Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 98-09-02

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cynews.com/>

Wednesday, September 02, 1998

Unanimous no to Denktash proposal

ALL the papers carried lead stories and leader articles about the unanimous rejection by the Greek side of Rauf Denktash's "provocative" proposals for a settlement.

Phileleftheros reported that Denktash's surprise announcement, officially rejecting a federal settlement and proposing, "in the form of an ultimatum", a confederation would kill off the planned mediation efforts by the UN and US. The proposal completely undermined the basis for intercommunal talks, it said.

The proposal, submitted in writing and described by Denktash as a goodwill gesture, was announced during the visit to the north of Turkey's Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. It caught everyone by surprise, including foreign diplomats, who had expected Cem to focus on the missile issue during his visit.

Alithia said that both the governments of Athens and Nicosia had rejected the proposal, describing it as a "provocation to international justice which showed contempt for the UN decisions on Cyprus". All the political parties in Cyprus were quick to reject Denktash's proposal.

In his daily column, the paper's editor questioned the wisdom of immediately rejecting Denktash's proposal, because in politics and diplomacy the way an issue was handled was of critical importance. A bad handling of a situation could have negative consequences, which would have been avoided through more caution.

Haravghi said that Akel general-secretary Demetris Christofias had suggested that Denktash be reported to the UN Security Council for his behaviour. His proposals were "unacceptable and reprehensible", Christofias was quoted as saying.

Denktash's plan exposed the "intransigence and cynicism of the Turkish side, which was nurtured by the tolerance, if not the encouragement" of the US and other western states, Christofias claimed.

Simerini reported that US Ambassador Kenneth Brill had refused to condemn the proposal, on the grounds that he had not studied it carefully.

In a front-page leader article the paper said: "The Turks, with their new political attack, are seeking the humiliation of the Greek side and the preparation of their new blows... After the scrapping of casus belli in Athens, the Turks have concluded that they can go ahead with a bag of measures that are humiliating for the Greek side."

Machi was even more direct in its front-page leader. It despaired at the fact that an opportunist like Denktash could freely "provoke and ridicule" the UN Security Council.

It suggested that "we should respond to Cem and Denktash with a Turkish word that is very appropriated in this case: 'Assichtir'".

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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