CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY, 96-05-22

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From: Panayiotis Zaphiris <pzaphiri@glue.umd.edu>

CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY, 96-05-22

CONTENTS

[01] NEW OPINION POLL FOR CYPRUS ELECTIONS

[02] U.S. AND TURKISH MINISTERS DISCUSS CYPRUS

[03] GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: U.S. MUST TURN TO TURKEY TO BREAK DEADLOCK

[04] ''INTERESTING, HELPFUL'' INTERNATIONAL FORCE IN CYPRUS

[05] TURKEY REBUFFED FOR PILLAGE OF CYPRUS' HERITAGE

[01] NEW OPINION POLL FOR CYPRUS ELECTIONS

THE OPINION POLL WHICH WAS CONDUCTED BY AMER COMPANY ON BEHALF OF ANTENA TV CHANNEL IS THE LARGEST THAT HAS BEEN CONDUCTED SO FAR WITH A SAMPLE OF 2.449 PERSONS.

ACCORDING TO THE OPINION POLL, DISY REMAINS IN THE LEAD WITH 31 PER CENT OF THE VOTE, FOLLOWED BY AKEL WITH 29 PER CENT, CENTRE-RIGHT DEMOCRATIC PARTY (DIKO), A GOVERNMENT PARTNER, WITH 15,2 PER CENT AND SOCIALIST EDEK PARTY WITH 7,4 PER CENT.

OF THE NEW PARTIES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE PREVIOUS PARLIAMENT THE POLL SHOWS THAT THE FREE DEMOCRATS MOVEMENT (KED) GETS 3,8 PER CENT, NEW HORIZONS (NE.O) 2,8 PER CENT, ADISOK 1,4 PER CENT AND THE ECOLOGISTS 1,4 PER CENT.

SOME 5,2 PER CENT OF THOSE ASKED WERE UNDECIDED, 1,2 PER CENT SAID THEY WOULD NOT VOTE FOR ANY OF THE PARTIES, WHILE 1,5 PER CENT DID NOT WISH TO ANSWER.

THE NEW OPINION POLL SHOWS THAT DISY, AKEL AND DIKO HAVE INCREASED THEIR PERCENTAGES COMPARED TO OPINION POLLS CONDUCTED BY AMER IN APRIL AND MARCH, WHILE SMALLER PARTIES HAVE DECREASED THEIR PERCENTAGES.

DURING THE 1991 ELECTIONS FOUR PARTIES SECURED SEATS IN THE 56-MEMBER HOUSE. THOSE WERE DISY WITH 20 SEATS AND 35,81 PER CENT OF THE VOTE, AKEL WITH 18 SEATS AND 30,63 PER CENT, DIKO WITH 11 SEATS AND 19,55 PER CENT, AND EDEK WITH SEVEN SEATS AND 10,89 PER CENT.

ADISOK RECEIVED 2,40 PER CENT OF THE VOTE BUT NO SEAT AS THE THEN ELECTORAL LAW SET A MINIMUM CEILING OF EIGHT PER CENT TO SECURE A SEAT.

THE LEGISLATION WAS AMENDED LAST SUMMER BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, INTRODUCING THE PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION, WHICH GIVES SMALL PARTIES BETTER CHANCES TO ENTER THE NEW PARLIAMENT.

CNA MCH/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[02] U.S. AND TURKISH MINISTERS DISCUSS CYPRUS

BURNS TOLD JOURNALISTS THAT THE CYPRUS ISSUE CAME UP AT THE END OF THE MEETING.

HE SAID THE TWO MINISTERS ''TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT, OBVIOUSLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PROGRESS IN CYPRUS. THEY TALKED ABOUT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF HOW THAT COULD BE DONE, BUT I HAVE NOTHING REALLY MORE DETAILED TO GIVE YOU ON THAT.''

GONENSAY TOLD A GREEK REPORTER THAT THE DISPUTE BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY OVER THE AEGEAN SEA WAS ALSO RAISED DURING HIS MEETING WITH CHRISTOPHER.

THE TURKISH MINISTER SAID HE EXPLAINED TO THE SECRETARY THE TURKISH POSITION ABOUT THE AEGEAN DISPUTES.

''WE WANT TO SETTLE THEM DOWN BY PEACEFUL MEANS, THIRD PARTY ARBITRATION. IT IS NOT FAIR AND NOT LOGICAL TO SELECT ONE ITEM OUT OF THEM AND TAKE IT TO THE ARBITRATION. THAT IS SOMETHING WE CANNOT DO,'' GONENSAY SAID.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT REACTED TO THAT PROPOSAL WITH A STATEMENT THROUGH ITS SPOKESMAN NICKOLAS BURNS.

''THE UNITED STATES WANTS TO ENCOURAGE TURKEY AND GREECE TO RESOLVE THEIR MANY PROBLEMS IN THE AEGEAN. WE HAVE SAID BEFORE THAT IF THE TWO DESIRE FOR THE UNITED STATES TO BE INVOLVED IN SEEKING RESOLUTION OF THESE PROBLEMS, WE'LL BE GLAD TO DO SO. IF THEY BOTH WANT TO REFER THEIR PROBLEMS TO A THIRD PARTY, TO ARBITRATION, TO MEDIATION INTERNATIONALLY, WE COULD SUPPORT THAT,'' BURNS SAID.

RESPONDING TO A QUESTION WHICH PROPOSAL THE U.S. SUPPORT, THE GREEK FOR A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH TO THE GREEK-TURKISH DIFFERENCES OR THE TURKISH FOR A COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT TO ALL THE PROBLEMS, BURNS SAID:

''WE SUPPORT A PROCESS THAT WILL LEAD TO A SOLUTION THAT'S MUTUALLY SATISFACTORY TO BOTH GREECE AND TURKEY. PLEASE DO NOT ASK THE UNITED STATES TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO NATO ALLIES. WE WON'T DO IT.''

DURING HIS VISIT TO THE U.S., THE TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER HAD ALSO MEETINGS WITH THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WILLIAM PERRY, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR ANTONY LAKE AND DEPUTY SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, LARRY SUMMERS.

CNA DA/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[03] GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: U.S. MUST TURN TO TURKEY TO BREAK DEADLOCK

HE SAID ''PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES WILL STRESS TO PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON THAT THE U.S. MUST DIRECT THEIR ATTENTION TOWARDS ANKARA TO ENCOURAGE TURKEY TO CHANGE THE POSITIONS IT HOLDS TODAY AND ALLOW A BREAKTHROUGH IN THE CYPRUS PROBLEM.''

THE CYPRIOT PRESIDENT IS SCHEDULED TO MEET CLINTON IN MID-JUNE TO REVIEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CYPRUS PROBLEM. AT THE MEETING, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT IS EXPECTED TO REITERATE U.S. INTEREST IN CYPRUS AND HIS ADMINISTRATION'S INTENT TO HELP BREAK THE STALEMATE.

''PRESIDENT CLERIDES WILL INFORM THE U.S. PRESIDENT THAT HE IS WILLING TO MEET TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADER RAUF DENKTASH FOR DIRECT TALKS PROVIDED THE TURKISH SIDE GIVES PROOF THAT ITS POSITIONS ARE CHANGING AND PROVIDED CLINTON'S REPRESENTATIVES PREPARE THE GROUND FOR NEGOTIATIONS,'' CASSOULIDES ADDED.

THE SPOKESMAN ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE SPEED WITH WHICH U.N., U.S., BRITISH, EUROPEAN AND RUSSIAN EFFORTS TO BREAK THE DEADLOCK WILL DEPEND ON DEVELOPMENTS TOWARDS THIS GOAL.

CURRENT TALKS ON THE CYPRUS QUESTION FOCUS ON THE FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM WHICH WOULD FORM THE BASIS FOR AN AGREEMENT BEFORE DETAILS ARE DISCUSSED.

CYPRUS HAS BEEN DIVIDED SINCE THE 1974 TURKISH INVASION. TURKEY CONTINUES TO OCCUPY 37 PER CENT OF THE ISLAND'S AREAS.

CNA MM/KPK/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[04] ''INTERESTING, HELPFUL'' INTERNATIONAL FORCE IN CYPRUS

HE ALSO CONSIDERS THAT BRITAIN CONTINUES TO SEEK WAYS OF FURTHER INVOLVEMENT IN THE CYPRUS QUESTION WITH THE AIM OF CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS A SETTLEMENT OF THIS PROTRACTED ISSUE.

SPEAKING AFTER A MEETING HERE TODAY WITH PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES, MADDEN SAID THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT HAVING AN INTERNATIONAL FORCE IN CYPRUS TO GUARANTEE THE SECURITY AFTER A SETTLEMENT IS REACHED, BUT, AT THIS STAGE, ''ONE CANNOT SAY EXACTLY WHO MIGHT BE OR MIGHT NOT BE A MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL FORCE.''

HE ADDED ''WE THINK THAT THE IDEA OF HAVING AN INTERNATIONAL FORCE IS A VERY HELPFUL IDEA AND ONE THAT WE WANT TO PURSUE AND CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT.''

ASKED SPECIFICALLY IF NATO COULD ACT AS THE GUARANTOR POWER, THE BRITISH DIPLOMAT SAID THE IDEA OF AN INTERNATIONAL FORCE WAS ''INTERESTING'' BUT ''A LOT OF DISCUSSION NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE AND A LOT MORE DETAIL NEEDS TO BE THOUGHT ABOUT.''

INVITED TO COMMENT ON PRESS REPORTS THAT BRITAIN INTENDS TO APPOINT ITS FORMER PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE U.N. SIR DAVID HANNAY AS LONDON'S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE ON CYPRUS, MADDEN SAID BRITAIN ''WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS OF FURTHER CONTINUING OUR CONTRIBUTION.

''WE ARE VERY MUCH INVOLVED AND AT THE CENTRE OF EFFORTS TO MAKE PROGRESS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL'S MISSION OF GOOD OFFICES,'' THE DIPLOMAT SAID.

HE ALSO NOTED THAT BRITAIN IS IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT ''IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THE CYPRUS ISSUE. JOINTLY WE WILL NEED TO MAKE EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT THE AIM WHICH WE HAVE SET OURSELVES, WHICH IS CREATING A NEW FEDERAL CYPRUS, WILL BE CONTINUED,'' MADDEN CONCLUDED.

CYPRUS HAS BEEN DIVIDED SINCE THE 1974 TURKISH INVASION. TURKEY CONTINUES TO OCCUPY 37 PER CENT OF THE ISLAND'S AREAS.

CNA MM/KPK/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[05] TURKEY REBUFFED FOR PILLAGE OF CYPRUS' HERITAGE

THE CALL CAME IN A QUESTION KRANIDIOTIS HAS SUBMITTED TO THE EU MINISTERS RELATING TO ATTEMPTS TO SELL A GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH IN TURKISH OCCUPIED CYPRUS, ''PANAYIA CHRYSOTRIMITHIOTISSA'', AND THE CONTINUING PILLAGE OF THE ISLAND'S CULTURAL HERITAGE BY THE OCCUPATION FORCES IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE ISLAND.

THE SALE WAS ADVERTISED IN A TURKISH CYPRIOT ENGLISH SPEAKING WEEKLY BY AN ANGLO-TURKISH COMPANY. THE BYZANTINE CHURCH BELONGS TO KYRENIA BISHOPRIC AND, ACCORDING TO THE CYPRUS ANTIQUITIES DEPARTMENT, IT SHOULD BE A LISTED ANCIENT MONUMENT.

CNA MM/KPK/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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