Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 98-03-19

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cynews.com/>

Thursday, March 19, 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Government denies report on missing

[02] Lakatamia graves could be opened in bid to identify missing

[03] Cordovez warns international interest might wane

[04] Market up for 8th successive trading day

[05] Shipping probe as three killed in ship blast

[06] Schooling must improve, educationalists warn

[07] New meningitis case raises fears

[08] Enclaved protest new Denktash fees

[09] Turks remand fishermen until Friday

[10] Cold snap is quite normal

[11] Swedish delegation urges cancellation of missile deal

[12] Free phone calls land offshore directors in trouble

[01] Government denies report on missing

THE GOVERNMENT yesterday categorically dismissed reports that 14 of the missing were alive and living in a country near Cyprus.

But the man at the source of the report piled on the claims, saying last night that up to 40 missing people might in fact still be alive.

Canadian Cypriot Michael Kyprianou had claimed on Tuesday that after 23 years spent in a Turkish jail, 14 Greek Cypriots had a year ago been thrown into the sea by the Turks; they had, he said, been rescued by passing fishermen and brought to a safe country where they now lived.

But the government gave short shrift to the sensational claims. Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides said yesterday officials had contacted Michael Kyprianou and had concluded that his claims were unfounded.

Unperturbed, Kyprianou later told Antenna television that the number of missing still alive could be as high as 40.

"From the time we last spoke (on Tuesday), there are no longer 14... but perhaps 40." He added he would soon have video tapes and photographs of the survivors that he intended to air on an international TV channel.

The man had come into the open as the source behind a story first aired on Monday by Father Christoforos, a priest representing relatives of the missing.

The foreign minister yesterday stressed that the more the matter was pursued, the more pain and anxiety was caused to families of missing persons.

Cassoulides pointed out that the report had been investigated back on March 10 and was now closed; consequently he advised that the matter be allowed to die down.

"This whole case (concerning the 14 missing persons) is not considered a serious one and (the government) asks that the matter be laid to rest," the Foreign Minister said.

Cassoulides was backed up by the government spokesman, who said yesterday President Clerides had been briefed on the matter, about which he had no prior knowledge. Clerides is currently on a visit to Israel.

Only one senior politician had initially been willing to give credence to the latest claims: Diko leader and president of the House Spyros Kyprianou -- who is acting President in Clerides' absence -- spoke with Michael Kyprianou by telephone and said yesterday afternoon that important information had come to light.

But by late last night, he had thrown his weight behind the doubters, announcing a new investigation had shown the claims to be utterly without substance.

The acting President said he had informed Clerides about the latest developments and both had agreed the case should cease to be the focus of media attention.

Kyprianou added, however, that he had invited the Canadian Cypriot to come to the island at the government's expense to put his claims personally to the authorities as the matter had to be cleared up.

Foreign Minister Cassoulides conceded the matter could be taken further if Michael Kyprianou at least revealed the country where the 14 were allegedly living.

Kyprianou has refused to name the country, saying "any hint of where that is will only hurt the families (of the 14)".

Last night, however, Sigma TV said it had learned the missing were in Israel. It said Kyprianou claimed to have been tipped off by the Israeli secret service Mossad.

As the rumour mills went into overdrive, appeals were heard for media and politicians to show sensitivity in their approach to this emotive issue.

Having called an afternoon press conference to offer his view of the story, Spyros Kyprianou asked journalists to stop publicising issues regarding missing persons, adding the recent furore had done the families no good.

"It is a humanitarian issue and shouldn't be used for political ends," he said.

The call was echoed by Journalists Union president Andreas Kanaouros, who appealed to the press to stop publicising Michael Kyprianou's claims until the authorities had had a chance to investigate them.

He said he knew the man personally and considered him to be "irresponsible and frivolous".

"I am puzzled how Father Christoforos adopted these claims and voiced these matters on air," Kanaouros said.

[02] Lakatamia graves could be opened in bid to identify missing

Government spokesman Christos Stylianides said yesterday the government was ready to exhume the bodies of unknown soldiers buried in the free areas, in an attempt to determine their identities using DNA-testing.

The final decision on whether to press with such plans would be taken after President Clerides returned from a private visit to Israel today, Stylianides said.

It is thought that seven of the 1,619 Greek Cypriot missing might in fact be buried in the Lakatamia cemetery.

[03] Cordovez warns international interest might wane

DIEGO Cordovez, the UN secretary-general's special envoy to Cyprus, has warned that international interest in the Cyprus problem could peter out unless Cypriots themselves show more interest in achieving a settlement.

Government spokesman Christos Stylianides was quick to dismiss the warning as "encouragement".

"It seems we are more interested, we the outsiders," Cordovez commented on arrival at Larnaca airport in the early hours.

"The two community leaders are the ones who have the responsibility to work out a settlement. We can help them," Cordovez added.

"The international community is extremely concerned, but you know, there may be a moment when they may simply give up and that would be tragic. I am trying to avoid that," the UN envoy said.

Stylianides said the Cyprus problem was too important for the international community to abandon.

"The Cyprus government is convinced that the international community cannot allow such a crucial issue as the Cyprus problem to remain pending," he told his daily press briefing.

"We believe that with the right moves on our part and with Greece's help international interest in Cyprus will be maintained to enable us to move towards a solution," Stylianides added.

He denied Cypriots were uninterested in achieving a settlement: "The people of Cyprus have repeatedly proved their deep concern and interest in a settlement."

He interpreted Cordovez's statements as "an intention for more encouragement."

Cordovez, who presided over peace talks between President Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash in the US and Switzerland last Summer, is on the island for a six-day visit aimed at preparing the ground for further direct talks.

Cordovez met with the head of Cyprus' EU accession talks team, George Vassiliou, and British High Commissioner David Madden yesterday.

He is scheduled to meet Denktash for lunch in occupied Nicosia today and Clerides for lunch tomorrow. Unficyp spokesman Waldemar Rokoszewski said Cordovez might have further meetings with the two leaders if this proved necessary.

The Summer talks collapsed when Denktash walked out, saying he would return only if the EU reversed its decision to open accession talks with the government. Denktash has since hardened his stance, saying negotiations can only take place if his break-away state is recognised.

In Moscow meanwhile, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said Vladimir Tchizhov, Russia's envoy to Cyprus, would visit the island between April 2 and 5.

The Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported that the spokesman had said Tchizhov might be accompanied on his visit by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Avdeev.

Tchizhov's visit would be part of a three-nation tour taking in Athens and Ankara, CNA reported.

[04] Market up for 8th successive trading day

SHARE prices rose yesterday for the eighth successive trading day, with the official all-share index closing at 89.27 points, or 0.89 per cent up on Tuesday's close.

Volume was £2.73 million, the second all-time record in as many days for the two-year-old market living its best run to date.

The index has now fallen only once since February 24, rising by a total of 8.59 per cent since and, according to traders, attracting back the investors who fled in droves during a disastrous 1997.

Yesterday's trade saw all sectors making gains, with the sub-index of the so-called "other stocks" going up by 3.45 per cent. Commercial companies came a distant second with their sub-index inching 2.25 per cent higher.

The Bank of Cyprus accounted for the biggest trade from among the blue-chip bank shares -- 102,598 stocks or 13.1 per cent of the bourse's total trade -- and ended two cents up at £3.475.

The Popular and Hellenic banks also closed higher, by two and three cents respectively.

Universal Bank, which this week announced an increase by 370 per cent in its pre-tax profits to £234,672, closed at £2.135, three cents down on Tuesday's close. The bank also announced late on Tuesday that it would propose to shareholders a capital increase from £5 to £15 million by issuing 10 million one-pound new shares.

A bank statement also said it would propose a rights issue of 1.25 million one-pound shares during its June 10 general annual meeting.

Woolworth, a member of the Shacolas Group, continued its recent impressive run in yesterday's trade, finishing three cents up to close at £0.815 with nearly 300,000 shares changing hands. Woolworth warrants also fared well, closing four cents up at £0.487 on a turnover of more than a 100,000.

[05] Shipping probe as three killed in ship blast

"We are sending out one or two surveyors from our department to carry out a full investigation," senior shipping department official Andreas Constantinou told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

He said the information coming out of Bangkok was still sketchy, and his department was waiting for official reports.

Tuesday's explosion on the 12,000-tonne Amerprabha killed three Indian workers and injured three Sri Lankans.

Thai police said a blast ripped through the power generator chamber while the freighter was loading rice destined for Nigeria.

The authorities said the vessel had loaded about three quarters of a rice cargo when the accident happened.

They added that the freighter's generator room sustained on limited damage.

[06] Schooling must improve, educationalists warn

CYPRUS' recent poor showing in international maths and science tests at lyceum level has highlighted the need for urgent improvement, Education specialist Constantinos Papanastasiou said yesterday.

Speaking at the official presentation of a Pedagogical Academy study into the results, he said educationalists were pleased with Cyprus' showing in the advanced maths and physics areas. But he warned that unless improvements were made in the weak areas, Cyprus risked equally poor results in the next study.

Changes, he said, were needed in both curriculum and teaching methods, with more specific subject in-service training for teachers.

Papanastasiou added, however, that the advanced maths results were particularly pleasing, with Cyprus coming second to France.

The results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) published last month, ranked Cyprus' secondary pupils among the world's overall lowest, placing them third from bottom out of 45 countries - above only Lithuania and South Africa.

At the time, the official line taken was that the study had to be examined in terms of individual category results, as opposed to the overall picture. The Pedagogical Academy study was commissioned to determine the line of action to be taken.

Some 500,000 Lyceum-level students from 45 countries took part in the study, taking an exam on various maths and science topics in 1995. The resulting league table was topped by students from Sweden and the Netherlands.

In two previous TIMSS studies, of Gymnasium-level students in 1996 and primary level pupils in 1997, Cyprus came bottom.

[07] New meningitis case raises fears

The latest victim is an eight-year-old girl, who was admitted to Paphos general hospital at around 7am yesterday.

Bacterial meningitis hit the headlines after a 19-year-old National Guardsman serving at a Nicosia camp died of the disease last Monday. Later last week, an eight-year-old girl from Troulli outside Larnaca was admitted to hospital suffering from acute meningitis and then an Unficyp soldier was struck down.

Both the soldier and the Larnaca girl were reported to be making satisfactory progress yesterday.

The new victim was yesterday receiving treatment and her condition was not described as critical.

An official from the Paphos health department said students at the girl's school had been doused with antibiotics as a precautionary measure.

The official described the meningitis cases as "sporadic" and said there was no need for the public to be concerned.

[08] Enclaved protest new Denktash fees

They told a House Refugee Committee meeting the decision of the Denktash regime to hike 'entry fees' to £13 and to introduce a new form requiring a signature were unacceptable.

"Forcing the enclaved to pay a levy for their movement to and from the occupied areas contributes to their economic plight, humiliates them and restricts the visits of their children and other close relatives to Karpassia and the Maronite villages to a minimum, with all the negative repercussions," Nicos Fallas, spokesman for the Co-ordinating Committee for the Karpas said.

Other issues raised at yesterday's meeting were demands that the government increase the £2,000 grant to help repair the houses of the enclaved and redress injustices on who qualified. They also asked for priority medical treatment at the island's hospitals for the enclaved.

[09] Turks remand fishermen until Friday

TWO Greek Cypriot fishermen seized by Turkish troops off Paralimni last week were yesterday remanded for three days by a 'court' in the occupied areas.

"They appeared at a military court in Famagusta and were remanded till Friday," Unficyp spokesman Waldemar Rokoszewski said.

Fifty-eight-year-old Andreas Constantinou and 65-year-old Lefteris Zelos were nabbed by the Turks on Saturday after their fishing boat crossed the Maritime Security Lime (MSL) - the maritime equivalent of the island's Green Line.

Rokoszewski said he did not know on suspicion of what the 'court' had remanded the two fishermen.

He said Constantinou and Zelos had been visited by their families on Tuesday. The two men, twice visited by UN doctors since their apprehension, still appeared to be in good health, Rokoszewski said.

It is the second time in three years that father-of-three Constantinou has been detained by the Turks.

The government has stated it would lodge an official protest to the United Nations over the fishermen's detention.

According to Cyprus police, Turkish forces fired upon the fishermen when they crossed the MSL near the Kappari area of Paralimni.

The day after the incident, Defence Minister Yiannakis Omirou accused the Turkish side of trying to raise tensions. Saturday's episode came a day after Turkish soldiers claimed Greek Cypriot National Guardsmen had fired at their sentry post in the Achna area.

A Unficyp investigation into the incident proved inconclusive.

[10] Cold snap is quite normal

Commenting on the mountain snows, the department said this and accompanying rainfall in the lowlands was normal, though recent unusually hot weather made the cold spell seem unusually bitter.

The snow lay 25 centimetres deep in Troodos Square yesterday, and was up to 50 centimetres deep in other mountain areas.

[11] Swedish delegation urges cancellation of missile deal

Lund was given short shrift by Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides.

Turkey has threatened a military strike against the ground-to-air missiles should they be deployed, while the US and Britain have made no secret of their displeasure at the government's decision to order them. The S-300s are due to arrive in the Summer.

"My government does not find it helpful to see the deployment of the missiles," Lund said after meeting Cassoulides.

He said Sweden recognised Cyprus's right to defend itself but was offering "friendly advice" that "it would be a very positive development if those missiles were not deployed."

He said cancelling the missile order would ease Cyprus's EU accession course.

Cassoulides welcomed the "cordial manner" in which Lund had broached the missiles issue. But, he said this advice would be "more productive" if there was more respect for the "sensitivity of the people of Cyprus on security issues, in the light of the presence of 35,000 Turkish occupation troops in Cyprus."

"The security of the people of Cyprus is equally important with that of their European course, therefore we will not sacrifice the one for the sake of the other," Cassoulides said.

He repeated that the missile order would only be cancelled if there was real progress towards a settlement or a demilitarisation agreement.

Lund, who met with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash later in the day, described his meeting with Cassoulides as "very constructive" and said he had come "first and foremost to listen and learn."

[12] Free phone calls land offshore directors in trouble

Limassol District Court heard that the two -- Yirikori Filovetch, 39, and Anatoly Beitock, 62 -- had been under surveillance for some time and had been caught after finding an unspecified way of making free calls from public phones.

Both gave their professions as Offshore Company Directors.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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