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/ Speculation on US initiative
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DETAILS about the planned US initiative on Cyprus were revealed yesterday
as speculation mounted about the next diplomatic move.
Alithia, quoting diplomatic sources, reported
that the initiative would be announced by President Clinton during the
Organisation for Co-operation and Security in Europe (OSCE) summit that
will be held in Istanbul in mid-November. Clinton wants to make the
announcement while in the region, but will only go ahead if there are
indications that Turkey had abandoned its intransigent positions.
In the time leading up to the summit, according to the paper's source,
diplomatic efforts would be made "to put together the different bits of the
mosaic" and the finished picture would provide the basis for the US
initiative.
The paper also reported that the new American diplomatic team for Cyprus
was being put together. Clinton is expected to appoint former senator
George Mitchell, who played a prominent role in the Irish peace process, as
his special envoy to Cyprus. US ambassador to Turkey, Mark Paris, will be
appointed special co-ordinator for Cyprus at the State Department on his
return from Ankara this summer.
_Haravghi
_ took a more negative line on the planned initiative, claiming that the US
and Britain, "through co-ordinated moves", were working to impose a "loose
confederation" as a solution to the Cyprus problem. It was within this
framework that they were attempting to exclude any reference to UN
resolutions in a document on Cyprus to be issued at the G8 summit.
It said that the resumption of the intercommunal talks - scheduled for
September - would have to be put back as there were still many problems.
Apart from the war in Yugoslavia, there was still political instability in
Turkey and the US was unwilling to pressure Ankara.
_Phileleftheros
_ reported that the Greek government had warned its EU partners that any
obstacle raised in Cyprus' EU accession course would have consequences on
the Union's enlargement. This was Athens' reply to an attempt by France and
Britain to exclude Cyprus from the talks with the other five applicant
countries that would close the chapter on the Common Foreign Policy and
Security Policy.
This issue had not been raised at official meetings, but had been brought
to the attention of the Greek delegation in Brussels by the German
presidency which wanted to gauge Athens' reaction. Greece had in the past
thwarted attempts by EU countries to delay Cyprus' accession course.
_Machi
_ said that problem raised by France, Britain and Germany was "Europe's
revenge" against Cyprus for the anti-Nato resolution passed by the House
and for the latter's refusal to approve the EU embargo against Yugoslavia.
It quoted House president Spyros Kyprianou as saying that the parties in
House would not change their position.
_Simerini
_ described the government's decision to refuse entry to Cyprus last
Saturday to the Serbian Minister without Portfolio Bugoljub Karic as a
"hostile act against Serbia". Political and legal circles told the paper
that the sanctions imposed against Yugoslavia by the EU were not legally
binding for Cyprus.
Legal circles added that the EU sanctions against Yugoslavia were for EU
member countries to implement and not for applicant countries like Cyprus,
"as the government had misleadingly claimed".
_Politis
_ carries a report of Rauf Denktash's 'court' appearance in the occupied
territory. During his cross examination, Denktash, who had sued Avrupa
newspaper, claimed that his involvement in the Turkish Cypriot terrorist
organisation, TMT, was political and that he had never given orders for the
murder of anyone.
© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999
