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Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 00-12-15
CONTENTS
[01] Seized Greek Cypriot `grabbed violently'
[02] We will go to Geneva, Cassoulides tells the UN
[03] Shipping department did not inspect deportation boat
[04] Villagers' terror as holes swallow trees
[05] Market back to square one
[06] Bases and UN step up security after arrest of Greek Cypriot
[07] Teachers set new strike for Tuesday
[08] Petrol prices could come down soon
[09] Savvides: time to move ahead on Health scheme
[01] Seized Greek Cypriot `grabbed violently'
A GREEK Cypriot man seized by Turkish Cypriot `police' near Pergamos on
Tuesday has a cut on his back and has complained that his ribs hurt,
UNFICYP reported yesterday after one of their doctors visited him in
custody in the occupied areas. The UNFICYP team visited Panicos Tsiakourmas,
39, after he was earlier remanded in custody for eight days accused of drug
trafficking. Tsiakourmas, a diabetic, asked the UN for insulin, a change of
clothes and for permission for his wife to visit, UNFICYP spokeswoman Sarah
Russell said. Tsiakourmas reportedly said that since his arrest he had been
well treated. However, all indications point to the father-of-three having
been violently pulled from his car by a group of unidentified men, police
sources said. Turkish Cypriot press reports said yesterday that after his
arrest, Tsiakourmas had been examined at a hospital in occupied Nicosia and
had registered excessive amounts of glucose in his blood and signs of
inflammation in his lungs. The newspapers said he had been arrested by a
team from the "anti-drugs squad" after being found in possession of 1.5
kilos of cannabis. Tsiakourmas, a building contractor, disappeared at
around 6am on Tuesday on the road to the occupied village of Pergamos,
which borders the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area (SBA). He was on his way to
pick up six Turkish Cypriot workers to take them to Nicosia, as he did on a
daily basis. His pick-up truck, its engine still running, was found within
SBA territory, some 400 metres from the area controlled by Turkish troops.
The car door was open and the headlights still on. Tsiakourmas' brother,
who was also on his way to Pergamos to pick up five other Turkish Cypriot
workers, spotted the empty car at about 6.15am. The Turkish Cypriot side
claims Tsiakourmas was arrested inside the occupied areas, but police
sources said his car was in fact stopped on the road inside bases territory
and that he was bundled into another car, which drove straight to the
occupied areas. The arrest has prompted the UN to step up security in Pyla,
and the British bases said yesterday they had established a temporary
control point in the vicinity of the SBA prison, to "provide reassurance to
people within or legitimately moving through this area," a bases
announcement said. Reports from Larnaca said the control point on the Pyla
and Pergamos roads, would be manned on a 24-hour basis. UNFICYP from
yesterday also increased its presence in the buffer zone village of Pyla by
adding to its number of regular patrols. The increased measures by the
bases and the UN show both are concerned over the incident and the
suspicious nature of the arrest, but they are reluctant to comment until
official investigations are completed. Sources in the UN and the bases said
it is well known that drugs were being smuggled "both ways" through Pyla.
However, they agreed this particular incident sounded "fishy", based on the
evidence so far. "But how bad the smell is we don't know yet," said one
source. The government is convinced Tsiakourmas was set up in retaliation
over the arrest two weeks ago of Omer Tekoglu, a Turkish Cypriot who was
picked up by police outside Pyla, allegedly in possession of two kilos of
heroin. The Turkish Cypriot side issued a stark ultimatum for Tekoglu's
release, saying that if Greek Cypriot police were engaging in a new policy
of kidnapping suspects from the UN-controlled buffer zone, Turkish Cypriot
police would respond in a similar manner. Unconfirmed reports yesterday
suggested the Turkish Cypriot side had prevented workers crossing from the
north yesterday, and that the workers had staged a demonstration to protest
against the bar.
[02] We will go to Geneva, Cassoulides tells the UN
THE GREEK Cypriot side will be attending the sixth round of proximity talks
in Geneva at the end of January, Foreign Minster Yiannakis Cassoulides
confirmed yesterday. Until now, neither side has given an answer to the UN
on its participation. The government has never indicated that it would not
attend the talks, but said earlier it would not take a final decision until
after the UNFICYP mandate had been approved. Cassoulides said yesterday the
positive six-monthly report from UN Secretary-general followed by
Wednesday's Security Council resolution had ensured the Greek Cypriot's
side's participation. "After seeing the developments with regard to the
resolution there is no reason for us not to take part," Cassoulides told a
news conference yesterday. In renewing the six-monthly mandate of the UN
force in Cyprus, UNFICYP, the Security Council refrained from satisfying
Turkish Cypriot demands for a reference to its approval in the presence of
the force on the island. In fact the Security Council took Turkish troops
to task over measures imposed last June to restrict the movement of UN
personnel, urging them to rescind the measures and restore the status quo
at Strovilia. Last year, ostensibly to prevent access by UN troops to the
north, Turkish troops moved their positions forward to encompass the tiny
Greek Cypriot village, putting its residents within the occupied areas.
Cassoulides said the Greek Cypriot side was pleased with the way the
Security Council had responded to the Strovilia situation. He said it was
the first time the Turkish forces had received a slap on the wrist in a
mandate renewal. The government was also pleased that the Turkish Cypriot
side's attempt to have the mandate altered to suit them hadn't worked.
Cassoulides said President Clerides would soon make his position on the
talks known to the UN Secretary-general. Commenting on Turkish Cypriot
leader Rauf Denktash's threat not to attend the Geneva talks, Cassoulides
said the government was closely watching developments. "We are watching
calmly and not rushing every minute to discuss how Denktash is dealing with
the issue," he said. "We don't know if he is going to go to the talks."
Denktash has repeatedly said that, as far as the Turkish Cypriot side is
concerned, the talks are over. On Tuesday, he was reported as saying that
he would go to Geneva and talk with UN officials but not in the context of
a sixth round. Opposition newspaper Avrupa said Denktash would tell the
UN he was willing to take part as a "first round" of new talks on his
terms. Yesterday, the Turkish Cypriot leader denied he had ever said such a
thing. The Turkish Cypriot leader has still not said outright whether or
not he will go to Geneva. In an interview with Reuters yesterday Clerides
said that if Denktash did not go back to the talks, it would mean he did
not want a solution to the Cyprus problem. He hoped at Ankara at least,
given its EU aspirations, might now show a different attitude. Asked if he
would like to renew his old acquaintance with Denktash, Clerides said: "it
might be useful" in a social context where the Cyprus problem would not be
discussed and they could talk like "two old friends". "At the moment, he is
not willing even to stay at the same hotel as me in case he meets me in the
lift. He is not likely to want to see me across the dinner table," Clerides
said.
[03] Shipping department did not inspect deportation boat
THE BOAT which sank on Wednesday on its way back from a deportation shuttle
to Lebanon had not been inspected by the Merchant Shipping Department, it
emerged yesterday. The Royal Prince was returning from Beirut, where it
had just dropped off 47 illegal immigrants, when it sank in heavy seas 67
miles from the coast of Larnaca. The vessel issued a distress call at 3am,
saying it had lost power after its engine room flooded. The nine crew were
safely rescued by two helicopters scrambled to the scene. On Wednesday,
Merchant Shipping Department official Nicos Economides said the vessel had
been inspected last summer and certified as sea worthy until October 31
this year. Economides added the ship was only certified to carry out
passenger cruises along the coast of the island - no more than five miles
out. The government, who had commandeered the boat, said the vessel had
been inspected and pronounced seaworthy before its departure on Tuesday.
But yesterday, sources in the merchant shipping department told the Cyprus
Mail that no one from the department had inspected the boat before it took
to the seas. An expert added that the vessel was not built to sail in force
eight winds and heavy seas. "In theory, if the owner requested a permit to
sail to Lebanon, most probably he would not get one, and if he did it would
be under certain conditions," the expert said. Captains of such vessels
should always check that weather conditions were good before attempting to
sail, even if it was a short distance, he added. The 29-year-old captain of
the 73-tonne Royal Prince had initially decided not to sail from Beirut
because of the bad weather, but changed his mind and left from Lebanon at
6.30pm on Tuesday. A police patrol boat, which had escorted the ferry to
Lebanon and was already on its way back to Cyprus, radioed the captain and
advised him to return to Beirut. A police spokesman told the Cyprus Mail
yesterday that it was not their job to check the condition of the ship.
"Our duty was to escort the vessel with the immigrants to Lebanon," he
said.
[04] Villagers' terror as holes swallow trees
STRANGE holes have swallowed up the ground near Pera Chorio, with villagers
terrified their houses and property could be sucked out from under their
feet. In the last few days, a 14-metre eucalyptus tree and two lemon trees
from a local orchard have disappeared into the ground. The three gaping
holes have defaced a ploughed field, a dirt track road and the local lemon
orchard. One of the craters measures 15 metres by 8 metres. Villagers are
afraid there could be worse to come. All those concerned are extremely
worried and the local municipality has issued a circular. The curse has
struck in the Yialias river valley between Nisou and Pera Chorio, on the
riverbank opposite Pera Chorio village. The affected area covers 500 by 300
metres - and includes a flat field that construction teams were poised to
develop. Indeed, those most fearful are people already planning to erect
houses in the seemingly idyllic rural haven. One of the rifts lies just six
metres from a plot of land recently given a building permit. The Geological
Survey Department has fenced off the section of land branded as "high risk"
to prevent children and animals straying into the danger zone. But although
the department has been investigating the phenomenon since the land first
caved in eight years ago, there's still no known way of preventing the
phenomenon, other than filling the area with concrete - difficult because
the affected area is so large. Investigations, however, have assured that
the old village of Pera Chorio not at risk. "We are reassured that the
built up area is not affected," director of the Geological Survey
Department George Petrides told the Cyprus Mail. The phenomenon, called
`karst', was first observed originated in a region of Yugoslavia. The
sinkholes develop when underground water channels its way through certain
rock formations. "Groundwater dilutes the rock, creating smaller and then
larger openings like underground caves," said Petrides. When this happens
to limestone (as it did in Yugoslavia) stalagmites and stalactites form in
huge underground caves, large and impressive enough to become tourist
attractions. But in Cyprus the affected rock is gypsum, which creates much
thinner formations, not so much a tourist attraction as a public danger.
In the river valley between Nisou and Pera Chorio, a very thick layer of
gravel covers the gypsum. "When water runs through the gravel to the gypsum,
it's as if the straw breaks the camel's back. The roof of the underground
cave collapses and the soil rushes in," Petrides explained. To prevent
future catastrophe, the district municipality has to ensure that detailed
geological surveys are carried out before approving building permits. All
investigators will have to submit their findings to the geological
department for evaluation. "There is a possibility that if there aren't
cavities everywhere, then they could build," Petrides said. But the fear is
still latent. On the plot for which the permit has already been given, two
boreholes were drilled and nothing was found. "It wasn't on the marked area,
but to have the sinkhole six metres away is not going to make you feel
comfortable," said Petrides. He said the Department would continue to
investigate the problem until they came up with a solution. Similar
phenomena have also been recorded in the Paphos district.
[05] Market back to square one
GAINS FROM Monday's five per cent surge were almost entirely wiped out
yesterday when the all-share index lost another 2.15 per cent as pressure
to liquidate continued to plague the market. Trading opened on negative
territory some seven points down on Tuesday's 256-point close. The index
managed to drag itself up to 253 in the first 15 minutes but plunged again
to end at 250.53 points. Volume was also down at £15 million with losers
outpacing gainers 131 to 32 and 49 companies remaining unchanged. The
FTSE/CySE also lost, dropping 2.62 per cent mainly due to heavy pressure on
five of its 20 blue chips, three of them in the banking sector, which slid
an overall 2.66 per cent. Bank of Cyprus (BoC) gave up another 12 cents to
close at £3.58 while Cyprus Popular Bank shed eight cents, ending at £3.53,
and Hellenic Bank lost one cent to £1.45. BoC did slightly better on the
Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) yesterday but only thanks to a last-minute
rally. The share gained 0.44 per cent compared to increases on the general
ASE index and that of the banking sector of 2.58 and 1.69 respectively. BoC
shares ended at 2,280 (£3.81) after hitting an intraday low of 2,205
(£3.68) and trading well under Tuesday's levels until the last five minutes
of the session. The most actively traded share on the CSE yesterday was
GlobalSoft, after a quiet three days. The share traded on a volume of £3.28
million, one fifth of the day's total, but the stock slipped back eight
cents to close at £5.13. Louis Cruise Lines also came under pressure coming
out two cents lower at 50 cents after 1.6 million shares had been traded.
Nicosia trader Demos Stavrides said quite a lot of investors were selling
to clear their accounts by Friday when brokers would no longer be accepting
orders without cash up front. He also said that despite a 20 per cent
increase in the index over the past eight days, investors were still unsure
whether the market had stabilised or not. "Today's session showed that the
250-point level is quite a strong one," he said. `Maybe it really is time
to invest." Stavrides said they expected a further slide in the index on
Friday at least in the beginning. "We are likely to see a drop at the start
of trading but we might end with a small increase by the end of the day,"
he said.
[06] Bases and UN step up security after arrest of Greek Cypriot
A GREEK Cypriot man seized on Tuesday near Pergamos by Turkish Cypriot
`police' was yesterday remanded in custody in the north for eight days
accused of drug trafficking. Contractor Panicos Tsiakourmas, 39,
disappeared at around 6am on the road to the occupied village of Pergamos,
which borders the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area (SBA). He was on his way to
pick up six Turkish Cypriot workers to take them to Nicosia. The pick-up
truck, its engine still running, was found within SBA territory, some 400
metres from the area controlled by Turkish troops. The car door was open
and the headlights still on. Tsiakourmas' brother, who was also on his way
to Pergamos to pick up five other Turkish Cypriot workers, spotted the
empty car at about 6.15am. The Turkish Cypriot side claims Tsiakourmas was
found in possession of some 1.5 kilos of cannabis. They say he was arrested
inside the occupied areas. UNFICYP personnel, including a doctor, were
allowed to visit Tsiakourmas yesterday afternoon. The incident has prompted
the bases and the UN to step up security in the area. The bases said
yesterday they had established a temporary control point in the vicinity of
the SBA prison, to "provide reassurance to people within or legitimately
moving through this area," a bases announcement said. UNFICYP from
yesterday also increased its presence in the buffer zone village of Pyla by
adding to its number of regular patrols. Although the UN does not have
powers of arrest in the mixed village under its control, police from both
sides are required to alert UNFICYP personnel as to what they are doing.
The increased measures by the bases and the UN show both are concerned over
the incident and the suspicious nature of the arrest, but they are
reluctant to comment until official investigations are completed. Until
then all they have to go with are the word of the Greek Cypriot man against
that of Turkish Cypriot `police'. Sources in the UN and the bases said it
is well known that drugs were smuggled "both ways" through Pyla. However,
they agreed this particular incident sounded "fishy" based on evidence so
far. "But how bad the smell is we don't know yet," said one source. The
government is convinced Tsiakourmas was set up in retaliation over the
arrest two weeks ago of Omer Tekoglu, a Turkish Cypriot who picked up by
police outside Pyla, allegedly in possession of two kilos of heroin. The
Turkish Cypriot side issued a stark ultimatum for Tekoglu's release, saying
that if Greek Cypriot police were engaging in a new policy of kidnapping
suspects from the UN-controlled buffer zone, Turkish Cypriot police would
respond in a similar manner. DIKO deputy Nicos Cleanthous told reporters at
the House yesterday he had information that Tsiakourmas was actually on
bases territory when he was arrested. However, this could not be confirmed
since only his vehicle was found in the area. Unconfirmed reports yesterday
also suggested the Turkish Cypriot side had prevented workers crossing from
the north yesterday, and that the workers had staged a demonstration to
protest against the bar.
[07] Teachers set new strike for Tuesday
By a Staff Reporter HIGH school teachers yesterday announced another 24-
hour strike for Tuesday as the Education Ministry stood firm in its refusal
to negotiate until the unions suspend their action. The announcement came
after a national meeting of Teachers' union OELMEK in Limassol. It added
union members had instructed their committee to call any action they felt
necessary, but also to negotiate with the Ministry. Education Minister
Ouranios Ioannides yesterday repeated his insistence that he would not
negotiate under the threat of further action. "Our hands are tied as OELMEK
will not let us enter any dialogue. The problem is clear, and that is that
we are not prepared to risk (raising secondary school teachers' salaries),
which would cause a storm of reactions in the public sector and put primary
school teachers up in arms again." Responding to criticism that the
Ministry had not handled the issue properly from the start, Ioannides said:
"The opposite happened, everything we did was an attempt to prevent a
crisis."
The spat began when primary school teachers went on strike demanding pay
rises to bring them into line with secondary school teachers. This caused
the secondary teachers to react, asking for an upgrade in their salary
status to maintain the gap with primary school teachers.
[08] Petrol prices could come down soon
By a Staff Reporter MOTORISTS could be looking at fuel price cuts of up to
five cents by the end of the year, the House Commerce Committee heard
yesterday. Speaking before the committee, Trade and Industry Minister Nicos
Rolandis said that based on the price regulation mechanism currently in
place, there could be cuts in fuel prices of up to five cents per litre by
the end of the month. The committee discussed the issue of importing,
refining, and marketing fuel. Committee Chairman, DISY deputy Demetris
Sylouris said the system regulating fuel prices would have to change with
the island's accession to the European Union. He wondered how consumers
would be protected when the system changed, since price liberalisation
would allow companies to change fuel prices at will. Rolandis said there
was no way consumers would remain unprotected because the ministry - come
price liberalisation - would define a ceiling price on fuel.
This will be the highest selling price in accordance with fuel prices in
other European countries.
[09] Savvides: time to move ahead on Health scheme
By a Staff Reporter HEALTH Minister Frixos Savvides said yesterday that all
the parliamentary parties had agreed it was vital to expedite the
implementation of the planned National Health Scheme. Under the scheme, all
employees would have to contribute to the plan, irrespective of existing
medical provisions they might enjoy under other schemes. The scheme faces
determined opposition from civil service union PASYDY, which wants free
medical care for civil servants. It is also resisted by the Bank Employees'
Association, which wants its members excluded from the plan, saying the
health provisions they have as bank employees are sufficient. Speaking
after a closed House Health Committee meeting yesterday, Savvides said the
parties unanimously agreed that the procedures needed to be accelerated. He
added that three parties - DISY, KISOS, and the United Democrats - agreed
with the scheme as it was and were ready to vote for it. AKEL has voiced
opposition to provisions within for the plan, charging the government with
ultimately planning to privatise hospitals, something which PASYDY also
claims. But Savvides has repeatedly rejected the charge, saying the scheme
would privatise nothing. Instead it provides for economisation and
autonomisation by making each state hospital responsible within the state
system for its own budget, hiring and firing, purchase of supplies and so
on. PASYDY resists the plan because, it claims, civil servants have a right
to free medicine and they do not want to pay for it. But according to the
legislation drafted in 1948, civil servants are already obliged to pay a
small fraction for medical treatment, in relation to their earnings. At the
time, this amounted to 25 cents per night in hospital. Over the years,
public service salaries have soared, but the contribution has remained the
same. As for bank employees, Savvides says their health scheme is good for
flu or coughs, but when it comes to serious illnesses such as cancer,
leukaemia, or heart disease, the government is footing the bill. "The plan
is designed to cover everyone," Savvides said yesterday. "If someone has a
better one then I would accept it," he added. The minister said that it the
plan was approved by the House it would take around five years to be fully
implemented.
Cyprus Mail 2000
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