Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-02-16

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

CONTENTS

[01] Stylianides - Denktash's proposals

[02] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[03] Defence Minister - Moscow - S-300

[04] Kasoulides - United States

[05] Cyprus - Political parties - Ocalan

[06] Cypriot MPs - Yugoslavia

[07] Cyprus - Kurds - Demonstration

1540:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Stylianides - Denktash's proposals

Commenting on letters sent by Denktash to UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, and Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Daniel Tarschys, Stylianides said the answer to the Turkish Cypriot leader has been given by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Titina Loizidou.

Turkey was ordered by the Court to pay Titina Loizidou about 640.000 US dollars for the loss of her property in the Turkish occupied part of the island.

Stylianides also invited Denktash "to enter a dialogue based on high level agreements (reached between the two sides in 1977 and 1979) and UN resolutions".

In his letters, Denktash proposes the formation of a Joint Property Claims Commission composed of an equal number of Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot members.

Denktash says "all titles (of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot properties) will be exchanged on a global basis between the two agencies, through the Joint Property Claims Commission and at the current market value".

He adds that claimants "will be compensated by the agency of their own side from funds obtained from the sales of any properties transferred to the agency or through exchange of property".

In his letter to Annan, Denktash also describes the "property issue" as "one of the core issues in the Cyprus question".

CNA MK/MCH/RG/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1600:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Cyprus Stock Exchange

      CSE General Index                         113.47  (-2.78)

      Traded Value            CYP 7,284,963

      Sectural Indices

      Banks                   CYP 3,666,195     139.72 (-3.06)
      Approved Investment
      Companies               CYP   374,309      72.85 (-3.99)
      Insurance Companies     CYP   907,278      76.42 (-3.06)
      Manufacturing Companies CYP   136,379      93.11 (-2.03)
      Tourism Companies       CYP   136,636      80.16 (-1.12)
      Trading Companies       CYP   627,708      55.20 (-2.51)
      Other Companies         CYP   202,468      87.36 (-1.41)

CNA RG/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1705:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Defence Minister - Moscow - S-300

According to an official press release, Chrysostomis, who arrived in Moscow last night, will hold talks with the Russian Ministry of Defence and the Russian arms company "Rosvooruzhenie".

President Glafcos Clerides decided in December not to deploy the S-300 surface-to-air missiles in Cyprus and instead to negotiate with Moscow their deployment in Crete.

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

CNA AA/RG/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1705:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Kasoulides - United States

Kasoulides discussed with the Greek Cypriot representatives recent developments in the Cyprus problem and exchanged ideas on the long-term goals of the organisations in the US, concerning the Cyprus problem.

Later today, Kasoulides is scheduled to meet with UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in New York.

CNA MEM/RG/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1815:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Cyprus - Political parties - Ocalan

All parties condemned actions by Kurdish demonstrators to storm Greek embassies and consulates in Europe.

Earlier today Cyprus Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides described Ocalan's abduction as "a sad incident", expressing the conviction that "such incidents should be faced in the context of international law and respect of human rights".

At the same time, Stylianides expressed the Cyprus government's solidarity with Greece.

The Democratic Rally party, in a statement, condemns the arrest of Ocalan and his transportation to Turkey, saying that this action is "against international law" and violates basic human rights.

It expresses concern over "the fate of Ocalan in the hands of the Turkish authorities, which are responsible for the oppression of the Kurdish people and the strangling of its political and human rights".

The Democratic Rally party calls on international organisations "to intervene directly, so that the issue of Ocalan's arrest is resolved in the context of international law".

Leftwing AKEL part issued a statement demanding the release of Ocalan from Turkey, adding that "in a time when human rights are supposed to be the cornerstone of international law and world politics, the leader of a people struggling for the restoration of their own human rights is handed over to the executioners of the people as a common criminal and a terrorist".

AKEL condemns "the new crime against the Kurdish people", which is being carried out "with the direct participation of the United States and other powerful countries".

House of Representatives President and Democratic Party leader, Spyros Kyprianou, said that this was a "terrible development", stressing that the European Union should act immediately to protect the Kurdish leader.

Kyprianou pointed out that "the UN Security Council and especially the European Union have the responsibility to act immediately, so that nothing bad happens to Ocalan", adding that they should make sure that he is safe.

The centre-right Democratic Party describes Ocalan's abduction as a "sad and tragic development" and urges humanity to help justify the cause of the Kurdish people.

Socialist EDEK party says the Kurdish leader's abduction Turkey is "a tragic end to a tragedy, which leaves the whole civilised world exposed".

EDEK underlines that instead of Turkey being the accused, the leader of a people suffering from genocide and struggling for survival "is hunted down, is not able to find asylum and ends up in the hands of a ruthless Turkish regime, which violates every principle of international law and human rights".

The United Democrats President George Vassiliou fully backed the handling by the Greek government of the whole case.

The Eurodemocratic Renewal Party say Ocalan's abduction "is a result of US recognition of destabilising and terrorist sources, European unmanliness, and the political and economic terrorism of Turkey towards the European Union".

The Ecologist Environmentalist Movement sent messages to the European Parliament and the Federation of European Green Parties, expressing "anger" over collective responsibilities of the international community and the European governments", which led to Ocalan's abduction.

CNA RG/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1815:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Cypriot MPs - Yugoslavia

The delegation comprises the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Tassos Papadopoulos, Deputy Chairman Markos Kyprianou, and members Demetris Eliades, Andreas Mouskos and Takis Hadjigeorgiou.

CNA RG/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2150:CYPPRESS:07

[07] Cyprus - Kurds - Demonstration

Cyprus police tightened security around the embassy in downtown Nicosia since early this morning. Police cordoned off the area with barbed- wire to prevent demonstrators from approaching the embassy.

The Kurds chanted slogans, demanding the release of their leader. They plan to begin a hunger strike tomorrow morning.

A spokesman for the protesters, Aziz Celik, said the demonstration would be "peaceful" and that they plan to remain outside the embassy "all night".

Celik, speaking outside the embassy, told reporters that Kurdish demonstrations were not against the Greek people, but "against the policy of Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis".

Asked why the Kurds in Cyprus made no move until tonight, Celik said that they were "waiting for instructions from the Kurdistan Workers' Party in Brussels".

CNA AA/RG/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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