Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-08-08

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] US says joint statement on occupied areas "not helpful"

[02] Attorney General refutes Turkish claims

[03] Attorney-General says agreement legally invalid

[04] Turkish Cypriots visit Kokkina

[05] Investigations will cover all persons missing since 1960

[06] Motorcyclists not to protest 1st anniversary of killings

[07] Cyprus Stock Exchange

1010:CYPPRESS:01

[01] US says joint statement on occupied areas "not helpful"

"We strongly support the UN in its efforts to secure a settlement of the Cyprus dispute. We do not think this announcement was helpful and we don't want to see any steps taken which undermine the UN negotiation process or which move toward the permanent partition of the island," State Department Spokesman, James Rubin, said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and his so-called Turkish Cypriot counterpart, Taner Etkin, agreed Wednesday to partially integrate the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus to Turkey, a move strongly condemned by the Cyprus government.

Government Spokesman Manolis Christofides yesterday said the agreement was in line with Turkey's routine political tactics of creating problems, whenever talks to resolve the Cyprus problem are nearing.

Turkey's agreement with its puppet regime in the occupied areas comes just five days before the start of a second round of UN-sponsored direct talks between President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash in Glion, Switzerland.

Asked whether Presidential Emissary on the Cyprus problem, Richard Holbrooke, is currently engaged in Bosnia because the US State Department does not think much will happen on the Cyprus issue, Rubin said Holbrooke's involvement in Bosnia does not detract him from his mission on Cyprus.

"Mr. Holbrooke is a very able diplomat. Ambassador Holbrooke is fully capable of walking and chewing gum at the same time. He can juggle many balls. And when he's done with his mission, which would probably be as early as this weekend, I'm sure he'll have plenty of time to focus on the Cyprus issue," Rubin said.

CNA DA/MH/MM/1997

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1110:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Attorney General refutes Turkish claims

Speaking on Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) radio, Markides said the Republic's Legal Department has already forwarded to the Foreign Ministry a series of legal arguments refuting Turkish claims.

The Attorney General noted that Turkish claims are "an affront to the United Nations which with Paragraph 13 of Resolution 1062 of June, 1996, explicitly recognise that the European Union's decision to start accession negotiations with Cyprus is an important new development which will help in efforts towards reaching a comprehensive solution of the Cyprus problem".

Markides added that the UN Security Council has since repeated twice the same view.

Turkey has based its claims on the legal opinion of British legal expert Maurice Mendelson who said that the Cyprus Republic can neither join the EU before Turkey nor submit an application for accession according to the 1960 London - Zurich agreements, which established the Cyprus Republic.

The British legal expert also says that the Treaty of Guarantee, which establishes Britain, Greece and Turkey as guarantors of Cyprus' independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, forbid the Republic's accession to the EU unless Greece and Turkey are already EU members.

"From a political point of view and according to international law, it is obvious that these Turkish actions must lead nowhere, given that the Security Council has already ruled on the issue and has welcomed the development regarding the EU's decision to begin accession negotiations with Cyprus," Markides said.

The Attorney General stressed the EU has rejected the Turkish claims and that without the unanimous approval of its 15 member-states, the decision to start accession talks cannot be changed.

He added the Treaty of Guarantee does not support Turkish claims because the Treaty stipulates that "Greece, Turkey and the UK likewise undertake to prohibit, so far as concerns them, any activity aimed at promoting, directly or indirectly, either union of Cyprus with any other state or partition of the island."

"The EU is not a state," Markides noted.

Turkey, Markides said, should be the last country to invoke the Treaty of Guarantee because it has violated the Treaty by invading Cyprus in 1974, and continues to violate it ever since by continuing to occupy 37 percent of the island's territory.

The Attorney General noted that it seems Turkey intends on continuing to violate the Treaty because the Treaty's basic precept is that Britain, Greece and Turkey must respect and guarantee the independence, territorial integrity and security of the Cyprus Republic.

Markides said the government has asked for its own expert legal opinion on the matter which is expected by late August or early September.

CNA GG/MH/MM/1997

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1230:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Attorney-General says agreement legally invalid

Asked whether the signing on Wednesday of the agreement between Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and the occupation regime unilaterally declared in the northern part of the island, has any legal basis, Alecos Markides said the agreement was signed by one state, Turkey, and another legally non- existent state.

As a result, Markides explained, "the actions of a non-existent state do not produce legitimate results and cannot be recognised".

Speaking on CYBC radio, the Attorney-General noted that in this case, "the message being sent out is evident, that Turkey is not willing to solve the Cyprus problem".

Regarding the consequences of the agreement, Markides pointed out that even if the international community does not recognise the pseudo-state, "this does not mean that (Turkish actions) should not be dealt with" because they lead to the realisation of Turkish ploys against Cyprus.

Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and continues to occupy 37 percent of the island's territory.

The occupation regime, under the leadership of Rauf Denktash, declared a break-away state in 1983 which is recognised only by Turkey.

Asked to state the ways which Turkish actions can be countered, the Attorney-General said that "these are matters which are discussed by the National Council and are basically matters which concern the government".

The National Council is the top advisory body to the President on the Cyprus problem.

"At this moment, we are at the political reaction level," Markides added.

CNA GG/MH/MCH/1997

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1435:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Turkish Cypriots visit Kokkina

Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash visited the area by helicopter, while other Turkish Cypriots travelled by bus.

Kokkina, in the northwest of the island, is a Turkish Cypriot enclave, some three miles west of the Turkish occupied areas. Turkish Cypriots have access to it either by sea or air.

"Everything went smoothly and now the Turkish Cypriots have crossed the buffer zone," UN Spokesman Waldemar Rokoszewski told CNA. He said the UN monitored the trip and all ran smoothly.

The Spokesman expressed hope that the planned visit of some 600 Greek Cypriots to the Turkish occupied Monastery of Ayios Andreas, on August 15, will also run smoothly.

Greek Cypriots living in the area welcomed their Turkish Cypriot compatriots and Cyprus police officers accompanied the 18 small buses that took them to the region.

The exchange visit comes only ten days after President Glafcos Clerides and Denktash came to an agreement on humanitarian issues.

This is not the first time Turkish Cypriots have travelled to Kokkina to hold a simple ceremony commemorating their compatriots who died in intercommunal conflict in August 1964.

On the contrary, Greek Cypriots have repeatedly been refused permission to visit the occupied areas by the Turkish occupation regime, which often insists on vetting the list of proposed visitors.

CNA MM/MA/1997

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1440:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Investigations will cover all persons missing since 1960

This was announced today by Government Spokesman Manolis Christofides, who stressed "the agreement will deal with all missing, Greek and Turkish Cypriots, from 1960 till today."

After two meetings at the residence of UN envoy Gustave Feissel, in Nicosia, last week, an agreement between President Clerides and Denktash to determine the fate of missing persons from both communities was announced.

Apart from other investigations, relatives of persons missing will be given DNA tests so that the identity of those who are found dead can be established.

Asked if relatives of persons missing since 1963 will also undergo DNA tests, Christofides said "the same procedure will be used for all."

Intercommunal clashes broke out in 1963 which resulted to people from both sides being killed or missing.

Most of the 500 Turkish Cypriots listed as missing are from this period.

CNA KK/MA/MCH/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1450:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Motorcyclists not to protest 1st anniversary of killings

In a statement, CMF said it has heeded the government's pleas not to go ahead with planned demonstrations this month against the Turkish invasion and continued occupation of the island.

CMF president George Hadjicostas said the Federation's executive council decided to forego demonstrations this month in order to "aid the government" at a time when efforts to solve the Cyprus problem are in high gear.

A second round of UN-sponsored direct negotiations between President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash are scheduled to be held between August 11 and 16 in Glion, Switzerland.

Any demonstrations would be cast into sharp relief as next week marks the first anniversary of the murders of Tassos Isaac, 24, and Solomos Solomou, 26, during similar protests by motorcyclists along the cease-fire line separating the free from the occupied areas near the occupied coastal town of Famagusta.

Isaac was beaten to death by Turkish radicals belonging to an extremist group known as the "Grey Wolves" who were invited to the occupied areas to violently quash a demonstration by Cypriot motorcyclists.

Solomou was shot dead three days later by Turkish occupation troops near the same spot where Isaac was killed.

Solomou was shot five times by Turkish soldiers as he tried to bring down a Turkish flag from a guard post on the cease-fire line.

Hadjicostas explained that the Federation's executive council initially rejected the government's pleas made two months ago, but relented after repeated calls to cancel the planned demonstration were made by government officials.

"At first, the council said that no one can forbid us from demonstrating, but we eventually respected the government's wishes," Hadjicosta said.

CMF president said executive council members, along with members of the Federation's regional councils, will travel by motorcycle to the southeastern town of Paralimni on Sunday, August 10 to attend Isaac and Solomou's memorial service there.

Hadjicostas said that the group will range between 50 to 60 motorcyclists and have already notified police that they will be doing so.

He added however, that the Federation cannot order other motorcyclists from not going to the memorial service.

"We do not want to turn the group into a mob, but we can't tell anyone not to go," Hadjicosta said, adding that his group "cannot assume the responsibility" if others want to join the trek to the memorial service.

CNA MH/MCH/1997

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1500:CYPPRESS:07

[07] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    75.81 (-0.37)

Highest: 82.46 (2/1/97)
Lowest : 73.90 (30/1/97)

Sectural Indices

Banks                                  85.14 (-0.56)
Approved Investment Companies          64.93 (+0.50)
Insurance Companies                    57.42 (-0.64)
Industrial Companies                   75.96 (-0.09)
Tourist Industries                     64.38 (+0.83)
Commercial Companies                   47.08 (-0.59)
Other Companies                        59.90 (+0.15)

Trading Volume                         CYP 493112.008

CNA MCH/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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