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Cyprus News Agency 96-06-09.Cyprus News Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Panayiotis Zaphiris <pzaphiri@glue.umd.edu>CONTENTS
1140:CYPPRESS:01[01] Cypriot Minister visits TurkeyNicosia, Jun 9 (CNA) -- Cyprus Interior Minister Dinos Michaelides flew to Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey, today to take part in the UN-sponsored International Conference on the Environment and Human Settlements ''HABITAT II''.Michaelides, who heads the Cyprus delegation, will address the conference. He is expected to speak about the situation in Cyprus and the housing problems facing some 200.000 Greek Cypriots (one third of the island's population), who have been forcibly uprooted from their homeland by the Turkish occupation troops. Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of this east Mediterranean island since 1974, in violation of repeated United Nations resolutions calling for their withdrawal. It was reported earlier that the Turkish government had refused to provide security for the Cypriot Minister, during his stay in Turkey. Commenting on this report, Michaelides said it was the Turkish government's responsibility to provide him security, including a driver and a guide. Turkey, the only country in the world which does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus, a UN member, was forced to accept the Cypriot Minister since the ''HABITAT II'' is organised by the United Nations. Ankara supports politically, militarily and economically the illegal occupation regime in the island's northern part, branded ''legally invalid'' by UN Security Council resolution 541 of 1983 adopted immediately after the breakaway entity unilaterally declared independence. CNA GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1200:CYPPRESS:02[02] Cypriot MP flies to Paris and TallinnNicosia, Jun 9 (CNA) -- Cypriot MP Doros Christodoulides left Sunday for Paris to represent the island's Parliament at a meeting of the Committee on Social, Family Affairs and Health of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.From Paris, he will fly on to Tallinn, Estonia, to take part at a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. CNA GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1225:CYPPRESS:03[03] UN envoy to visit CyprusNicosia, Jun 9 (CNA) -- The recently-appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Cyprus Han Sung-Joo will visit Cyprus by the end of June and early in July.This was reported today from New York by the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CYBC). In an interview with CYBC, the new UN envoy was quoted as saying that his first visit to Cyprus would be a fact-finding mission with an aim to get acquainted with the leaders and the people and parties involved in the Cyprus problem. The former Foreign Minister of South Korea expressed the hope for progress in the Cyprus peace process. He noted, however, that he was not optimistic that an agreement would be reached, suddenly. Han explained that one of the very important reasons that progress should be sought was the continuing military build-up on the island, the military preparations and the military confrontation. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of this east Mediterranean island. The UN envoy rejected a Dayton-type solution to the Cyprus problem since the Bosnian crisis and the Cyprus problem had different characteristics. CNA GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1240:CYPPRESS:04[04] Appeal to UN members to pay for UNFICYPNicosia, Jun 9 (CNA) -- United Nations member-states owe nearly 9.5 million US dollars to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).A report of the Fifth Committee of the UN General Assembly on the Financing of the UNFICYP prepared by rapporteur Peter Maddens of Belgium, notes that ''voluntary contributions were insufficient to cover all of the costs of the Force, including those incurred by troop-contributing governments prior to June 16, 1993''. It regrets the absence of an adequate response to appeals for voluntary contributions as included in a letter from the Secretary-General in May 1994 to all member states. The report notes that ''the status of contributions to the UNFICYP as at May 1996, including contributions outstanding in the amount of 9,486,206 US dollars, representing 14.5 per cent of the total assessed contributions from 16 June 1993 to the period ending 30 June 1996''. Only 23 per cent of the member states have paid their assessed contributions in full. The report urges all other member-states concerned, in particular those in arrears, to ''ensure the payment of their outstanding assessed contributions''. It ''urges all other member-states to make every possible effort to ensure payment of their assessed contributions to the Force in full and on time''. At the same time, it expresses concern about the financial situation with regard to peacekeeping activities, in particular as regards the reimbursement of troop contributors, which bear burdens owing to overdue payments by member states of their assessment. The lack of funding has resulted in UNFICYP reducing the number of soldiers permanently manning observation posts. High costs has also resulted in long serving members Canada and Denmark to withdraw from the Force. UNFICYP numbers today 1.173 peacekeepers. The report notes that the sum of 45,079,599 dollars was approved for UNFICYP for the period from 1 July 1996 to 30 June, 1997. It takes into consideration the funding through voluntary contributions of the one third share of the cost of the force, equivalent to 14.3 million US dollars from the Government of Cyprus, and the annual pledge of 6.5 million dollars from the Greek government, subject however to the decision of the Security Council to extend the mandate of the Force beyond June 1996. Finally, the report invites voluntary contributions to the Force in cash and in the form of services and supplies. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of the island's territory. CNA EC/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1250:CYPPRESS:05[05] Sport: Cyprus wins Moldova in handball tournamentNicosia, Jun 9 (CNA) -- Cyprus' national men's handball under 21 scored their first international win here last night, beating Moldova 38-26.The game was for the preliminary phase of the European Championship. Other teams taking part in this group are Russia and Austria. Russia has won Cyprus 32-24 while Austria has won Moldova 32-17. The last games will take place today at the ''Eleftheria'' (Freedom) indoor stadium in Nicosia. Cyprus will play against Austria and Russia against Moldova. CNA GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1325:CYPPRESS:06[06] Turkish Cypriots want to come to free areas for better lifeNicosia, Jun 9 (CNA) -- Thousands of Turkish Cypriot workers living in the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus want to find job in the free areas of the Republic and even to ask for ''political asylum'' in order to have a better future.This was reported yesterday in the Turkish Cypriot newspaper ''Ortam'', the mouthpiece of the Communal Liberation Party (CLP) headed by Mustafa Akkinci. The paper's columnist Bayram Kansoy under the headline ''The nightmare is coming'' writes that the Turkish Cypriots are in despair and that ''they are thousands those who want to go to the south to save themselves.'' Kansoy suggests that if this situation continues, very soon many individuals or groups of people will start fleeing to the free areas of the island and ask for ''political asylum''. It is noted that the native Turkish Cypriots are recognised by the government of the Cyprus Republic as equal citizens of the Republic as the Greek Cypriots and other religious groups on the island, namely the Maronites, the Armenians and the Latins. Already hundreds of Turkish Cypriots come every day to the free areas and work in Greek Cypriot businesses, especially in the construction industry. The Cyprus government does not accept the Turkish settlers brought in to colonise the occupied areas as part of Ankara's designs to change the island's demographic character. Meanwhile, trade unions of the so-called public sector in the occupied territories plan to stage a general strike on Tuesday. Other trade unions call on the illegal government to resign, reacting to the latest rise in the price of bread, milk and other products. The bogus-state has signed a new ''financial protocol'' with Turkey providing for an assistance of 500 billion Turkish lira (about 6 million US dollars) to the occupation regime. The ''protocol'' was signed during a recent visit to the occupied areas by Turkey's Minister to the President, responsible for Cyprus Affairs, Ayfer Yilmaz. The illegal regime depends politically, militarily and economically on Turkey. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory. CNA GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1410:CYPPRESS:07[07] Cyprus favours broader unmanning agreementNicosia, Jun 9 (CNA) -- Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides has repeated his proposal for an extended unmanning agreement with the Turks and the UN peacekeeping force to control the buffer zone.Speaking to the press last night after a National Council session, President Clerides said the island's political parties unanimously support the withdrawal of the Turkish occupation troops behind the Turkish-occupied mountain Pentadaktylos, in the island' northern part and the withdrawal of the National Guard forces behind the Troodos mountain, in the southern part. However, he said there were disagreements as far as the partial unmanning agreement proposed by the United Nations. He said two parties support the partial unmanning and three are against. Five parties are represented through their leaders in the National Council, the top advisory body to the President on the handling of the Cyprus problem, which held two sessions on Friday and Saturday discussing developments in the Cyprus problem. The meetings took place in view of President Clerides' four-nation trip, which begins tomorrow and will take him to Geneva, to meet UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, New York to meet US officials and representatives of the five permanent members of the Security Council, Washington for talks with US President Bill Clinton, London for talks with British Prime Minister John Mayor and Florence for the European Union summit. President Clerides noted that all parties but one agree that the Greek Cypriot side should not start direct negotiations if there was no common ground on the fundamental aspects of the Cyprus issue. ''Such an endless dialogue leads nowhere,'' he said. The Turkish side has so far refused to enter a substantial dialogue for a Cyprus settlement, a fact noted by the UN Secretary-General in his latest reports to the Security Council. Boutros-Ghali refers to lack of political will on the part of the Turkish side to move towards a comprehensive solution to the long-standing Cyprus problem. Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of numerous UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal. CNA GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1420:CYPPRESS:08[08] Briton found deadLarnaca, Jun 9 (CNA) -- A 31-year-old Briton, wanted by the Police, was found dead in his apartment last night, at Dherynia village, in the island's eastern part.Paul Andrew Careford is said to have taken an overdose of pills on Friday and was found last night by Police. An autopsy carried out by State Pathologist Eleni Antoniou revealed that Careford had committed suicide. The Briton was separated from his Greek Cypriot wife and three children also living at Dherynia village. Police were looking for Careford in connection with the alleged harassment of another Briton. Careford was also allegedly involved in three cases of arson at Dherynia. CNA EC/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCYCyprus News Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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