70 kilometres north-east of Akkuyu, left over 140 dead and the spectre of a potentially even greater tragedy lingering, should the reactors be installed. A week later, on July 4, the same area was struck by a second earthquake measuring 5,1.

Kyprianou cited a statement by the Turkish Minister for Energy, who "despite the now tangible risk and warnings of acknowledged experts" had dismissed the fears as mere "conjectures spread by environmental organisations."

Environment's international watchdog "Greenpeace" and local activists in Turkey, Cyprus, other countries in the region and countries like Canada bidding the contract for the Akkuyu nuclear plant, have strongly protested its construction.

Moreover, hardly one week after the second earthquake in the area, the Turkish Minister for Energy "was impudently declaring that 'they cannot stop this procedure... it is 100 percent certain that we will complete' (the plan)," Kyprianou noted.

"I should like to request that you use all your influence so that Turkey desists from materialising these life-threatening plans so as to avoid witnessing yet another terrible nuclear accident in Europe," Cypriot House President urged his European counterparts.

In another letter, addressed last month to his European and Mediterranean counterparts, Kyprianou had denounced Turkey's plans to construct the two nuclear reactors in the Akkuyu area, on the south Turkish coast, to be fully operational by 2006.

Citing independent studies that had shown the proposed area to host the reactors is located very close to the Akkuyu fault, an active seismic zone, the House President had warned the selection of this particular area is "an extremely dangerous and risky option."

CNA AP/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1030:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Boatpeople - Repatriation

A spokesman for the department told CNA today that 10 Syrian nationals were repatriated yesterday while 58 applications for political asylum are being examined by the department.

He expressed the hope that by the end of the week "the whole issue will be settled."

Police spokesman, Glafcos Xenos told CNA that five of the Syrians, who left, were members of the crew and the rest were passengers.

The deportation of the remaining boatpeople will be completed once travel documents are issued.

According to sources, the Cyprus Foreign Ministry and the Migration Department are closely working with the migrants' embassies to obtain new travel documents for the remaining 103. The same sources said the aim will be to deport them.

The boatpeople are staying under police guard at a hotel in the southern coastal town of Limassol.

They come from Rwanda, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, and Zaire.

They left Tripoli, Lebanon, on June 18, on a small Syrian-flagged fishing boat after paying as much as 5.000 dollars each to go to either Greece or Italy, although the boat was going to Libya.

Without food or fresh drinking water, the boatpeople were found 11 days later by a Ukrainian-flagged commercial vessel which towed the boat to Cyprus on June 29.

Two passengers died during the voyage and were thrown into the sea. According to police, the only navigation instrument aboard the vessel was a compass which was malfunctioning.

Syrian captain, Mohammad Mustafa, has been charged with "causing death by failing to take adequate precautions and carrying passengers by sea for money on an unsafe vessel".

During their stay, five Iraqi Kurdish nationals escaped from the hotel but later returned. A sixth one is still at large.

CNA EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1240:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Clerides - US - Turkish violations

He also said he was not surprised by a statement yesterday by Greek President Constantinos Stephanopoulos that any future offensive by Turkey against Cyprus would be considered by Greece as a cause for war.

President Clerides was asked by reporters this morning what was his message to the Americans, in view of a visit later today here by US State Department Special Coordinator for Cyprus, Thomas Miller, and in the light of a US official statement claiming that Turkish warplanes did not fly over Nicosia, last Monday, during celebrations in the occupied areas for the 24th anniversary of the Turkish invasion.

"The message is that the airspace of the Republic of Cyprus, which covers the whole of the island, is continuously violated and there could be no excuse that the aircraft flew here for an air show," the President said.

State Department spokesman James Rubin said on Tuesday that as far as he knew, Turkish combat aircraft did not overfly Nicosia during the celebrations in the Turkish-occupied areas of the island, to mark 24 years since Turkey invaded and occupied 37 per cent of Cyprus' territory.

Rubin said Cessnas and helicopters might have overflown Nicosia and a Turkish Air Force acrobatics team staged an air show over the occupied Kyrenia town.

"If any aircraft enters the national airspace of a country without prior permission from the government, it is violating this airspace," Clerides said.

The President was also asked to comment on a statement by his Greek counterpart that any future offensive by Turkey against Cyprus would be considered by Greece as a cause for war.

"The statement came as no surprise to me. It is a position repeatedly stated not only by Stephanopoulos during his recent visit here, but also by the Greek Premier and Defence Minister," Clerides said.

Stephanopoulos told Wednesday a group of overseas Greek parliamentarians that Greece would not accept Turkish provocations forever.

He stressed it would not tolerate a new Turkish offensive against Cyprus, likewise to what the military junta ruling the country in 1974 did.

The two governments agreed upon a joint defence pact in November 1993 providing that Greece would come to Cyprus' aid in case of a new Turkish offensive.

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

CNA AP/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1300:CYPPRESS:06

[06] University of Cyprus - School of Modern Greek

Nicosia, Jul 23 (CNA) -- The University of Cyprus plans to operate a School of Modern Greek on August 4, 1998, under the auspices of the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies.

Its target group is non-native speakers of Modern Greek, who wish to either learn the language or improve their command of it.

Apart from language classes, the courses will also include Greek civilization classes, aiming at familiarising students with the cultural issues of the wider contemporary Greek-speaking world.

Four or five European students under the European Union-funded "Socrates" Programme are expected to start lessons at the School of Modern Greek along with ten Russian students.

In the academic year 1998 - 1999 the School will launch two programmes to cover an intensive specialised programme and a semester programme.

In the same year, the two programmes will run to cover mainly the needs of non-native students participating in the "Socrates" Exchange Programme.

The Intensive Specialised Programme will be offered prior to each semester (i.e. every August and January), will last four weeks with 25 teaching hours per week. This programme aims at developing the linguistic skills of non-native students in the "Socrates" Programme so that they can attend courses in their specialised areas.

The Semester Programme (September to December / February to May) will consist of six teaching hours per week and will be attended by "Socrates" students concurrently with their specialised courses.

Both programmes of the School will be offered at three levels (beginners, intermediate and advanced).

Apart from "Socrates" students, the Intensive Specialised Programme and the Semester Programme can also be attended by other interested persons, at a fee of 80 and 200 Cyprus Pounds, (about 160 and 400 US dollars), respectively.

Starting from the academic year 1999 - 2000 the School will run four different programmes and it will be possible for students to apply for a limited number of scholarships, awarded by the School in some of its programmes. These scholarships will cover part or the whole amount of the fees.

"Socrates" - "Erasmus"

"Socrates" is a European Union programme oriented towards promoting the cooperation in the field of education.

Sanctioned on 14 March 1995 and lasting up to the end of 1999 it is based on articles 126 and 127 of the European Union Treaty.

"Socrates" is widely applied among the European member states, on the one hand, while on the other it fosters relations of interactivity with other non-European educational institutions of every field.

The part of "Socrates" which applies to a college level education bears the name "Erasmus", and is brought into effect

as a revised and developed edition of the programme of (European) students exchanges.

Moreover, it subsidises grants to many thousands of students while cultivating a vivid interest in the enforcement of a European cultural and educational dimension in the curriculum of students not directly participating in the exchanges.

Various university establishments worlwide taking on responsibilities concerning the organisation of student exchanges are obliged to give foreign students information on different aspects of practical issues either about the linguistic courses offered at those universities or about the help they provide for acquiring student accommodation.

CNA DG/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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