Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-01-09

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Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-01-09

Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

Thursday, January 9, 2003

[01] Turkey says its ready to revise policy on Cyprus
[02] Anastassiades warns dissidents they'll have to shut up after Saturday
[03] Safety questions after Larnaca gas blast
[04] Deadlock over plans to move gypsies
[05] Traffic chaos warning as new ministry rumbles into life
[06] New polytechnic aims to prepare students for the new economy
[07] Wood Green 'terror lab': Cypriot neighbours react
[08] Fast-track weddings to cost �90 more

[01] Turkey says its ready to revise policy on Cyprus

By Jean Christou

THE GOVERNMENT yesterday welcomed concrete signs from Ankara that Turkey was willing to revise its 30-year hardline stance on Cyprus.

Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou told the Cyprus Mail that it was good news, but advised a 'wait and see attitude'.

"If it means the abandonment of the traditional policy of Ankara and of Denktash it is welcome," he said.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Yusuf Buluc yesterday told a news conference that Ankara was modifying its policy on Cyprus in line with the United Nations plan to reunify the island. The plan was drawn up by UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan and given to the two sides in November. A second modified version of the plan will be the basis for negotiating a possible settlement by February 28 with the aim of a united Cyprus signing the EU accession treaty in April. A technical committee comprising legal and other experts from each side began work on Tuesday.

"With the emergence of the Annan plan, a new and important element has been added to efforts to resolve the Cyprus question peacefully," Buluc told reporters in Ankara.

"Therefore there is a need for a policy adjustment. These adjustments are under way," he said, adding that a team of Turkish officials was already in the north of the island to work on aligning their views. Buluc declined to say which aspects of policy were to be modified.

Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has been in the line of fire since his failure to sign a preliminary agreement on the Annan plan during the EU summit in Copenhagen last month. Ordinary Turkish Cypriots and political parties have called for his resignation in a show of solidarity unprecedented in the north since 1974.

Denktash has said he is willing to negotiate on the plan, but is sticking to his demand for recognition, opposes any notion of Greek Cypriot settlement in the proposed Turkish Cypriot component state, and does not want to return the territory outlined in the plan to the Greek Cypriots.

Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of Turkey's new ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), warned the Turkish Cypriot leader last week that the Cyprus issue was not his personal business and called on him to stop living in the past, prompting speculation of a deep rift between Ankara and the north.

However, Buluc said yesterday: "there is not even the slightest difference" between Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots on efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem. Buluc said Ankara agreed with Denktash's objections to certain aspects of the UN blueprint.

Greece, which took over the six-monthly EU rotating presidency on January 1, yesterday urged both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots to display a more constructive attitude in order to meet the February deadline.

"To reach an agreement by February 28th, we believe that the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot side have to engage in the negotiating process more constructively and in good faith," Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis said in a letter addressed to Kofi Annan.

In the letter, officially accepting the UN Secretary General's invitation to a new round of talks, Simitis reiterated his hope that a solution to the 28-year old division of the island be found "as soon as possible".

Face to face negotiations between the two leaders are set to resume when UN special Cyprus envoy Alvaro de Soto returns to the island at the weekend following contacts in Athens and Ankara.

[02] Anastassiades warns dissidents they'll have to shut up after Saturday

By George Psyllides

DISY chief Nicos Anastassiades warned yesterday that party members were free to express their views until Saturday, when the party's supreme council will formally decide who to support in the elections. After that, they should be ready to face the consequences of their actions.

Several DISY deputies have openly disputed the party's initial decision to support President Glafcos Clerides' bid for re-election, suggesting Attorney-general Alecos Markides would be a better choice.

DISY deputy Rikkos Erotocritou yesterday said Clerides should have second thoughts about his decision to run, adding that Markides provided undisputed and reliable political continuity of Clerides himself.

Clerides said he was seeking re-election but would only stay in power for 16 months during which he would focus on the Cyprus problem and see through the island's European Union accession course.

Erotocritou said a potential agreement on the Cyprus problem was not the critical point.

What would be critical was the transitional period following the agreement, Erotocritou said.

The DISY deputy said he respected Clerides' political wisdom and contribution to the country, adding however that, "handling and implementing the United Nations plan needs political and biological endurance" and a long-term presence at the wheel of the state.

Commenting on Anastassiades' warning that DISY officials could only talk until the supreme council's decision on Saturday, Erotocritou wondered if they would be fitted with a muzzle after that.

But Anastassiades yesterday was adamant: DISY officials have the right until Saturday to express their views freely about the presidential elections.

Commenting on a dinner on Tuesday night, involving seven deputies who apparently supporting Markides, the DISY chief said food was not prohibited.

"It is everyone's right to have their views until the supreme council convenes," Anastassiades said.

He added that after that everybody should assume their responsibilities.

"When you decided you belong to a group you are bound at the same time with the conditions or the convention of that group," Anastassiades said.

He added: "If not, you could be free and clear from the specific group to carry your flag and behave as you wish."

Anastassiades urged the dissidents to question their right to dispute Clerides when political personalities from other ideological backgrounds had accepted him.

"I do not want to think that instead of the country some could have personal ambitions so intense as to sacrifice the good of the country," he said.

Concerning Markides' claims that he has been "hit below the belt", Anastassiades said he did not think anyone had been hit below the belt, adding: "some have been stabbed in the back and have not said a word".

[03] Safety questions after Larnaca gas blast

By Alex Mita

THE GOVERNMENT Electrical and Mechanical Service (EMS) yesterday revealed that a leak at a gas storage area in Larnaca in October had been caused by faulty valves.

High pressure from liquid gas being transferred into a spherical storage tank from a ship caused the valves to malfunction and the gas to leak into an adjacent empty tank, which was under inspection at the time by engineers. When an engineer tried to turn on the lights to continue the inspection the following morning, a spark ignited the gas causing an explosion. No one was injured.

The incident - reports of which only emerged yesterday - has raised fears over safety measures taken by the Electrical and Mechanical Service. EMC Director George Christodoulides yesterday admitted a disaster could have occurred had there been more gas in the sphere.

"The Co-op hired a private licensed engineer to inspect the sphere, and the engineer hired someone else to help him," Christodoulou said.

"During the inspection that was being carried out in the empty sphere, liquid gas leaked through faulty valves into the sphere. When the workers turned on the light in the morning, the gas ignited, but thankfully the engineers weren't harmed and there was no structural damage to the sphere.

"If there had been someone in the sphere when the engineer turned on the lights we would probably have had victims. The supervisor on the site did not follow the set safety measures, either because of negligence or simply because he didn't know he had to, and he allowed the use of a standard light inside the sphere, which ultimately caused the gas to ignite," he said.

Christodoulou said that if staff had followed the safety instructions and used specialised 'sparkless' light bulbs there would have been no explosion.

However, he claimed the company carrying out the transfer of the liquid gas had also neglected to follow correct safety procedures and had transferred more gas than they should into the storage sphere, and that caused the valves to malfunction.

"There were no sparkless light bulbs installed in the tank and that is something that will be investigated," Christodoulou said.

"If all the measures in the Code of Practice had been followed to the letter by both parties, we wouldn't have had such an accident."

Christodoulou said the government would investigate the incident and would "take measures against those responsible".

The incident has raised eyebrows, since the government failed to inform the public about the incident. Green deputy George Perdikis has raised the issue at the House of Representatives.

A statement from the Ministry of Communications and Works yesterday confirmed that there had been an explosion, but said it had not deemed it necessary to have the incident made public.

"The Ministry of Communications and Works felt that it was not necessary to inform the public of the incident, because there was no leakage in the environment, and there were no health hazards," the statement said.

"However, we have asked for the immediate replacement of the faulty valves, a full inspection of the area to confirm that the sphere was not structurally damaged, and we have the parties involved for a full report on the incident, in order to investigate any actions that might have been against the law."

[04] Deadlock over plans to move gypsies

AUTHORITIES have reached a dead-end regarding the relocation of 300 or so gypsies currently situated in the Turkish Cypriot quarter of Limassol.

According to yesterday's Simerini, all three communities chosen by the authorities to house the gypsies outside Limassol have rejected the proposal. A senior government official told the paper that residents of the appointed areas had refused to allow the creation of gypsy settlements in their communities, fearing the consequences of sharing the same living quarters.

Gypsies have come over in increasing numbers from the occupied north over the past few years, claiming to be Turkish Cypriots and wishing to settle in the free areas. A number of reports and complaints by residents of the Turkish Cypriot quarter and its surrounding areas have put pressure on the authorities to relocate the gypsies to more rural areas on the island. The paper reported the gypsies themselves did not favour resettlement outside the city, shedding doubt over any willing transfer.

The concerns raised by all sides and problems created from the decision for relocation have brought progress to a standstill, with negotiations for a solution to the Cyprus problem taking precedence at the moment.

Around 300 gypsies currently live in the Turkish Cypriot quarters in Limassol. The government has decided to rehouse them in three different areas outside the city at a cost of �300,000, the report said. According to the paper, small settlements of eight prefabricated houses will be built for an equal number of families to reside in.

[05] Traffic chaos warning as new ministry rumbles into life

EFFORTS to furnish the new Finance Ministry on Byron Avenue are expected to cause chaos over the next few months, with extensive road works already paralysing the area, reports said yesterday.

Traffic congestion will block roads in front of and around the new building site by mid-February, when workmen undertake to furnish all services and departments belonging to the ministry, Politis said.

The settlement of management services within the new ministry building has already begun, and by the end of February the general accounts department, customs department, VAT services, clerical services and statistics department are all expected to be moved from the old building to the new one. In other words, around 1,200 people in as many cars will be moving to and from the area during morning and lunchtime hours, the paper said. This would lead to havoc during rush hour, particularly as road works carried out on Byron Avenue have not yet been completed.

The question that remains is how the area's small roads will cope with all this additional traffic. Politis said officials had warned the road works were nowhere near finished, due to bad planning and organisation, and that it would still take many months to end the project to widen the area's main road. In turn, traffic congestion will not only fail to improve, but will worsen drastically.

The Finance Ministry building, which cost �17 million to build, has been ready since last May, but remained closed after a mix up concerning its furnishing, which was not ordered in time. Fixtures and fittings have only now started to arrive at the new ministry. In fact, a number of civil servants are being forced to use furniture from the old ministry in order to carry out their duties, the paper said.

[06] New polytechnic aims to prepare students for the new economy

By Alexia Saoulli

THE UNIVERSITY of Cyprus' Polytechnic School will start running undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the beginning of the next academic year in September, the administration said yesterday.

The Polytechnic School will be made up of four departments: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture. The latter will not be offered until September 2004.

All courses will be available at undergraduate, masters and PhD level, said Professor Andreas Alexandrou. However, the master's programme will not be implemented until the following year.

Undergraduate courses are four-year programmes and are free of tuition fees. Masters programmes usually cost around �3,000 a year and PhD programmes around �2,000.

"However, there may be slight differences in price depending on whether or not students opt to take on more lessons," said a university official. Students will require a minimum of 30 units to complete any given master's course, but some took on more, she said.

The school plans to cover an in-depth technical curriculum by combining knowledge with international research through high-quality teaching. In turn it hoped to promote and strengthen competition and enterprise in Cyprus, officials said.

"As we head towards Europe and a society and economy based more and more on know-how and innovation, Cyprus, with its strategic advantages is expected to find itself at the centre of technological and scientific developments. The Polytechnic School's primary aim is to prepare its students to take on leadership roles in an economy based on services, research and technology."

Students will be called on to question, research, plan and design their choice subject, in collaboration with leading professors from Europe and north America, fellow students, and industrial and research organisations.

"Some will have the opportunity to travel to other EU countries as part of a student exchange programme," said Alexandrou.

Each programme will be based on international academic prototypes, and tailored to meet local industrial requirements.

This school was independent of any other technical institute on the island, Alexandrou added. "It has nothing to do with the Higher Technical Institute that is primarily run by the Labour Ministry and is independent of the new Technical University being built."

For undergraduate entry, students have to sit exams in modern Greek, mathematics, physics and either chemistry, biology or technology. Architecture students will also have to pass exams in art and graphic communication. "Masters students and PhD students have to apply to the department directly, after determining there is a place, but will not have to sit any examinations," said Alexandrou.

[07] Wood Green 'terror lab': Cypriot neighbours react

By Jean Christou

APART from a few isolated cases of panic, Cypriots living near a suspected terrorist poison lab in north London were taking the shock story in their stride yesterday.

Six men of North African origin were arrested by British police on Saturday in connection with the discovery of a makeshift laboratory over a London pharmacy in the Wood Green area of the capital, where thousands of Cypriots live.

Small traces of the poison Ricin and ingredients and equipment for its manufacture, were discovered in the apartment, leading authorities to suspect the suspects were connected to a terrorist organisation.

Only minute amounts of the poison, which is extracted from the castor plant, are needed to kill through ingestion, inhalation or simply by physical contact. There is no known antidote for the poison, which, when inhaled, causes respiratory failure. When ingested or injected, it can cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms leading to massive fluid loss and organ failure. Ricin can cause death within days. Anyone with an undergraduate knowledge of chemistry has the skills to extract it and just one milligram can kill an adult.

Many residents of Wood Green reacted with alarm that a suspected terrorist cell had been in their midst, British newspapers reported yesterday.

Androulla Kyprianou, whose front door opened on to the police barrier around the flat's entrance, told one English paper the incident had changed her view of the area forever. Kyprianou, a 62-year-old grandmother who has lived in the areas for 38 years, said: "I am worried for my grandchildren and I want to sell the house and move away from here. I feel we have been put in a great deal of danger. I won't let my grandchildren visit for a while. It's a place where they should feel safe but now I feel awful."

A journalist at London Greek Radio (LGR) told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that they were one or two cases of Cypriots being worried about the incident, but for the most part people were not unduly concerned.

"Most of the reaction has not been out of the ordinary," the journalist said. "People continue to follow the news on the incident. The impression that has been created from this incident is far greater than the actual facts of the case. It could just be part of the creation of an atmosphere of panic to justify the war on terrorism."

He said the pharmacy over which the alleged laboratory was located was well known in the community and that it was possible the building itself may be owned and rented out by a Cypriot. 'We are looking into this possibility ourselves," he said.

A Cypriot student living a stone's throw from the pharmacy said neither he nor his friends were concerned. "I just passed outside there," the student said. "It's all very low key. There are a couple of cops outside and the pharmacy is closed with the shutters down. Everyone is going about their business and it doesn't seem to be making any real difference."

[08] Fast-track weddings to cost �90 more

COUPLES wanting to get married at just two weeks notice will have to pay �90 more than the usual fee for a civil wedding according to a new bill, reports said yesterday.

Civil weddings carried out less than 15 days after applying for a licence will cost �165, compared to the usual �75 fee. The proposal was put to the House Legal Affairs Committee this week.

Following EU harmonisation directives, the committee was asked to examine and regulate the law on civil marriages before the end of last year, AKEL deputy Agis Agapiou told the Cyprus Mail. But by Tuesday deputies had still not been able to agree on a number of final details and postponed voting on the new law until May this year. In fact, the committee was forced to call upon the Attorney-general's office to make new proposals concerning some of the issues, with special reference made to marriages carried out by small religious groups.

There was, however, almost unanimous agreement concerning a number of key issues: marriage could only take place between a man and a woman; civil wedding ceremonies could only be performed by mayors, members of the municipal council or people authorised to do so by appointment of the Cabinet; and faulty weddings would be considered null and void, although children born to the couple would be recognised as legitimate with their full rights in place.

Under the new law, any religious marriage ceremony carried out according to Greek Orthodox Church laws or other religious groups recognised by to the Republic's constitution (such as Maronites, Armenians and Roman Catholics) would be valid.

The new law will also tighten legislation on marriages of convenience. A Cypriot found guilty of marrying a foreigner purely so that they could stay in the country and obtain Cypriot nationality would be penalised harshly, the deputies agreed.

Furthermore no second marriage could be carried out if either partner had not been divorced in a civil court; blood relation marriages would be considered illegal; and the dissolution of a marriage could result from irrevocable differences between a couple after they had been separated for a period of five years or one of the two had abandoned the family home. Adultery, bigamy, the breakdown of spousal relations and a sex change would still be considered serious grounds for divorce, agreed the committee.

Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-01-09

Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

Thursday, January 9, 2003

CONTENTS

[01] Turkey says its ready to revise policy on Cyprus

[02] Anastassiades warns dissidents they'll have to shut up after Saturday

[03] Safety questions after Larnaca gas blast

[04] Deadlock over plans to move gypsies

[05] Traffic chaos warning as new ministry rumbles into life

[06] New polytechnic aims to prepare students for the new economy

[07] Wood Green 'terror lab': Cypriot neighbours react

[08] Fast-track weddings to cost �90 more

Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article