Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-07-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] SOCCER: Cypriot clubs - European Cups

[02] UN agreement on missing - A year on

[03] Human Rights - Cyprus case

[04] Cyprus Stock Exchange

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[01] SOCCER: Cypriot clubs - European Cups

Champions Anorthosis, a refugee club from the Turkish-occupied town of Famagusta, doubled their wins over Valletta, Malta, for the Champions League.

Last night they scored an impressive 6-0 win at home while in the first leg, a week ago in Malta, the Cypriot club beat Valletta 2-0.

In the next Champions League phase Anorthosis will play against Greece's champions Olympiakos.

Cyprus League runners-up Omonia of Nicosia were defeated 5-3 by Northern Ireland club Linfield, but managed to qualify for the next round of the UEFA Cup because of goal difference.

In the first leg, a week ago in Nicosia, Omonia beat Linfield 5-1.

CNA GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[02] UN agreement on missing - A year on

Nicosia, Jul 30 (CNA) -- A UN-brokered agreement to help resolve the humanitarian issue of persons missing in Cyprus should be given a boost to achieve its full implementation, according to those working closely on the matter, including the Cyprus government, the UN and relatives of the missing.

A year after the agreement was hailed by the international community as a "milestone" towards the resolution of this problem, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan considers that the position of the Turkish Cypriot side has blocked progress towards implementation.

On its part, the government of the Cyprus Republic intends to go ahead with exhumations by the end of the year to ascertain the fate of persons whose graves are marked as "unknown" and are located in the government- controlled part of the country.

The agreement between President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash signed on July 31, 1997, provided for the exchange all information at their disposal on the location of graves of Greek and Turkish Cypriot missing persons and the return of the remains of missing persons in question for decent burial.

"The agreement is a serious step towards the resolution of the humanitarian problem of missing persons," Tasos Tzonis, high ranking official at the Foreign Ministry told CNA, assessing the agreement and its prospects a year after it was announced.

He said Annan noted in his recent report on the UN operation in Cyprus that the position of the Turkish Cypriot side, that victims of a military coup that preceded the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus are among those persons listed as missing, "deviates from the July 31 agreement, which calls on the two sides to work out arrangements for the exhumation and identification of the remains located in the graves on which information was exchanged on 23 January 1998."

"As a result of the position taken by the Turkish Cypriot side, no progress has been made towards the implementation of the July 31 agreement, " Annan points out in his report.

He also remarks on the decision of the Greek Cypriot side to begin exhumation and identification of the remains located in graves in the area under its control.

The Foreign Ministry official said "the reactivation of the Committee of Missing Persons (CMP) through the appointment of its third member, Jean Pierre Ritter, a Swiss diplomat, and the implementation of the July 31 agreement are necessary preconditions for substantive progress towards the solution of the problem."

He also stressed that the Greek Cypriot side is committed to do all it can to assist this process.

"Irrespective of the method and the procedure followed, our side maintains the view that the fate of each of the missing must be established through convincing evidence in a way that satisfies the rights of the missing themselves and their relatives," he said.

Tzonis also pointed out that the government has decided "to proceed with exhumations of remains of those buried in graves marked as 'unknown' in the southern government controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus," in view of the fact that there is now scientific possibility to isolate and compare DNA from relatives of the missing.

"The agreement is of immense importance for every relative of missing persons because it has filled a huge gap, since the right of the relatives of missing to be informed about the fate of their loved ones is expressedly recognised and in cases where their death is proven, their remains will be given to the family for a decent burial," Tzonis told CNA.

On his part, UN Senior Advisor Peter Schmitz said the UN position is outlined clearly in Annan's report and added "we will encourage both sides to tango together and try to revive the agreement."

Noting that Ritter is not involved in the agreement, Schmitz said should both sides ask for help from the Swiss former diplomats to make headway on this issue, this would be forthcoming.

"But the two sides have to take the ball and run with it," he added. He said Annan kept his part of the deal and appointed Ritter to the CMP who urged both sides to cooperate with him.

The UN adviser did not rule out the possibility of some movement in the problem of missing persons later in September when Ritter will return to the island.

Presidential Commissioner, Manolis Christofides, said the agreement was "an achievement of Clerides' government and it was quite appropriate that all those involved in the issue welcomed it."

"The agreement must be implemented and applied" he told CNA, stressing the agreement "exists, we respect it and whatever was agreed must be implemented."

Replying to questions, Christofides said "if there is sincere cooperation in good faith, we shall have good results", following Ritter's appointment and moves to reactivate the July agreement.

He said the Greek Cypriot side is ready to offer scientific and technical assistance to the Turkish Cypriot side through DNA examination and storage at the bicommunal Institute of Genetics and Neurology.

Christofides said earlier comments that the agreement is "dead" most likely implied that it had not yielded any results.

Commenting on suggestions that the work of the CMP and the implementation of the agreement would inevitably at some stage coincide, Christofides explained that both have the same objective and indicated the CMP could very well ask for outside help for exhumations.

The Commissioner said the government's political will to proceed with exhumations is irreversible and this process is expected to begin before the year runs out.

The chairmen of the two committees dealing with the issue of the missing expressed their wish to see the CMP somehow assisting in efforts to revive the July agreement with a view to making progress towards the resolution of the problem.

Nicos Theodosiou, president of the Committee of Relatives of Missing Persons and Undeclared Prisoners of War, told CNA "we are facing a very serious deadlock but we do not want the agreement to be considered dead and it was a wrong move to have it described as such."

"We should find ways to involve the third member of the CMP in efforts to revive the agreement, without necessarily getting the two processes engaged together," he explained.

Noting that the CMP had no involvement in the agreement, Theodosiou said "it is logical that the two should work in parallel and cooperate since the results of the agreement should go through the CMP to draw the final conclusion about the fate of the missing."

"We believe a UN officer has more of a chance than anybody else to convince the Turkish Cypriot member to both processes, Rustem Tatar, to be more positive towards the agreement," he maintained.

Theodosiou applauded the government's decision to exhume remains of persons buried in the free areas of the Republic and said this was a long standing demand of the Committee, in spite of objections by certain quarters.

Agapios Chiratos, president of the National Committee for the Struggle of Missing, expressed disappointment with the way things stand at the moment but stressed "for us the agreement is an important issue."

He said a most positive element of the agreement was the recognition by Denktash of the right of relatives of missing to establish the fate of their loved ones with convincing proof and to have their remains for proper burial.

"In the next 17 months (Ritter's term in office) we have to give the best we can to produce work that would enable Ritter's task to move on," he said.

Chiratos said if the newly-appointed UN top envoy in Cyprus, Ann Hercus, displays an interest to revive the agreement, there may be some development.

He too backed the government's decision to proceed with exhumations and said his committee supports this idea.

A total of 1.619 Greek Cypriots and Greeks were listed as missing persons soon after the Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus' northern third in 1974.

The Turkish Cypriot side presented a list of some 500 Turkish Cypriots as missing since the 1963 intercommunal clashes.

CNA MM/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[03] Human Rights - Cyprus case

At the same time, her lawyer said the substance of Tuesday's ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is that Turkey is called to implement human rights and allow Titina Loizidou to enjoy her property.

The European Court ordered Turkey to pay pecuniary damages of 300,000 Cyprus pounds to Titina Loizidou from the Turkish-occupied town of Kyrenia, a further 20,000 pounds for non-pecuniary damage and 137,084 pounds for her costs and expenses. (One Cyprus pound equals to 1,9 US dollars).

In its decision, the ECHR dismissed by 15-2 Turkey's claim that Loizidou, has no entitlement to an award of just satisfaction under Article 50 of the Convention.

Speaking a day after the ruling was announced here by Attorney General, Alecos Michaelides, Loizidou said it is a "very important decision for all Cypriots who have property in the occupied areas."

"It is the first time that there is an indication as to the cost of deprivation (of enjoyment of property) since the 1974 Turkish invasion. It is also the first time that the personal loss against Greek Cypriots is being measured", said Loizidou.

She said she had mixed feelings after hearing the ruling, adding that the deprivation of the right of access and use of her property in the Turkish-occupied Kyrenia town "cannot be measured with cold numbers and compensation."

"My property symbolises my life in Kyrenia," Loizidou added. She expressed the hope that the ruling will constitute "a pressure on Turkey for its continued occupation, so that all Cypriots will be able to enjoy their country in peace."

In statements to CNA, Loizidou's lawyer, Achilleas Demetriades, said the substance of the case is that it "reconfirms that Loizidou is the legal owner of her property in occupied Kyrenia, it rejects once again the allegation that Turkey is not responsible (in international law for the acts of the pseudostate) and that Turkey is responsible for what is happening in the occupied areas due to the presence of the Turkish army."

Demetriades said "that however absurd and difficult it might be for Turkey to pay these awards, the simpler it is to stop" the violations and leave the occupied areas.

"Turkey must bear a cost. Until now, it was a political cost. Now we are talking about money. If people are motivated by money, then we have a driving force", Demetriades said.

Asked what will happen if Turkey does not comply with the ruling, Demetriades said there are ideas as to how it can be implemented in European countries. However, he expressed the conviction that Turkey will eventually pay.

The ruling noted that the Council of Ministers will monitor the implementation of the ruling. The amount should be collected within three months from the date of the issue of the ruling and a simple interest at an annual rate of 8 percent shall be payable on all amounts from the expiry of the three months until settlement.

Another aspect of the case, Demetriades said, is that Turkey would like to be part of Europe.

"If they want to be part of the club Europe, they should play by the club Europe rules. If they don't play by the rules, they should not be there", Demetriades said.

He said that what must follow now is that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe should make Turkey comply with the ruling and the human rights code and allow Loizidou access to her property.

Asked if the issue has turned into a political one, Demetriades replied positively, noting however that the political dimension of the issue cannot overcome the legal dimension.

"If there is no legal framework from within which to operate, then we should not call ourselves a society", he emphasised.

Demetriades stressed that the non-pecuniary damage of 20,000 awarded to Loizidou is very important because if we multiply the award with the 200.000 Greek Cypriot refugees, then the amount comes to 4 billion pounds.

In its ruling, the Court said that "an award should be made... in respect of the anguish and feelings of helplessness and frustration which the applicant must have experienced over the years in not being able to use her property as she saw fit."

Demetriades said he was "completely satisfied" with the decision and expressed the hope that this will be the measure with which other cases will be judged with.

Already, there are around 100 similar cases pending before the European Court while a number of people who have property in the occupied areas are interested in lodging a petition.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 percent of the island's territory

In its ruling in December 1996, the ECHR found Turkey guilty of continuous human rights violations with respect to the peaceful enjoyment of Loizidou's property.

It ordered that within the next six months the applicant and the Turkish government submit written observations with respect to the issue of compensation and costs.

It is the first time an international legal body has condemned Turkey and ordered the country to pay damages over human rights violations as a result of the continuing Turkish occupation of Cyprus' northern areas.

CNA EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[04] Cyprus Stock Exchange

   CSE General Index                          83.47 ( 0.13)

   Traded Value            CYP 894,592

   Sectural Indices

   Banks                   CYP   500,227      97.98 (-0.03)
   Approved Investment
   Companies               CYP    34,188      57.66 (-0.38)
   Insurance Companies     CYP    28,115      58.65 (-0.09)
   Manufacturing Companies CYP    91,254      76.35 (-0.05)
   Tourism Companies       CYP    70,728      69.73 ( 1.65)
   Trading Companies       CYP    29,780      40.07 ( 0.81)
   Other Companies         CYP    26,622      70.89 ( 0.94)

CNA /1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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