Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 99-07-14

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

Wednesday, July 14, 1999

Church squabbles back in the limelight

THE GREEK Orthodox Church returned to some front pages yesterday, after a few months absence, although the mounting speculation about the Cyprus peace talks continued to dominate the news.

_Alithia

_ reported that the Bishop of Paphos Chrysostomos had "started new fires" in the Church, after a public attack on Archbishop Chrysostomos' close associates and the priests from the Vatopedi monastery in Mount Athos, whom he accused of working to get rid of the Archbishop.

Referring to recent reports about the sale of Church property to the Archbishop's relatives, he claimed that people close to the Archbishop had leaked the information because they were the only ones in a position to know. Their objective, he alleged, was to undermine the Archbishop and make him resign so that they could impose their own man in the position.

He claimed that a high-ranking priest was behind the move, but refused to confirm or deny that the priest in question was the new Limassol Bishop Athanasios, who had been a Vatopedi monk.

_Haravghi

_ alleged that "extreme right-wing elements, including people who had participated in the coup", and Church circles were trying to set up an Ethnarchic Council like the one that operated during British rule. These circles appeared to have convinced the Archbishop to support this "unacceptably undemocratic suggestion" which would further undermine the National Council, it said.

Reliable sources suggested that the issue would be discussed at the next Holy Synod meeting. The paper asked what was the need of such a council, given that Cyprus had been an independent state for the last 38 years and had a National Council which "represents the genuine expression of the sovereignty of the people".

_Machi

_ reported that the police were carrying out searches at several Nicosia General Hospital departments to establish why such high quantities of the kidney drug, erythropoetine, had been consumed in the last six months, resulting in a shortage of the drug.

The use of the drug had increased by 100 per cent in the last six months, but 98 per cent of injections had been given to other hospital departments and only two per cent had been given to patients to take home. Police suspect that the drug was being used to dope racing horses.

The rest of the papers led with Cyprus problem-related stories.

_Simerini

_ said that the Americans would be promoting joint sovereignty between Turkey and Greece over the Aegean Sea, offering economic and military benefits, within the Nato and EU framework, to both countries. The US believes that the viability of a Cyprus settlement would depend on resolving Greek-Turkish differences over the Aegean.

It said that this would be the main content of the discussions US Defence Secretary William Cohen would have in Athens and Ankara. Turkey has been demanding joint sovereignty over the Aegean for some time now.

_Politis

_ reported that Rauf Denktash would unveil a new package of proposals for a Cyprus settlement at the July 15 meeting of the Grand Turkish National Assembly. It quoted Turkish press reports claiming that a decision regarding the Cyprus problem would be taken by the assembly.

Meanwhile, preparations for the 25th anniversary of the invasion were at fever pitch in the occupied north. The Turkish side considers the anniversary celebrations, which will be attended by Turkish PM Bulent Ecevit, as a good opportunity to show its defiance ahead of the imminent peace initiative.

_Phileleftheros

_ claimed that Ankara and Denktash had "activated a new strategic manoeuvre, " with the ultimate aim of forcing a confederation on Cyprus. In the event that they failed they would activate an alternative plan, that would secure recognition of the north.

It credited its story to "reliable diplomatic sources".

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999

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