Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-08-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] SOCCER: Omonia - Rapid 3-1

[02] Parliament - Illegal visits to occupied areas

[03] Turks - Arrests

[04] Larnaca - Free walks

0810:CYPPRESS:01

[01] SOCCER: Omonia - Rapid 3-1

Some 15.000 Cypriot fans defied the heatwave that hit this east Mediterranean island over the past few days and watched the match at Makarios Stadium in the capital Nicosia.

Rapid opened the score in the 22nd minute by Rene Wagner. Omonia equalised three minutes before the end of the first-half through their German striker Rhiner Rauffman.

Costas Malekkos scored Omonia's second goal, in the first minute of the second-half while Rauffman's doubled his goals in the 57th minute.

The second leg will be played on August 25, in Vienna. Cyprus champions Anorthosis, a refugee club from the Turkish-occupied town of Famagusta, play tonight in Athens against Olympiakos Pireaus, for the European Cup second qualifying round.

CNA GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1235:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Parliament - Illegal visits to occupied areas

Invited to comment on reports in the Turkish Cypriot press that six Albanian MPs are illegally visiting the occupied areas, while MPs from Italy and Kyrgyzstan paid similar visits in the past, he said both the House and the Foreign Ministry protest those visits.

Regarding the Italian MPs visit, he said there was an exchange of letters with Italian Speaker Luciano Violante.

"In his reply the Italian Speaker said it was an unofficial private visit and reconfirmed that the Italian Parliament does not recognise the illegal entity in the occupied areas of Cyprus," he added.

The Cyprus House is also expected to make representations to the Albanian and Kyrgyzstan parliaments over the visits of their MPs to the occupied areas.

Political analysts consider the visits part of efforts by the illegal regime in the areas of the Republic occupied by Turkey since 1974 to gain international recognition.

Only Turkey recongises the secessionist entity, unilaterally declared in 1983, while numerous UN resolutions call on all states not to recognise or facilitate it in any way.

CNA MA/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1350:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Turks - Arrests

Enver Salicu and Haci Barut, both 29 from Ankara, arrived on the island on August 10 through the closed port of Kyrenia, situated in the areas occupied by Turkish troops since 1974.

A police spokesman told CNA the two were arrested by Oroklini Police on the Pyla - Larnaca road for various traffic violations and for illegal entry into the Republic of Cyprus.

During a search of their hired car, police found a number of duty free items, including perfumes, cosmetics and cigarettes, believed to have been bought in the occupied areas.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory.

CNA EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1420:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Cyprus - Boatpeople

Nicosia, Aug 12 (CNA) -- Cyprus will not deport anyone of the boatpeople, rescued from a Syrian-flagged trawler last June, before their applications for political refugee status are examined.

Speaking to CNA, Administrative Officer of the Migration Department Costas Papamichael and officer in charge of UNHCR in Nicosia, Freddie Galatopoulou, assured that nobody would be deported before on-going investigations as to their status were completed.

Commenting on a mini-unrest yesterday, following an attempt by police to transfer seven Sudanese from the Limassol hotel they are staying to Larnaca, Papamichael stressed "the aim of the transfer was not their deportation".

Pointing out that the seven Sudanese had appealed against a rejection of their claim for political refugee status by the UNHCR, Papamichael added:

"We respect relevant international conventions and agreements and we are awaiting for the decision to their appeal."

He also said that "their transfer was part of an effort to improve their living conditions, as the hotel they are staying is overcrowded."

Papamichael explained that applications for refugee status were being examined by an UNHCR officer and stressed that the government "is seriously considering UN suggestions and conclusions".

He denied reports that some of the boatpeople had already been deported, explaining that "those who left, Syrian, Lebanese and Egyptians, did so on their own accord".

UNHCR officer in charge in Nicosia said Cyprus authorities reassured the UN that "nobody will be deported before all applications are examined".

Galatopoulou said UNHCR was informed of the government's intention to transfer the seven Sudanese from Limassol to Larnaca yesterday.

"We are in constant contact with the Migration Department," Galatopoulou told CNA, repeating that the transfer of some of the boatpeople did not aim at their deportation but was an effort to improve their living conditions.

"They (boatpeople) are tired being shut in a hotel for almost two months now," she said, noting, at the same time, that the treatment they have received by the Cyprus government was much better from the one they receive elsewhere.

"In most countries they are detained in prisons, not in hotels," she pointed out.

Galatopoulou said that UNHCR had interviewed 58 out of the 106 boatpeople, noting that only two of them, a Sudanese and a Bangladeshi, had been granted refugee status.

"A third person's application (from Sierra Leone) is pending," she added, pointing out that everybody has the right to appeal against the UNHCR decision.

Speaking to CNA, Doros Polykarpou, of the Cyprus-based Migrant Support Group, expressed fears that as a result of the recent unrest the boatpeople would be kept under tighter control.

The Arab and African illegal migrants have been staying, under police guard, at the "Pefkos" hotel in Limassol, since last June, when they were rescued, after spending days stranded and half-starved at sea.

The Syrian-flagged boat was going to Libya, when it developed engine problems, off Cyprus' coast.

CNA MCH/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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