USIA - Transcript: Cavanaugh Q&A on Cyprus Talks, 97-01-14

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TRANSCRIPT: CAVANAUGH Q&A 1/14 ON CYPRUS TALKS

(Says there's "no longer a crisis atmosphere" on Cyprus) (2180)

The State Department official is visiting Nicosia, Athens and Ankara in an effort to lessen the tension on Cyprus which has been exacerbated by Cyprus' contract to purchase Russian S-300 missiles due for delivery in 16 months.

Speaking to the press before departure from Larnaca airport January 14, Cavanaugh said, "Concrete steps really do need to be taken to reduce tensions, and I heard from people today that they will support a number of steps to do that, including this package of U.N. measures to reduce the likelihood of incidents along the cease-fire line."

Describing the package of proposals, he said:

• First is the code of conduct under which no one would use force or threat of force unless in fact human life is threatened.
• Second, is the unloading of ammunition from the weapons carried by sentries along the lines of demarcation because, as Cavanaugh said, "it drops the potential for an accidental incident."
• The third element is unmanning weapons along the cease-fire lines.

On the subject of the Turkish forces on Cyprus, Cavanaugh said, "We are very concerned about the military situation here. We have called repeatedly and made clear repeatedly our view that Cyprus has too much military forces and too much military armaments. We would welcome reductions in both of those."

When questioned abut the value of overflights, Cavanaugh responded that they are "not contributing to the political atmosphere that is conducive to a settlement."

Of his efforts to date, he said that his "visit here was underscored by very positive contributions by both parties to help and find ways to reduce the tensions. I leave here to go to Athens and then to Ankara and hopefully will find the same kind of atmosphere of support for trying to find the solutions."

Following is a transcript, provided by the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, of his remarks upon departure from the Larnaca Airport:

(Begin transcript)

CAVANAUGH: I am not surprised that their position on the matter remains the same. It is clear that they are opposed to the deployment of those missiles in Cyprus. I would also add that the United States has also said our view is that the decision to acquire these missiles was a mistake. That position also remains the same. I think what's important, and important for the people of Cyprus, is the fact that it is clear now that today there is no longer a crisis atmosphere on the island. It's clear that for at least 16 months no part or component of that missile system will be brought to this island. I think I have made clear from the moment I arrived on this island until, in fact, today, the moment I leave, that no Turkish response to that system is at this point Justified or acceptable and it can't be. There should be no crisis.

Q: Has the Turkish side given assurances that it will not take any military action?

CAVANAUGH: Not that I am aware of. I think what they are telling you is again they are upset about the missile system, and I think the United States has made clear repeatedly here and in Washington we would not regard any response as acceptable or justified.

Q: So we can say that the crisis is not over. It has been postponed.

CAVANAUGH: I would say it has been significantly postponed. It has been moved so far into the future that there should be adequate time to work to address the problem. I think, to be honest, there is no value in the future for having that type of missile system in Cyprus. I think the best way to avoid that missile system in Cyprus would be to find a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem.

Q: There is no value because it is linked to the overflights?

CAVANAUGH: No, I think there is no value because it is not contributing to the political atmosphere that is conducive to a settlement. When you talk about overflights, this is yet another issue, but I will be honest that that system is designed to address that concern. If there are no overflights, even more so, there is no need for that system. The system will be protecting you from blue skies.

Q: Generally are you satisfied from your visit here?

CAVANAUGH: I think this has been a very useful visit. I found all the parties that I met with today to be very supportive of trying to find measures to move forward and reduce tensions. I will be frank in admitting that on arriving to the island this was a very tense atmosphere. Even coming in on the aircraft to Cyprus with Cypriots yesterday, it was clear that the passengers were very concerned about developments on the island -- international developments, what was going on with the missiles, what impact this meant for people here.

I hope that, on leaving the island tonight, the situation is substantially calmer and that people recognize that. I believe that, since the crisis should have been defused now. I think there is no reason for people to be overly anxious about the daily situation, what is going on here now. At the same time, problems continue to exist for the future. Concrete steps really do need to be taken to reduce tensions, and I heard from people today that they will support a number of steps to do that, including this package of U.N. measures to reduce the likelihood of incidents along the cease-fire line.

As all of you know, during this past year we saw a lot of incidents, far more incidents on Cyprus than is typical, far more incidents than I think anyone would be comfortable with. If steps are taken to reduce that potential, if steps are taken so that those incidents don't happen, I think this makes the island a far safer place and a better place for all the people.

Q: Could we assume that we are very close to an agreement on the military dialogue?

CAVANAUGH: Both sides today, when I met with President Clerides and when I met with Mr. Denktash, gave their full support to very quick and immediate implementation of that package of proposals. I think the package of proposals is very useful for changing the situation along the cease-fire lines. It has three elements; I can review them for you if it helps:

• First is the code of conduct, which I think is perfectly clear to everyone, and it is the idea that no one would use force or threat of force unless in fact human life is threatened. So you will not have people firing on the cease-fire lines unless there is truly a situation that is threatening loss of life.
• The second element in that proposal is the unloading of ammunition from the weapons carried by sentries along the lines of demarcation. I think that's equally important because what it does is that it drops the potential for an accidental incident; it drops the potential where people worry or people panic unexpectedly and they have a Gun and they fire it. If ammunition is in your kit or somewhere else, it takes a lot more conscious effort to get to a point where you would use it, and hopefully cool- headedness would prevail before that would happen.
• The third element is unmanning. We have seen in the past that unmanning has been very helpful along the cease-fire lines, that it has actually created more stable situations. I think it has been borne out by history that this is a useful step. I think there are a number of areas along the cease-fire lines the U.N. has identified, where it would be very helpful to do unmanning, and talks on that unmanning in fact will be taking place this week.

Q: I have two questions, sir. The first one is that everybody including your government is talking about the missile system while ignoring at the same time the presence of the Turkish occupation army. Second, what is the future of the U.S. initiative on the Cyprus problem?

CAVANAUGH: First, as regards Turkish forces here, the United States has been working very actively for the past year in a variety of efforts to reduce tensions on this island. We are very concerned about the military situation here. We have called repeatedly and made clear repeatedly our view that Cyprus has too much military forces and too much military armaments. We would welcome reductions in both of those. I think that point is understood by everyone.

I think it would be hard to find people on the island who would also disagree with that, north or south. There are simply too many soldiers and too many weapons.

That said, it is very hard to move forward quickly on steps that would reduce those. Part of that process is moving forward on the settlement for Cyprus. This is something we are also actively engaged in pursuing; it is not an easy thing to do. The problems of this island are decades old. Solutions for this island will not come quickly. They need to be done carefully; they need to be done right. I hope that they can be done, because I think that it would be to the benefit not only of the people of this island but of this region, of Europe, and the world beyond, to have this problem settled once and for all.

Q: What about your country's initiative?

CAVANAUGH: As you can tell, the United States has been very actively engaged in the Cyprus problem. We have people coming here all the time. I come here very often; I was here last year in November. I last saw your president and foreign minister in December. This is January, and I am here yet again. I will be frank to tell you that this decision on missiles has set back in some ways our diplomatic efforts. It has certainly made them more complicated. It will make it harder to achieve the kind of initiative people wish to see. But, it doesn't mean we are not committed to seeing what we can do to engage and advance that process.

Q: After your visit here, would you say it is more difficult?

CAVANAUGH: Well, as I said, my visit here was underscored by very positive contributions by both parties to help and find ways to reduce the tensions. I leave here to go to Athens and then to Ankara and hopefully will find the same kind of atmosphere of support for trying to find the solutions.

Q: In Athens and Ankara, will you discuss the issue of the overflights?

CAVANAUGH: In Athens and Ankara I will continue the discussions of many of the things I raised here. We will talk about overflights, but also other issues, and also what can be done to try to move forward to reduce tensions here and to make sure that tensions between Greece and Turkey also don't spill over here.

Q: About the Cyprus initiative, will that begin in a few weeks or in a few months?

CAVANAUGH: As I said, I think it's hard to peg exactly when things start, and as I noted the activities Of last week represent a setback for those efforts. They slowed those down. So, it will take a while to see how quickly they can move forward.

Q: What is the sign that means that this initiative has started?

CAVANAUGH: It's very hard to peg how you would say when they start. I think there has often been concern by people looking over the horizon for the initiative, ignoring the fact that the international community's engagement on Cyprus has been ratcheting up substantially in the last year. I know for the past several years you had special envoys often visit Cyprus and people come to Cyprus. But if you look at the pace of that engagement now, and the pace of meetings internationally to work on Cyprus, you would find it has jumped enormously. It is almost constant now, that people who are addressing this problem are either visiting this island or meeting in other venues. I think you will see that engagement itself evolve, until it becomes what you would term an initiative. Any more questions? No? Thank you.

(End transcript)

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