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PREDICTIONS that there would be a flurry of diplomatic activity in New York
this week in an attempt to secure a resumption of the Cyprus talks appeared
in several papers.
_Simerini
_ said that a "10-day period of intensive, behind-the-scenes diplomatic
activity on Cyprus starts today (Monday) in New York". By the end of the
month it would become clear whether Cyprus talks would resume or not. The
"key that could probably open the door for dialogue" is the benefits that
Turkey would secure from the US when Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit visits
the country.
It cites the following benefits: the upgrading of Turkey's status in its
relations with the EU; financial aid to Turkey; the partial lifting of the
trade embargo against the occupied area of Cyprus as part of confidence-
building measures.
_Alithia
_ said that the round of talks that President Clerides and Foreign Minister
Ioannis Cassoulides would have in New York this week would be of great
significance. It quoted government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou as saying
that Rauf Denktash would try to avoid sitting at talks by raising
procedural objections, such as the replacement of UN special representative
Ann Hercus.
Papapetrou, who is also in New York, said that it was not enough for
Denktash to come to the negotiating table, but how he would behave during
the talks. During his contacts, Clerides would argue that the international
community would have to put pressure on Turkey to ensure that Denktash
would adopt a more constructive stance during the talks.
_Phileleftheros
_ said that all the diplomatic efforts for a settlement were concentrating
on the setting up of an "evolutionary federation". From all indications,
this would be a "very loose federation" that satisfies the Turkish side. To
offset this, more territory would be returned to the Greek Cypriot side and
Turkish objections to EU membership would be lifted.
Regarding the territorial issue, the paper claimed there would be a return
of Famagusta and Morphou as well as the creation of canton in the Karpas
peninsula. The reasoning of the State Department, which had studied the
territorial issue, was that this would allow the return of a large number
of refugees to their homes. Regarding the occupying troops, Britain had
suggested gradual demilitarisation.
_Politis
_ reported that a group of eight Archbishopric employees had misled
Archbishop Chrysostomos in securing 187,500 shares from Louis Cruise Lines
on private placement. According to the report, the Archbishop had given
instructions that the shares should have been made available to all the
Archbishopric's staff, but the group of eight ignored him and took all the
shares for themselves.
One of the select eight told the paper that all the staff had been informed
about purchasing LCL shares 15 days before these were put on the stock
exchange, but the others had shown no interest. Only when they saw the
share price rise did they realise their mistake and started complaining.
_Haravghi
_ led with a report about the woman who had braved the flames to save a man
from his hunting equipment shop. The woman, Maria Sakka, had ignored the
fire as she went into the shop and pulled out the owner who was on fire. As
soon as they got out there were seven consecutive explosions in the shop,
causing damage to apartments above the shop.
To Tharros, in a report from Brussels billed as
exclusive, claimed that an Islamic conference in southern Turkey had
hatched a "satanic plot to turn France into the first Muslim state in the
heart of Europe". It also revealed that the Muslim terrorists wanted to
turn Palestine into an Islamic state that would have the whole of Jerusalem
as its capital.
The terrorist groups behind these plans were Hamas, Hizbollah, Turkey's
Grey Wolves, Cyprus' TMT, Islamic Jihad and the Fighters of Islam.
© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999
