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/ Clerides 'bitter' over developments
/
THE AFTERMATH of the meeting between President Clinton and Prime Minster
Bulent Ecevit continued to dominate the front pages yesterday, with
disappointment being the overriding sentiment.
_Politis
_ claimed that President Clerides had been cheated by the Americans.
Information from the US suggested that Clerides was "very unhappy and
bitter" because the Americans had not kept the their promise to put
pressure on Ecevit to change Ankara's stance with regard to the Cyprus
peace efforts. Members of the government could not understand why this had
happened, particularly after receiving assurances from senior US officials
including the Secretary of State.
The paper's correspondent in the US reported that a "diplomatic drama
unfolded", immediately after Ecevit's departure from the White House.
Deputy Secretary of State Mark Grossman, presidential envoy Alfred Moses
and the State Department's co-ordinator for Cyprus Thomas Weston kept
calling Clerides and Foreign Minister Ioannis Cassoulides to explain what
had happened. Clerides did not accept the explanations, the paper said.
_Haravghi
_ said that the US had once again "disappointed the Cypriot people" who had
been hoping for an intervention from Clinton that would have broken the
deadlock. The eagerly-awaited Ecevit-Clinton meeting produced no
substantial result for Cyprus, with the US not even using its influence to
secure a change in Turkey's policy.
It quoted Akel general secretary Demetris Christofias as saying that his
fears -- "that the US priority was to help Turkey's drive to gain EU
candidate status" -- were well-founded. He also criticised the US because,
instead of condemning Turkey's intransigence, it was condoning it.
_Phileleftheros
_ reported that Turkey was "very happy with Clinton", while Ecevit had
claimed that the US had shown understanding for his positions on Cyprus.
The paper claimed that Ecevit had scuppered the plans for the Cyprus peace
process by securing a postponement of the sending of invitations to talks
by the UN and initiating another round of proximity talks.
Ankara and Rauf Denktash were very happy with the outcome of Ecevit's
talks. Denktash welcomed the US decision to send presidential envoy Alfred
Moses to Ankara, Nicosia and Athens in order to establish whether there "is
a basis for negotiations to be held". Informed sources said that Moses'
tour would put back the start of direct negotiations.
_Alithia
_ said that the US was involved in a damage limitation exercise after the
reaction to the Ecevit-Clinton meeting. Information that Ecevit supported
Denktash's refusal to attend talks based on the guidelines set by G8, and
that Clinton had not applied any pressure provoked a "storm of reaction in
Athens and Nicosia".
This prompted the State Department spokesman and US ambassador in Cyprus to
voice their country's support for the G8 guidelines and for a federal
settlement.
_Simerini
_ reported that President Clerides had been "set up" for a humiliation by
CNN, which referred to him as the Greek Cypriot (instead of the Cyprus)
president during a TV interview. Clerides did not react when addressed as
the "Greek Cypriot president" by the interviewer, the paper said.
It said that the standard practice would have been for the president's
advisors to have discussed with the producers of the show how Clerides
would be addressed. Only Clerides could give an explanation about his
downgrading by the station.
_Machi
_ claimed that members of the underworld had set up an operation that
"renewed" the work permits of cabaret artistes, with the use of forged
seals and documents, for large amounts of money. CID is investigating the
case in which members of the police force and politicians are allegedly
involved.
© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999
