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Embassy Of Cyprus Newsletter, Washington DC (August 5, 1996)
CYPRUS NEWSLETTER
August 5, 1996
EMBASSY OF CYPRUS, WASHINGTON DC
Embassy of Cyprus
Press & Information Office
2211 R Street NW
Washington DC 20008
(202) 232-8993
(202) 234-1936 Fax
CONTENTS
[A] SECURITY EMERGES AS KEY ISSUE
[A1] U.S. Delegation Visits Region
[B] VICTIMS OF TURKISH INVASION REMEMBERED
[C] U.S. CONGRESS MARKS INVASION ANNIVERSARY
[C1] "Turkey Remains the Key to a Solution of the Cyprus Problem"
[D] MURDER OF TURKISH CYPRIOT JOURNALIST CONDEMNED
[E] IN BRIEF . . .
[A] SECURITY EMERGES AS KEY ISSUE
[A1] U.S. Delegation Visits Region
During July a high-level U.S. delegation to Cyprus, Turkey and Greece
laid the ground for a heightened American effort aimed at breaking
the two-year deadlock in U.N.talks on Cyprus.
"Our visit has provided an excellent foundation for more active and
direct U.S.diplomacy in the coming months," the permanent U.S.
representative to the U.N., Ambassador Madeleine Albright, said on
July 18, following her meetings with Cyprus President Glafcos
Clerides and other Cypriot leaders. Albright, who led a 16-member
U.S. delegation to the region, said the Clinton Administration is now
convinced that an opportunity for progress exists.
The "only practical way to resolve a problem as complex as that of
Cyprus is with direct, comprehensive negotiations" Albright said,
emphasizing that "much work needs to be done beforehand to narrow
differences and thereby give the direct negotiations the greatest
chance of success." She announced that in the coming months U.S.
Presidential Emissary for Cyprus Richard Beattie will be returning to
the region to "intensively" continue American efforts.
The Albright visit follows the recent White House meeting between
U.S. President Bill Clinton and Cyprus President Clerides on June 17,
after which the White House announced that Clinton was sending a
high-level delegation to the region. "I have been engaged in a series
of meetings with leaders from the region to underscore my interest in
advancing a Cyprus solution," U.S. President Bill Clinton said in his
bimonthly report to Congress on Cyprus on July 23, and he emphasized
the need "to seize the unique opportunity that currently exists to
make the long-elusive Cyprus solution a reality."
In their efforts to prepare the ground for the resumption of direct
talks, the U.S. has placed a special emphasis on achieving progress
on the issue of security, the primary focus of Albright's visit to
the region.
"The issue of security is of paramount importance for both
communities and should be given top priority," Cyprus President
Glafcos Clerides stressed on July 11, in accepting the credentials of
the new U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus, Kenneth Brill. To address the
security concerns of both communities, President Clerides has
proposed the demilitarization of Cyprus, including the disbanding of
the Cyprus National Guard, contingent on the withdrawal of Turkey's
occupation troops. He has also suggested that a multinational force
be stationed on Cyprus under the mandate of the U.N.Security-
Council.
On July 18 Albright announced that progress on immediate security
concerns regarding the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone concerns heightened
by the murder of a member of the National Guard by Turkish forces had
been achieved when the parties agreed that the military commanders of
the Cyprus National Guard and Turkey's occupation army would meet to
discuss ways to defuse tensions along the buffer zone.
The talks were to be held under U.N. auspices before the end of July,
but since Albright's announcement the agreement has now been
jeopardized by new Turkish demands and conditions, a development
which "should convince the international community to show more
decisiveness in the direction of Ankara," President Clerides said on
August 3.
American efforts, augmented by those of the U.N. Secretary-General,
Great Britain and the other permanent Security Council members, are
sure to intensify in the coming months. "We are going to see a period
in which a solution to the Cyprus problem is going to be up on the
international agenda," Sir David Hannay, the representative of the
British government for Cyprus, said on July 11, following extensive
discussions with President Clerides and other Cypriotleaders.
Hannay also identified security as a key issue which must be
immediately addressed, since the current arrangements on the island
"provide insecurity for the long term because there is something
approaching an arms race and the situation is fundamentally not a
stable one."
[B] VICTIMS OF TURKISH INVASION REMEMBERED
Remembering 200,000 refugees, thousands killed by the invading
forces, and 1,619 persons still missing and unaccounted for, people
throughout the world marked the 22nd anniversary of Turkey's July 20,
1974 invasion of Cyprus by demanding an end to Ankara's occupation of
Cyprus.
In Nicosia thousands attended rallies reaffirming the determination
of the Cypriot people to continue struggling until Turkey's troops
and illegal settlers have left Cyprus, while thousands in Greece,
Australia, Canada, and Great Britain demanded that the international
community take immediate action to stop Turkish aggression.
Cyprus Foreign Minister Alecos Michelides, Culture Minister Claire
Angelidou, and Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos addressed a
memorial service in Atlanta; while Cyprus Minister of Commerce,
Industry and Tourism Kyriacos Christofi addressed a service in New
York.
In Washington Cyprus Ambassador Andrew Jacovides also spoke at a
memorial service for the victims of Turkey's aggression, where he
noted that the day was filled with sad memories; a day when the
people of Cyprus honor their dead and recall Turkey's crimes against
Cyprus. Similar events were held in Los Angeles, San Francisco,and
other U.S. cities.
We "wish for a just and viable solution as soon as possible,"
President Clerides said in an address marking the anniversary, and he
welcomed the fact that this year's events coincide with a new
initiative by the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. Our
"side is willing to negotiate if the Turkish side is ready for a
reasonable and viable compromise," he continued, and called Cyprus'
accession to the European Union a new element which could serve as a
catalyst for a solution. It is "now up to theTurkish side to take
the necessary steps, if it wishes for the Turkish Cypriots to benefit
from the E.U."
[C] U.S. CONGRESS MARKS INVASION ANNIVERSARY
"We are again, year after year, calling this Special Order marking
the 22 years of division of the Republic of Cyprus, as a result of an
unlawful invasion by the Turkish military," Congressman Michael
Bilirakis (R-FL) said during a Special Order, held at the initiative
of and sponsored by Bilirakis, to mark Turkey's July 20, 1974
invasion of Cyprus.
During the Special Order more than two dozen members of Congress
condemned Turkey's illegal invasion and continuing occupation,
demanded that Turkey comply with U.N. resolutions on Cyprus, and
stressed that Congress will never condone Turkey's aggression.
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) reminded her colleagues that
during Turkey's invasion "200,000 Greek Cypriots were expelled from
their homes; their property was confiscated.Worst of all, 1,614
Cypriots and 5 American citizens were seized by Turkish troops and
remain missing to this day. It has become somewhat of a clich^ to
refer to these so-called missing, but to me this phrase has a
distinctly human face.I have met many, many times with constituents
of mine in the Astoria neighborhoods whose family members are still
among the missing," she said.
"Suppression of Cyprus' cultural heritage has become the order of the
day as the Turkish government seeks to change the face of the Cypriot
population," Congressman Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) said, in
highlighting the systematic destruction of Cyprus' cultural heritage
in occupied Cyprus. "Villages and towns in the occupied area of the
island now bear Turkish names.Churches that have not been looted or
destroyed have been converted into mosques or stables," he said.
[C1] "Turkey Remains the Key to a Solution of the Cyprus Problem"
Congress will continue to restrict aid to Ankara until the occupation
ends, House International Relations Committee Chairman Ben Gilman
(R-NY) stressed, since restricting aid will "send a strong signal to
Ankara that the patience of the Congress has just about run out and
that we want to see movement on getting Turkish troops out of
Cyprus."
"Turkey remains the key to a solution of the Cyprus problem,"
Congressman Lee Hamilton (D-IN) emphasized, adding that he was
encouraged by growing international involvement, "as well as by the
bipartisan support of this Congress for an intensified American
effort. It is in the United States' national interest as well as that
of all the parties in the region that we find a just and viable
solution for Cyprus."
"I would urge not only an extra strong push by the Administration to
raise this issue to the highest priority," Congressman John Porter
(R-IL) said, "but that our military talk directly with their
counterparts in the Turkish military to gain their cooperation in
finding a way to begin withdrawing Turkish troops as a first step
towards unification."
Congressman Bilirakis condemned Turkey's misuse of U.S. aid which was
supplied for defensive purposes. He pointed out that earlier this
year Turkey had again deployed American-made tanks in the occupied
areas of Cyprus "in direct violation of agreements between Turkey and
the United States . . . We have to ask ourselves, what are we doing
in protest of these violations?"
Other members of Congress also identified Turkey's occupation troops
as the major impediment to peace and expressed support for Cyprus
President Clerides' proposal for the complete demilitarization of the
Republic of Cyprus.
Calling the division of Cyprus "one of the most intractable problems
in the world today, Congressman Thomas Manton (D-NY) said he
supported the demilitarization of Cyprus, since it "would alleviate
the security concerns of all parties and substantially enhance the
prospects for peaceful resolution of the problem.Once again the
Turkish side rejected Cyprus' efforts toward ending the tragic
unacceptable status quo."
"The continued presence of 30,000 foreign troops in Cyprus prevents
the people of that island from reaching a settlement of these
political differences," Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
said. "Demilitarization of the Republic of Cyprus would meet the
security concerns of all parties involved and would enhance prospects
for a peaceful and lasting solution . . . this can only be achieved
if the invading army withdraws from Cyprus and returns to its own
territorywhere it belongs."
"Ending the military occupation of Cyprus is among the greatest
challenges the international community faces today," Congressman
David Bonior (D-MI) said, speaking for many of his colleagues, "but
we must have the cooperation of Turkey to make progress and bring
unity and freedom to Cypriots on the island."
Among the Representatives who participated in the Special Order were:
Ron Klink (D-PA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Stephen
Horn (R-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Peter Visclosky (D-IN),
Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-MA), Patrick J.Kennedy (D-RI), Nita M.
Lowey (D-NJ), Sander M. Levin (D-MI), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Matthew
Martinez (D-CA), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Vic Fazio (D-CA),
Elizabeth Furse (D-OR), Richard Zimmer (R-NJ), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA),
Bob Filner (D-CA) and Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ).
[D] MURDER OF TURKISH CYPRIOT JOURNALIST CONDEMNED
The assassination in occupied Nicosia on July 6 of a prominent
Turkish Cypriot journalist, Kutlu Adali, by a Turkish right-wing
terrorist organization has been widely denounced.
Adali's murder sparked widespread protests in occupied Cyprus and was
condemned by Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and the Cyprus Union
of Journalists.
The European Parliament expressed concern over increasing terrorist
actions in the occupied areas and said it recognized "the need for a
solution to the Cyprus problem in the context of E.U. membership."
Adali had strongly criticized living conditions in occupied Cyprus,
saying that Turkey's illegal colonization of the occupied areas had
forced Turkish Cypriots to emigrate, and condemned the Turkish
Cypriot leadership for policies which were leading to a permanent
division of the island.
[E] IN BRIEF . . .
The "declaration of independence of the United States marked a new
beginning in world history signaling the birth of freedom, justice
and human rights throughout the world," Cyprus President Glafcos
Clerides said in a congratulatory message to U.S.President Bill
Clinton on July 4, U.S. Independence Day. Clerides said that today
the people of Cyprus, "who for 22 years are striving to reunite their
country, place their hopes in the realization of the same principles
which will culminate in a just settlement of the Cyprus question."
In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali on July
23, the Cyprus government has protested violations of Cyprus'
airspace by Turkish military jets. The overflights are "an additional
indication of Turkish provocative behavior, in that they took place
on the eve of the twenty-second anniversary of the Turkish invasion
of Cyprus," the letter said. The government also recently protested
to the Secretary-General over the provocative visit to occupied
Cyprus on the anniversary of Turkey's invasion of Cyprus by Turkish
Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan.
The American market holds "a great potential for Cyprus," especially
in the areas of trade and tourism, Minister of Commerce, Industry and
Tourism Kyriacos Christofi said on July 27, after completing a
nine-day working visit to the U.S. and Canada.During his visit,
accompanied by Cyprus Ambassador Andrew Jacovides, Christofi met with
U.S. Under-Secretary of Commerce Stuart Eizenstat and other senior
U.S.officials. The United States is one of the largest exporters to
Cyprus with $434 million in exports last year. A significant
proportion of these goods are re-exported, indicating the important
role Cyprus plays in U.S. marketing efforts in the region.
During a fund-raising dinner in Washington on July 31, U.S. President
Bill Clinton and Greek and Cypriot-American community leaders held an
in-depth discussion on how the U.S. can best promote a Cyprus
settlement. After the meeting Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) said
President Clinton had again demonstrated his deep personal interest
in Cyprus and other issues of concern to the community. The
Democratic Party's 1988 Presidential candidate, Michael Dukakis, said
that it was clear from the meeting that President Clinton "is a
President who is anxious to move forward" on these issues.
The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), in
a resolution adopted at their annual convention in Houston on July
31, has called on the U.S.government to intensify its efforts on
Cyprus by demanding that Turkey withdraw its occupation forces and
comply with the U.N. resolutions on Cyprus.
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