Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 98-06-11

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

Thursday, June 11, 1998

Missiles will come in the autumn

ALL DAILIES yesterday led with reports about the National Council meeting which discussed the issue of the S-300 missiles and the future handling of the Cyprus problem.

All reports suggested that the delivery of the missiles would be put back to October or November.

Simerini said that the government was studying the provisions of the missile sale contract to find a way of postponing the arrival of the missiles until autumn. The government's objectives were to minimise the pressure being applied by the US and also to protect tourism from potentially damaging alarmist stories about so-called heated incidents.

The Russian company that produces the missiles has denied Russian press reports suggesting the missiles had already arrived in Cyprus. The company told the paper it was ready to fulfil its contractual obligations and deliver the missiles between July and August.

Phileleftheros said that the National Council had taken very clear decisions, which "constitute a message with many recipients". It decided that the missiles would be deployed in October and also to refrain from making any public statements about defence issues.

With regard to the Cyprus problem, it would "adopt a stance of active waiting", until after the Cardiff summit and discussions for the renewal of Unficyp's mandate, before deciding whether to file a recourse to the UN General Assembly.

Machi under the headline, "National Council unanimously agrees news blackout on security issues", reported that the missiles would arrive in Cyprus in the autumn. It quoted Dr Lyssarides as saying that all previous decisions were valid as long as conditions remained the same.

Alithia said that the National Council decision came at a time when Turkey was stepping up its threats of retaliatory action.

Minister of Defence Ismet Sezgin warned that the deployment of the missiles would turn the eastern Mediterranean into a "powder keg". He said Turkey would do everything necessary if the missiles were deployed.

Haravghi said that Cyprus would closely monitor the UN Security Council discussions for the renewal of Unficyp's mandate, because Rauf Denktash could seek use this to upgrade the status of the pseudo-state. The government would be ready to face such a move.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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