Latest Cyprus News

[akritas]

PRESIDENT PAPADOPOULOS ON THE BUFFER ZONE
Nicosia, 5 December 2005 (13:39 UTC+2)
MPA

Cyprus Republic President Tassos Papadopoulos revealed the existence of a plan by the Turkish army to occupy half of the buffer zone in Cyprus.

On the occasion of the continuing projects constructed by the occupation forces in the buffer zone area at Lydra Street in Nicosia, the Cyprus Republic President warned that the Lydra Street case will not be allowed to become a precedent to be used by the occupation forces to claim about half of the buffer zone. It appears that this is their plan for the whole Cyprus, stated Mr. Papadopoulos

[Orphic_Hymn]

U.S. ready to trade with Turkish Cypriots

By Nicholas Kralev
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
February 21, 2006

The United States is preparing to begin direct trade with northern Cyprus for the first time since it was occupied by Turkey three decades ago, including steps opposed as "creeping recognition" by the Greek-Cypriot government in Nicosia.

The American government and U.S. companies already are working with the Turkish Cypriots to bring the sanitary working conditions and the business practices of potential exporters up to world standards, U.S. officials said.
"We are laying the foundation," said one State Department official, who explained that the United States sees easing the isolation of northern Cyprus as the best way to reunify the island.

"We provide direct aid to facilitate direct trade. Economic disparity is pretty big between the north and the south right now. To unify, you need to mitigate those disparities."

Like all U.S. officials interviewed for this article, he spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Northern Cyprus has been virtually isolated since Turkish troops occupied the territory in 1974, one week after a Greek-backed coup in Nicosia. Turkey still provides an economic lifeline to the north and is the only country to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) government.

The Greek-Cypriot government agrees that economic, business and social ties with the Turkish Cypriots should be encouraged, but opposes direct contact with the political leaders of the north at a time when the United States, Britain and other European countries are seeking to end that isolation.

Washington and London have called for permitting direct trade to pass through northern Cypriot ports, while Nicosia wants the goods to be taken by truck to southern ports controlled by the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus government.

Opening ports in the north would be de facto recognition of a Turkish-Cypriot state, said Euripides Evriviades, the Cypriot ambassador in Washington.

Meetings with Turkish-Cypriot political leaders pose the same problem, he said, referring to British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's insistence last month on meeting with Turkish-Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat at his office.

Mr. Evriviades said such contact "downgrades the legitimacy of our government and upgrades the legitimacy of the TRNC."
But U.S. officials sided with Mr. Straw, rejecting the notion that a visit with Mr. Talat or dealing with his government means legitimizing the breakaway republic. A U.S. official who plans to visit northern Cyprus this year said he, too, would meet Turkish-Cypriot officials.

"We do not -- and his administration will not -- recognize the so-called TRNC," a State Department official said. "We don't want two separate states. We want a unified island. Nothing we do should be seen as creeping recognition."
He said the Turkish Cypriots "made serious concessions in the Annan plan" to reunify the island in a 2004 referendum and "need some sort of a reward or a sign that what they did was good to shore up their political positions."
The Greek Cypriots rejected the plan, sponsored by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, days before joining the European Union, angering both the United States and Europe. The entire geographic space of Cyprus is now part of the European Union, but the union treaty is suspended in the north.
Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and Mr. Annan are scheduled to meet in Paris on Feb. 28 to resume negotiations on reunification.
Turkey, which began talks to join the European Union in the fall, has an obligation to open its ports to Greek-Cypriot ships and aircraft. On Friday, Cyprus threatened to veto Ankara's membership if it fails to meet the EU requirement.
Mr. Evriviades said the United States "has been looking at Cyprus through the prism of its strategic relations with Turkey -- a pivotal secular Muslim country."
He described the United States, Britain and Turkey as "three overlords" who are squeezing the Greek Cypriots.
"It's almost neocolonialism," the ambassador said. "With those overlords, we don't stand a chance."

http://washtimes.com/world/20060220-102915-8116r.htm

[zefs]

‘The American secretary left a bitter aftertaste in both Greece and [Greek] Cyprus,’ says a Greek Cypriot daily in a front-page commentary

ANKARA - TDN with Reuters


Greek and Greek Cypriot media and opposition parties earlier this week attacked remarks by visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, saying the comments revealed American favoritism towards Turkey.

Rice, on a five-day visit to Europe and Iraq, told journalists in the Greek capital on Tuesday that Greek Cyprus should not stand in the way of Turkey's bid to join the European Union.

She called on the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot half of the divided island to ease the isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), which is recognized only by Ankara.

“The American secretary left a bitter aftertaste in both Greece and [Greek] Cyprus,” wrote Greek Cypriot daily Simerini in a front-page commentary, echoing statements by several opposition parties on the island.

Since joining the EU two years ago, Greek Cyprus has increasingly become a sticking point in the European ambitions of its giant northern neighbor, Turkey.

Divided since a 1974 Turkish military intervention in response to a coup in Nicosia engineered by the military junta then ruling Greece, Cyprus has defied repeated reunification efforts and has been the major hurdle in Ankara's hopes of joining the 25-state bloc.

Greek Cypriots rejected a U.N. peace plan in a referendum in 2004, days before joining the EU. The isolated, poorer Turkish Cypriots approved it.

Turkey opened EU accession talks last October and must expand a customs union agreement to new EU members, including opening up ports to Greek Cypriot traffic. But it has refused so far, demanding an easing of restrictions for the Turkish Cypriots in exchange.

In Athens, the main opposition Socialist PASOK party said some of Rice's comments on Cyprus were “unacceptable.”

“Ms. Rice's visit, in the end, only created more uncertainty and brought more anxiety to the Greek people,” said PASOK official Christos Papoutsis.

Government officials in both countries were more reserved in their reaction but made clear they disagreed with U.S. policy.

Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos said that despite being strategic allies with the United States, Greece “does not completely agree with American policy.”

In Nicosia Greek Cypriot government spokesman George Lillikas told journalists that Turkey must meet its EU commitments.

“We support the accession of Turkey to the EU, under certain conditions as laid out by the EU itself,” he said. “Turkey's EU accession course depends only upon itself.”

[zefs]

ANKARA - Turkish Daily News


The United States said Turkey's fulfillment of its European Union membership obligations was an issue between Ankara and Brussels.

Asked about the U.S. position concerning the EU's warning of serious consequences if Ankara failed to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot traffic under a customs union protocol, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, “Well, our position is that those are internal EU discussions as well as discussions that are taking place between the EU and Turkey.”

Reiterating U.S. support for Turkey's EU bid, McCormack said: “We continue to be supportive. We encourage all sides to take those steps that they need to take in order to ultimately realize the goal of accession. I'm not going to script out what Turkey should do. Those are things that the Turkish government needs to decide for itself and then, working with the EU and its individual member states, figure out what steps Turkey needs to do. But we do support Turkey's accession to the EU.”

Asked whether the United States intervened in Turkey's EU process, the U.S. spokesman said: “I'm sure on a daily basis we are in contact with EU member states as well as Turkey concerning these questions. But fundamentally these are decisions that the EU as well as Turkey need to take for themselves.”

[Ptolemy]

ALERT - CYPRUS

30 August 2006

Turkish Cypriot forces detain television team

SOURCE: International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Brussels


(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 25 August 2006 IFJ media release:

Journalists Condemn "Intimidation" as Turkish Cypriot Forces Detain TV team

The International Federation of Journalists and its European network, the European Federation of Journalists, today called for the immediate release of two journalists subject to "intolerable and unacceptable intimidation" while covering events in the northern part of Cyprus.

Reporter Adonis Pallikarides and cameraman Nikitas Dalitis of the private SIGMA TV covered an event involving a Turkish Cypriot politician and former president of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce who called for the demolition of a bridge built by the Turkish army, being the obstacle to opening a new crossing point at a commercial street of Nicosia, on the demand of both communities.

The two journalists were arrested when they started interviewing Turkish Cypriot shopkeepers near the bridge. They were accused of videotaping military installations, detained overnight on Friday and were held before appearing before a court today.

"These journalists should be freed immediately and all charges against them lifted," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "It is another case of intolerable and unacceptable intimidation of colleagues who are trying to carry out legitimate journalistic work."

The IFJ and European Federation of Journalists have supported protests of its member organisation, the Union of Cyprus Journalists, which has accused Turkish occupation forces in the northern part of Cyprus of three serious cases of such violations over the past two months when Greek Cypriot journalists have been arrested while covering events in the northern part of Cyprus, controlled since 1974 by Turkish military forces.

The president of the Union, Andreas Kannaouros, says in previous cases the arrested Greek Cypriot journalists were quickly released after being punished, but this is the first time a further detention had been ordered. Turkish Cypriot journalists in the north of the country, represented by the IFJ-affiliated Basin Sen, also condemned the arrests and demanded the release of the two journalists.

For further information, contact the IFJ, International Press Centre, Residence Palace, Block C, 155 Rue de la Loi, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium, tel: +322 235 2200 or +322 235 2207, fax: +322 235 2219, e-mail: rachel.cohen@ ifj.org, Internet: http://www.ifj. org/

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of IFJ. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit IFJ.
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[zefs]

British wankers British pair win Cyprus land row
\


A British couple yesterday won a legal battle to keep a holiday home they have built in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus, on land originally belonging to a Greek-Cypriot.

Last year, a Nicosia court ordered David and Linda Orams to demolish their villa and return the land to its dispossessed owner Meletios Apostolidis, who fled northern Cyprus after the Turkish invasion of 1974.

But a High Court judge in Britain yesterday backed the couple’s appeal against the previous judgment.

Judge Rupert Jack ordered Apostolidis to pay three-quarters of the Oram’s legal costs, the exact amount of which was not clear yesterday.

But the lawyer for Apostolidis - who filed his claim on the land in Lapithos in October 2004 - said that his client would appeal the decision, adding that he was “very optimistic the end result will be positive.”

The Orams - whose case attracted international attention due to its potential legal ramifications and their high-profile lawyer, Cherie Booth, wife of Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair - called the judgment a “total vindication” of their position.

[Amyntas]

http://english.people.com.cn/200609/...07_300426.html

[Tsontos]

Greece hails EU report
Review on Turkey positive for national interests, say Athens and Nicosia

Athens and Nicosia yesterday both expressed their satisfaction with a European Commission report criticizing Turkey for its lack of progress in accession efforts.

Greece's Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis described the report as «positive for issues of Greek interest... mentioning all points of interest to us.» These points reportedly include Turkey's treatment of Orthodox Christians and its obligations to foster good relations with its neighbors.

As Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis put it, «the report contains all the necessary data for one to assess Turkey's progress toward the European Union.»

But Valinakis stressed that Turkey's failure to implement EU-oriented reforms was not a reason for Greece to rejoice. «We are not gloating about this; quite the opposite - it troubles us,» he said. He expressed Greece's desire to see «a truly European Turkey join the EU» but emphasized that «the final responsibility lies with Turkey.»

Athens also welcomed the section of the EC's report referring to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's (FYROM) insistence on calling itself «Macedonia,» condemned by Greece which has a northern province of that name, as «an unresolved problem.»

The EC's report, and particularly its demand that Ankara open its ports to Cyprus by mid-December, was also welcomed in Nicosia yesterday.

«We are satisfied because (the report) says Turkey has to fulfill its obligations to Cyprus,» Cypriot Foreign Minister Giorgos Lillikas said. But Lillikas also called for a political debate to determine how Turkey should be dealt with if it fails to honor its EU obligations. «We need a political discussion over Turkey's non-compliance to see if there is a convergence of views on this subject,» he said.

Meanwhile, Turkish-Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat was quoted by Agence France-Presse as dismissing attempts by the EU's Finnish presidency to break a deadlock over Cyprus threatening Ankara's EU bid, claiming that the Finnish formula was «unbalanced.»

[Amyntas]

DEMONSTRATING AGAINST TURKISH CYPRUS
Wednesday, 15 November 2006

The members of the organization of Cypriot students in Greek universities, PEOF, launched a three-day hunger strike outside the Turkish consulate in Thessaloniki on Monday in a protest marking the anniversary of the illegal proclamation of the Turkish Cypriot pseudo-state in the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus on November 15, 1983.

Student organization members gathered across the street from the Turkish consulate building holding banners and posters with slogans against the Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus.

http://www.hri.org/news/greek/ana/20...14.ana.html#25

[Tsontos]

GREAT NEWS IMHO:

EU deadline for Turkey?
Greek FM proposes giving Ankara 18 months to open ports and airports

Greece expressed its disagreement with European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn yesterday as Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said that Turkey should be given an 18-month deadline to open its ports and airports to Cypriot ships and airplanes.

Rehn urged European Union leaders yesterday not to press for a limit on accession talks with Turkey after the European Commission decided last week to partially freeze Ankara's membership process.

However, Bakoyannis said that Greece's views «do not converge with Mr Rehn's.» She proposed setting a deadline for Turkey to meet its commitments to Cyprus which should not be linked to any efforts to begin reunification talks on the island.

Bakoyannis said that the timetable was necessary otherwise «nobody knows when their commitments have to be fulfilled.»

Speaking from Brussels, where she attended an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meeting, Bakoyannis said the 18-month deadline which Greece wants to set Turkey should not lead to an end of membership negotiations if Ankara does not comply but should bring about a thorough review of EU-Turkish relations.

The foreign minister admitted that the views of the 25 member states on Turkey's accession talks were not united.

This divergence of views was evident during the visit of Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi to Athens yesterday after he met with Greek Premier Costas Karamanlis.

Prodi adopted a more conciliatory stance than Karamanlis toward Ankara.

«Our position is that we should leave the door open and ensure that the rules of EU integration are equal for all,» the Italian prime minister said. He added that the number of policy areas where membership talks have been frozen is «a technical issue.»

«Unfortunately, Turkey has not shown in real terms its will to adopt European values and principles and to take the steps which are necessary to progress on its European course,» said Karamanlis.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w.../12/2006_77394