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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 06-11-29Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
[01] EU - TURKEY - FREEZINGThe European Commission decided on Wednesday to recommend to the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council the freezing of eight chapters at Turkey`s accession negotiations, due to Turkey`s failure to meet its obligations under the Ankara Protocol.Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said that ``we suggest not to open negotiations on chapters covering policy areas relevant to the restrictions to the Republic of Cyprus until such restrictions will be lifted.`` The Commission has also decided to recommend that no chapter be provisionally closed until Turkey has fulfilled its commitments with respect to the Additional Protocol. The chapters are the free movement of goods, the right of establishment and freedom to provide services, financial services, agricultural and rural development, fisheries, transport, customs union and external relations. [02] ECHR - FOKA - APPLICATIONThe European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has decided to admit the application of Greek Cypriot Eleni Foka, who complained that she had been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, deprived of her liberty and security, disrespect for her private life and interference with her home, and persecuted because of her ethnic origin and religious beliefs and her opposition to the Turkish military occupation of the northern third of Cyprus.Foka`s lawyer Christos Triantafyllides announced on Wednesday that the decision was taken on 9 November and he received it on Tuesday. Triantafyllides said that the ECHR did not accept the allegations of Turkey that it was not responsible for the issues raised by Foka and noted that the northern third of Cyprus is under Turkish control. The ECHR did not accept that there are effective and legal measures the applicant should have taken before appealing to the ECHR. [03] MISSING - IDENTIFICATIONThe first identifications of remains of missing persons in Cyprus, in the latest effort to locate, exhume and identify such remains with a view to easing the suffering of relatives concerned, are expected to be obtained soon and the first remains will be returned to the families in early 2007, according to forensic scientists working on this most recent project.In an interview with CNA, Christophe Girod, third member of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) in Cyprus, welcomed warmly the support the two sides afford the Committee and noted with satisfaction the commitment displayed by them to this project. The CMP comprises three members, a Greek Cypriot, a Turkish Cypriot and a third member selected in the International Committee of the Red Cross and appointed by the UN Secretary General. Its decisions are taken by consensus. Asked about the sites where exhumations are taking place, he explained that the Greek and the Turkish Cypriot members of the CMP map out the different locations where it is believed that persons have been buried and then the CMP decides how to deal with the available information. So far 70 skeletons from different burial sites located all over Cyprus have been transferred to the CMP anthropological laboratory and the remains of some 60 individuals have been analysed in a bid to get a preliminary identification before bone samples are sent to the DNA laboratory. [04] HELIOS - TENSIONTension was high on Wednesday at the hearing of the Commission of Inquiry into the causes of an Helios Airways air crash in Greece in August 2005, as relatives of those killed gathered to listen to Executive President of former Helios Airways Andreas Drakos testify.On his entry into the room were the process is taking place, the relatives shouted at Drakos ``killer``, ``murderer`` and ``you killed our children.`` After Drakos testified, one of the relatives, Anthi Poyiatzi, requested permission to address the Commission to read out a text that had been prepared for Drakos and Panayiotis Kallis, who chairs the Commission. Kallis replied positively but requested that Drakos be removed from the room first. In a matter of seconds, some 50 relatives surrounded and assaulted him. Police officers managed to lead Drakos to the offices of the Commission, which has been set up at the Conference Centre in Nicosia. Speaking before the Commission, Drakos said he was in charge of the company`s strategy, development and expansion of its fleet. He noted that the company was not facing a cash flow problem and that he was not aware of reports stating the opposite by British Advisor to the Department of Civil Aviation Jim Taylor. Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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