[01] EU Ambassador answers to Kabaalioglu's accusations.

[02] Pr. Kabaalioglu criticises Gilles Anouil.

[03] The issue of title deeds for foreigners in the occupied area.

NEWS ITEMS

[01] EU Ambassador answers to Kabaalioglu's accusations

KIBRIS (1.2.96) publishes the text of a letter sent by the EU Ambassador to Cyprus, Mr Gilles Anouil, to the newspaper's publisher and director, Mr Mehmet Ali Akpinar, as an answer to a final instalment of a series of articles by Pr. Kabaalioglu, where the latter strongly criticises Mr Anouil. The letter is as follows: "Dear Mr Akpinar

I have just received a translation of Pr. Kabaalioglu's article published in your distinguished newspaper on 8 January 1996 as a final instalment of a series of articles by the same author, also published in "KIBRIS" on 5,6, and 7 January. I have not yet commissioned translations of these previous articles and, frankly speaking, I do not feel like it since his final instalment reveals a general attitude which I would prefer to ignore altogether. Why? Because Pr. Kabaalioglu, up to now a Turkish academic, appears to have decided to turn himself - at least in the said article - into a polemic resorting to the usual tricks of the trade, i.e. abuses. Let me select a few examples, quoting from the translation I have received. According to Pr. Kabaalioglu: * the views I expressed are "wrong and misleading (point 2 of the article); * I speak as if I were "a Greek Cypriot spokesman" (point 3); * I am trying "to hold negotiations on one of the most important issues to be taken up during the negotiations between the Greek and the Turkish Cypriot sides, thus mortgaging the course of the negotiations; it is an extremely distasteful behaviour" (point 3); my message is "distorting the realities" (point 3); * The concept of "European citizenship" raised by me, is "a means of throwing up dust in people's eyes" (point 7) - by the way, does Pr. Kabaalioglu know that a whole chapter of the Maastricht Treaty is devoted to Citizenship of the European Union and has become articles 8, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e of the revised Rome Treaty (see also attached a detailed brochure on this subject)?

On top of that, Pr. Kabaalioglu takes the liberty to quote - in a truncated and "misleading" way, to use his favourite vocabulary - a private conversation between him and me (point 8). I leave to your appreciation this kind of behaviour.

I could enumerate several other "misleading" statements by Pr. Kabaalioglu, concerning notably the role of the European Court of Justice in the implementation of provisions for Turkish Cypriot which would be incorporated in the treaty of accession of Cyprus to the EU. I explained it in my interview to "KIBRIS" published on 22 December 1995. By the way, without resorting to revelations about our private conversation, I must make absolutely clear that Pr. Kabaalioglu shared my assessment.

But the worst is to come. In point 11 of his article, Pr. Kabaalioglu pretends to know that I do not believe in some of the views I express and implies that, if I do so, it is because I fear that "the Greek senior bureaucrat at the directorate general I am working under might punish me during my next appointment". Such utterances are sheer slander. On top of that, they are stupid. Firstly, my director general is German, the deputy director general is French, and the director is Spanish. No Greek senior bureaucrat around. Secondly, my posting to Cyprus is the last one in my career with the European Commission, the next one being ... retirement, since I will have reached the age limit for active service.

By the way, in my previous career as a journalist for fifteen years (before joining the European Commission) we had an ethical rule - even sanctioned by a law in France - consisting in publishing in a particular newspaper the answering letter of a person whose honesty had been questioned by an article published in the said newspaper. I hope that "KIBRIS" share the same ethics and therefore I thank you in advance for bringing my letter to the knowledge of your esteemed readers."

[02] Pr. Kabaalioglu criticises Gilles Anouil

KIBRIS (1.2.96) reports that the President of the Lefka European University Prof. Haluk Kabaalioglu has stated that "Full membership in the EU cannot start before the solution of the Cyprus problem."

In a written statement yesterday, the professor said that the EU is an "above nations" Institution, and that member states cede some of their sovereignty to this institution.

Prof. Kabaalioglu said: "Full membership negotiations cannot start before settling the sovereignty issue in Cyprus".

In his statement, Prof. Kabaalioglu referred to his articles published in KIBRIS and said that EU Ambassador to Cyprus Gilles Anouil was exerting special propaganda efforts regarding the customs union agreement signed between Turkey and the EU. Pr. Kabaalioglu alleged that Ambassador Anouil was trying to demoralize and direct the public opinion by bringing a different interpretation to the Customs Union Agreement. He gives as an example Mr Anouil's statement to KIBRIS on 22 December.

He also criticised Ambassador Anouil's statement the other day during the panel discussion and claimed that Mr Anouil branded as scandalous" the statements made by him. He also criticised Mr Anouil's departure from the panel.

Prof. Kabaalioglu accuses Mr Anouil of "meddling with things that he does not know". "If he thinks that he will be able to direct TRNC and the Turkish Republic he is mistaken", claimed Kabaalioglu. He went on and claimed that "European ideals and European philosophy envisage scientific tolerance for free debate and search for the truth. However, Mr Anouil, with his one-sided attempts, with efforts to seminate misinformation, with behaviour and comments unbecoming of a diplomat, unfortunately is meddling with things he does not understand.

"This lack of tolerance to scientific truth by the esteemed representative of the Commission is unbecoming.

The problem emanates from the impasse created by the EU itself with Cyprus' full membership issue", he alleged. (MY)

[03] The issue of title deeds for foreigners in the occupied area

According to YENIDUZEN (2.2.96) a meeting took place yesterday at Denktash's office during which the title deeds issue for foreigners who owned property and remained in the occupied area following the Turkish invasion in 1974 was discussed.

YENIDUZEN says that the meeting was convened after a written request by the British High Commissioner to Cyprus, Mr David Madden.

Present at the meeting were Denktash, Mehmet Ali Talat, Atay Rasit, David Madden, deputy British High Commissioner Colin Jennings and Akin Said. Earlier, Hakki Atun had stated that the title deeds problem for foreigners, especially British people who own property and hold title deeds, should be settled quickly. He added that the issue reached the point that it could affect the occupied area's relations with the UK. (MY)