Voice of America, 96-08-11

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] CYPRUS/CLASHES (L) BY JENNIFER GRIFFIN (NICOSIA)

[02] IRAN/TURKEY (S&L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (CAIRO)

[03] U-S/TURKEY/IRAN (S ONLY) BY VICTOR BEATTIE (WASHINGTON)

[01] CYPRUS/CLASHES (L) BY JENNIFER GRIFFIN (NICOSIA)

INTRO: IN CYPRUS, SEVERAL-THOUSAND MOTORCYCLISTS STAGED A VIOLENT DEMONSTRATION SUNDAY TO PROTEST THE ISLAND'S DIVISION BETWEEN GREEKS AND TURKS. PROTESTORS CROSSED THE COUNTRY'S DIVIDING GREEN LINE INTO TURKISH TERRITORY, AND JENNIFER GRIFFIN REPORTS FROM NICOSIA ONE GREEK CYPRIOT WAS KILLED AND MORE THAN A DOZEN INJURED IN CLASHES WITH TURKISH TROOPS AND CIVILIANS AT SEVERAL POINTS ALONG THE BORDER.

TEXT: /// SOUND OF MOTORCYCLES, FADES UNDER ///

DESPITE ATTEMPTS BY ORGANIZERS TO CALL OFF THE DEMONSTRATION, THE DEFIANT BIKERS TORE DOWN THE COILED BARBED WIRE FENCE AT DHERINIA, ABOUT 60-KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF NICOSIA. THE U-N MONITORING TROOPS BUILT THE FENCE TO TRY TO KEEP THE TWO SIDES APART.

THE GREEK CYPRIOT PROTESTORS, SOME ON MOTORCYCLES BUT MOST ON FOOT, CROSSED THE DIVIDING GREEN LINE -- HURLING STONES AT A GROUP OF TURKISH CYPRIOT CIVILIANS AND WAITING TURKISH TROOPS. BUT THEY SOON RETREATED WHEN THEY SAW THEY WERE OUTNUMBERED AND SEVERAL WERE CAUGHT IN THE KNEE-HIGH BARBED-WIRE-FENCE BARRICADES.

THE TURKISH CIVILIANS DESCENDED ON THE TRAPPED DEMONSTRATORS WITH WOODEN CLUBS AND STONES, BEATING THEM UNTIL A U-N SOLDIER INTERVENED. ONE MAN COVERED IN BLOOD DIED FROM HIS INJURIES, BUT THE OTHERS WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE BACK TO THE GREEK SIDE.

IN ANOTHER INCIDENT ALONG THE GREEN LINE 40-KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF THE CAPITAL AT ATCHNA, TURKISH TROOPS FIRED BUCKSHOT AT ADVANCING GREEK DEMONSTRATORS WHO HAD ENTERED THE U-N SECURITY ZONE AND STARTED THROWING STONES AT THE SOLDIERS.

AT A U-N POST IN NICOSIA, GREEK CYPRIOT PAMBOS CHARALAMBOS, WHOSE FAMILY USED TO LIVE IN THE NORTH, SAT LOOKING FORLORN ON HIS RED MOTORCYCLE HELMET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET FACING A U-N BARRICADE. HE SAID HE WAS UPSET BECAUSE THE GROUP HAD DECIDED NOT TO CROSS THE GREEN LINE.

HE FEELS VERY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THIS AND WAS EXPECTING THAT THE TURKISH TROOPS WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO ENTER THE PLACE.

SUNDAY'S PROTEST INCLUDED A GROUP OF NEARLY 200 SYMPATHETIC BIKERS FROM EUROPE. THE GROUP, WHICH JOINED THE GREEK DEMONSTRATORS AFTER DOCKING IN CYPRUS, BEGAN THEIR JOURNEY OF PROTEST IN BERLIN, WHICH THEY CHOSE AS A SYMBOL OF A ONCE DIVIDED CITY THAT IS NOW RE-UNITED.

THE BIKERS ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO CROSS THE BUFFER ZONE AND RIDE TOWARD THE NORTHERN CITY OF KYRENIA WHICH IS PRESENTLY HELD BY THE TURKS. TURKISH LEADERS SAID THEIR TROOPS WERE GIVEN ORDERS TO SHOOT TO KILL ANYONE WHO CROSSED THE GREEN LINE ILLEGALLY.

GREEK CYPRIOT PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES APPEALED TO THE BIKERS EARLY SUNDAY TO CALL OFF THE PROTEST TO AVOID A CONFRONTATION.

NEARLY ALL OF NICOSIA'S POLICE FORCE WAS CALLED OUT TO PREVENT CLASHES. INSPECTOR ANDREAS SAVVIDES SAYS HE IS GLAD THE EUROPEAN BIKERS JOINED THE DEMONSTRATION BECAUSE IT HELPED TO HIGHLIGHT THE PROBLEM TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD. HE WAS ASKED WHAT HE THOUGHT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE GREEKS AND EUROPEANS DECIDED TO CROSS.

SOMETHING UNPREDICTABLE. THE TURKISH SHOOT. THEY ARE NOT PEACEFUL PEOPLE.

CYPRUS HAS BEEN A DIVIDED ISLAND SINCE 1974 WHEN TURKEY OCCUPIED THE NORTHERN ONE-THIRD OF THE ISLAND IN RESPONSE TO A FAILED COUP BY CYPRIOTS WHO WANTED UNION WITH GREECE. (SIGNED)
NEB/JG/DW/RAE
11-Aug-96 1:32 PM EDT (1732 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] IRAN/TURKEY (S&L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (CAIRO)

INTRO: TURKEY AND IRAN HAVE INITIALED A 20-BILLION DOLLAR NATURAL GAS DEAL TURKEY INSISTS DOES NOT CONTRADICT THE NEWEST U-S LAW CALLING FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS WITH IRAN OR LIBYA. V-O-A MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT LAURIE KASSMAN REPORTS THE DEAL WAS SIGNED DURING THE VISIT OF TURKEY'S NEW PRIME MINISTER, NECMETTING ERBEKAN (NECH-MET-TEN URB-EH-KAN) DURING THE FIRST LEG OF A 10-DAY TOUR ALSO TAKING HIM TO PAKISTAN, SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA, AND INDONESIA.

TEXT: THE IRANIAN AND TURKISH OFFICIALS IN CHARGE OF ENERGY MATTERS HAVE INITIALED THE AGREEMENT, WHICH WILL BE FORMALLY SIGNED MONDAY BY TURKEY'S PRIME MINISTER AND IRAN'S PRESIDENT.

THE DEAL CALLS FOR THE SALE OF FOUR-BILLION CUBIC METERS OF IRANIAN NATURAL GAS YEARLY TO TURKEY FOR THE NEXT 22-YEARS. THE 20-BILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT COMES A FEW DAYS AFTER U-S PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON SIGNED A LAW TO PUNISH AMERICAN AND FOREIGN COMPANIES INVESTING MORE THAN 40-MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN IRAN'S OIL AND GAS SECTORS.

TURKEY SAYS THE GAS AGREEMENT DOES NOT VIOLATE THE SANCTIONS BECAUSE TURKISH COMPANIES ARE NOT MAKING MAJOR INVESTMENTS. TURKEY WILL HELP FINANCE IRAN'S CONSTRUCTION OF A PIPELINE TO THE TURKISH BORDER.

THE U-S ADMINISTRATION HAD ALREADY EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT PRIME MINISTER ERBEKAN'S VISIT TO IRAN, A COUNTRY WASHINGTON ACCUSES OF SPONSORING TERRORISM. MR. ERBEKAN HEADS TURKEY'S FIRST ISLAMIST COALITION, AND ORGANIZED HIS FIRST TRIP ABROAD TO VISIT MOSTLY ISLAMIC STATES TO THE EAST.

TURKEY'S MUCH-PUBLICIZED GAS DEAL WITH IRAN COULD PROVE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO WASHINGTON, WHICH CONSIDERS TURKEY A STRATEGIC ALLY IN THE REGION. EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS HAVE CRITICIZED THE U-S SANCTIONS AND SAY THEY WILL NOT ABIDE BY WASHINGTON'S ATTEMPT TO RESTRICT THEIR BUSINESS DEALINGS WITH IRAN OR LIBYA.

WASHINGTON WANTS ITS ALLIES TO HELP ISOLATE TEHRAN, BUT EUROPEAN STATES PREFER WHAT THEY CALL A CRITICAL DIALOGUE. (SIGNED)
NEB/LK/DW/RAE
11-Aug-96 10:56 AM EDT (1456 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] U-S/TURKEY/IRAN (S ONLY) BY VICTOR BEATTIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: THE UNITED STATES IS CLOSELY WATCHING THE TURKISH PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO IRAN DURING WHICH HE IS EXPECTED TO SIGN A 20-BILLION DOLLAR, 22-YEAR OIL AND GAS AGREEMENT. V-O-A'S VICTOR BEATTIE REPORTS SUCH A DEAL WOULD REPRESENT THE FIRST CHALLENGE TO A NEW U-S LAW AIMED AT ISOLATING IRAN AND LIBYA ECONOMICALLY:

TEXT: TURKEY'S PRIME MINISTER, NECMETTIN ERBAKAN, SAYS HIS GOVERNMENT HOPES TO GO AHEAD WITH THE DEAL, BUT INSISTS IT IS NOT DESIGNED AS A CHALLENGE TO THE UNITED STATES. THE NEW LAW, SIGNED AUGUST FIFTH BY PRESIDENT CLINTON, PENALIZES FOREIGN FIRMS DOING AT LEAST 40-MILLION DOLLARS IN BUSINESS WITH THE ENERGY SECTORS OF LIBYA AND IRAN.

U-S STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN NICHOLAS BURNS SAYS THE UNITED STATES IS WATCHING THE VISIT CAREFULLY:

THERE'S A CAP BEYOND WHICH COMPANIES CANNOT GO OR ELSE THEY RISK U-S SANCTIONS. WE'LL HAVE TO SEE WHAT TRANSPIRES HERE. IF THIS TRANSACTION IS ABOVE 40-MILLION DOLLARS, IF IT DOES OCCUR, THEN IT WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE LEGISLATION.

SENATOR ALFONSE D'AMATO, CHIEF AUTHOR OF THE LAW, HAS WARNED SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER THE TURKEY-IRAN DEAL IS -- QUOTE -- DANGEROUS, PROVOCATIVE AND A DIRECT CHALLENGE. HE URGES MR. CHRISTOPHER TO DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH HIS TURKISH COUNTERPART.

THE NEW LAW IS STRONGLY OPPOSED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION AND RUSSIA AS A VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL TRADING PRACTICES. THE E-U IS CONSIDERING RETALIATORY MEASURES. MR. BURNS INSISTS THE U-S POSITION, THAT IRAN AND LIBYA SPONSOR TERRORISM AND SEEK TO ACQUIRE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND THEREFORE MUST BE ISOLATED, IS THE CORRECT ONE. (SIGNED).
10-Aug-96 8:17 PM EDT (0017 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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