Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 98-07-02

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

Thursday, July 2, 1998

Diplomatic defeat for Turkey

THE TWO UN Security Council resolutions approved on Tuesday came under scrutiny in most of yesterday's papers.

Phileleftheros said the resolutions were a "defeat for Turkish diplomacy" as they constituted a rejection of the oral and written demands made by Rauf Denktash and his backers in Ankara.

While the resolutions - about the renewal of the Unficyp mandate and the good offices mission of the UN Secretary-general - were a repetition of previous UN positions, this repetition was a message to Ankara, which had tried to impose changes to the parameters of the peace talks.

Denktash had requested in writing that the UN should not refer to the Cyprus government, while recognising the Turkish Cypriot entity in the north. Nicosia and Athens expressed satisfaction with the resolutions.

Alithia reported that it was still uncertain whether Denktash would meet UN envoy Diego Cordovez, who is expected in Cyprus today. Meanwhile a statement by Turkey's Foreign Ministry said that the UN resolutions made a Cyprus settlement more difficult.

The UN, through its resolutions, was seeking the first step towards the demilitarisation of the island, the paper said. In the resolution about Unficyp, the Security Council repeated its call for an end to arms spending and a reduction of the number of foreign troops in Cyprus.

Simerini said that Denktash was threatening to take measures against Unficyp battalions stationed in the occupied territory. He had informed the ambassadors of the five permanent member countries of the Security Councils about his intentions.

Denktash had described the two UN resolutions as "unacceptable", as both "penalised" the Turkish Cypriots.

Machi, under the headline "Turkish invasion on July 20, 1998", said that Turkey would respond to the visit by Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos and the UN resolutions with a "diplomatic invasion".

Apart from President Suleyman Demirel, deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem as well as a host of high-ranking government and army officials would be flown to the north on July 20. The planes that would bring them, would be 'protected' by fighters of the Turkish air force.

Haravghi, in an exclusive report, said that Finance Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou had written a strongly-worded letter to Disy, complaining about the criticism of his tax package by Disy deputy Prodromos Prodromou.

Christodoulou had expected all Disy members to support his tax package. There is discontent within Disy regarding the government's attempts to stop party members from freely expressing opinions.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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