Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 97-11-14

Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

News Update

Friday, 14/11/97

CONTENTS

• [01] Cyprus protests at 14th anniversary of declaration of illegal "Turkish Cypriot state".
• [02] EU Commissioner in talks with Richard Holbrooke
• [03] Palestinian Foreign Minister in Cyprus
• [04] UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus to visit on 18.11.97

[01] Cyprus protests at 14th anniversary of declaration of illegal "Turkish Cypriot state".

Police in co-operation with the National Guard, have taken precautionary measures, including cordoning off sensitive areas to ensure that no incidents occur during the protests.

The demonstrations are being coupled with the sumbission of protest notes by the various groups to the UN Secretary-General and to the embassies of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, denouncing the continuing toleration of the existence of the illegal state.

Pupils and students staged an all-night peacefull vigil at the Ledra Palace con controlled checkpoint on Thursday night (13.11.97), launching a three- day programme of protests.

This is the first time that all the student groups have cooperated in a joint effort, said Loizos Constantinou, the president of the POFNE student federation.

Secondary school pupils and college students staged a joing protest march today Friday, 14.11.97, from Eleftheria Square to the Ledra Palace checkpoint. Constantinou said student representatives will be cooperating with the police to ensure the demonstration remains peaceful, in response to an appeal by President Clerides.

Cypriot students abroad will also stage protests in various cities. Those in Lodnon will join a protest march to the Turkish embassy organised by the Cypriot Association of Great Britain.

On the home front pupils of the Higher Technical Institute staged a "Drive to Freedom" motorcade all over the free areas of the island yesterday. Other college students were bussed out to the various monuments of those killed during the invasion and occupation, where they laid wreaths.

President Clerides will address the Coordinating Committee of Associations and Organisations for the Kyrenia Area at a protest gathering at the Falcon School in Nicosia on Friday (14.11.97) evening.

In Greece, motorbikers began a symbolic drive a week ago from Greece's northern borders with Turkey, down to Athens, ending on Friday in Eleftheria Square in Nicosia.

The government has urged all groups to conduct themselves peacefully and President Clerides said Greek Cypriots have the right to express their feelings at the injustice done to them but their acts should not give rise to violent incidents which may harm the cause of Cyprus.

The unilateral declaration of the illegal "Turkish Cypriot State" in 1983 was condemned by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 541 which stated it "considers the declaration legally invalid and calls for its withdrawal".

[02] EU Commissioner in talks with Richard Holbrooke

After the meeting Mr. van den Broek said it was "extremely important that the European Union and the United States work hand-in-hand to resolve the Cyprus division".

Ambassador Holbrooke said after the meeting with Mr. van den Broek that they share "a common goal" of a unified Cyprus joining the European Union. The two men are in Brussels to speak at a Seminar of Greek and Turkish Cypriot businessmen on ways to encourage economic co-operation.

Mr. Holbrooke also had meetings in Brussels with the Greek Deputy and Alternate Foreign Ministers, Yiannos Kranidiotis and George Papandreou, and Britain's special Cyprus envoy Sir David Hannay.

The two Greek ministers told reporters their talks with Holbrooke had been useful and expressed the hope that his efforts and initiative would provide a new push for a Cyprus settlement.

Mr. Papandreou said he had formed the impression that Holbrooke's initiative had taken on a definite format, but he declined to elaborate. The American official also insisted on maintaining the strict confidentiality, which as he stated in Nicosia before his departure, was essential for the successful outcome of his mission.

Mr. Papandreou added that he had explained to Mr. Holbrooke the Greek view that Turkey could not have closer links with the EU unless there was an improvement on Cyprus, Greco-Turkish relations and human rights in Turkey itself.

The European Union is scheduled to open membership negotiations with Cyprus early next year - but wants the Turkish Cypriots to join the talks, provided they will work toward reconciliation on the island. The Cyprus Government has no objection, provided they join as part of a unified Cyprus delegation, something rejected by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash who insists on the recognition of his breakaway pseudostate.

According to political observers, Holbrooke is understood to be trying to solve this problem by devising a formula under which the Turkish Cypriot side could be represented at the accession talks.

His stopover in Bonn for talks with the German government before his visit to Brussels was seen as part of his effort to resolve the Cyprus-Turkey- Greece-EU complex relations and make some headway in the direction of both Cyprus EU accession course and Turkey's closer relations with the Union.

Government spokesman Manolis Christofides said on Thursday, 13.11.97 that Cyprus is ready to discuss ways of ensuring Turkish Cypriot participation in the talks, but "always with the guarantee that the unitary status of the Cyprus state will not in any way be diminished, or affected, and that the solution will not provide any element of recognition of the pseudostate, and this because we respect the UN resolutions."

[03] Palestinian Foreign Minister in Cyprus

Welcoming Mr. Kaddoumi, he said "it was always a great pleasure to welcome in Cyprus a consistent friend and it has been also extremely useful that we had the opportunity to exchange views on developments in the Middle East in efforts for peace in the Middle East and talk a bit about Cyprus."

"I want to express the support of Cyprus to the efforts of the Palestinian people to achieve peace and security in the Middle East", Mr. Kasoulides added.

The Palestinian official underlined that Cyprus and his country "both have problems of refugees, problem of partition, we have to deal with this in a very sensible way and be patient enough to solve such problems."

Describing Cyprus as a friendly country, Kaddoumi said he discussed "common interests" and added "both sides have the same problems and are trying to establish peace in this part of the world, peace which is relied on the international legality, the integrity of our countries."

Asked to comment on US and European involvement in the Middle East process, Mr. Kaddoumi said he did not think the US could do anything more than what they did on the Palestinian track.

[04] UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus to visit on 18.11.97

Mr. Cordovez is due to arrive on the island for his first visit on Tuesday, 18.11.97.

Outlining the objective of the Cordovez visit, Mr. Feissel noted he has not been here since he was appointed earlier this year and "he is coming to get a sense of the situation."

Asked if his programme of meetings envisages a joint Clerides-Denktash encounter, Feissel replied "never say never, but I certainly do not expect it."

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article