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Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 00-12-15

Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>


CONTENTS

  • [01] Seized Greek Cypriot `grabbed violently'
  • [02] We will go to Geneva, Cassoulides tells the UN
  • [03] Shipping department did not inspect deportation boat
  • [04] Villagers' terror as holes swallow trees
  • [05] Market back to square one
  • [06] Bases and UN step up security after arrest of Greek Cypriot
  • [07] Teachers set new strike for Tuesday
  • [08] Petrol prices could come down soon
  • [09] Savvides: time to move ahead on Health scheme

  • [01] Seized Greek Cypriot `grabbed violently'

    A GREEK Cypriot man seized by Turkish Cypriot `police' near Pergamos on Tuesday has a cut on his back and has complained that his ribs hurt, UNFICYP reported yesterday after one of their doctors visited him in custody in the occupied areas. The UNFICYP team visited Panicos Tsiakourmas, 39, after he was earlier remanded in custody for eight days accused of drug trafficking. Tsiakourmas, a diabetic, asked the UN for insulin, a change of clothes and for permission for his wife to visit, UNFICYP spokeswoman Sarah Russell said. Tsiakourmas reportedly said that since his arrest he had been well treated. However, all indications point to the father-of-three having been violently pulled from his car by a group of unidentified men, police sources said. Turkish Cypriot press reports said yesterday that after his arrest, Tsiakourmas had been examined at a hospital in occupied Nicosia and had registered excessive amounts of glucose in his blood and signs of inflammation in his lungs. The newspapers said he had been arrested by a team from the "anti-drugs squad" after being found in possession of 1.5 kilos of cannabis. Tsiakourmas, a building contractor, disappeared at around 6am on Tuesday on the road to the occupied village of Pergamos, which borders the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area (SBA). He was on his way to pick up six Turkish Cypriot workers to take them to Nicosia, as he did on a daily basis. His pick-up truck, its engine still running, was found within SBA territory, some 400 metres from the area controlled by Turkish troops. The car door was open and the headlights still on. Tsiakourmas' brother, who was also on his way to Pergamos to pick up five other Turkish Cypriot workers, spotted the empty car at about 6.15am. The Turkish Cypriot side claims Tsiakourmas was arrested inside the occupied areas, but police sources said his car was in fact stopped on the road inside bases territory and that he was bundled into another car, which drove straight to the occupied areas. The arrest has prompted the UN to step up security in Pyla, and the British bases said yesterday they had established a temporary control point in the vicinity of the SBA prison, to "provide reassurance to people within or legitimately moving through this area," a bases announcement said. Reports from Larnaca said the control point on the Pyla and Pergamos roads, would be manned on a 24-hour basis. UNFICYP from yesterday also increased its presence in the buffer zone village of Pyla by adding to its number of regular patrols. The increased measures by the bases and the UN show both are concerned over the incident and the suspicious nature of the arrest, but they are reluctant to comment until official investigations are completed. Sources in the UN and the bases said it is well known that drugs were being smuggled "both ways" through Pyla. However, they agreed this particular incident sounded "fishy", based on the evidence so far. "But how bad the smell is we don't know yet," said one source. The government is convinced Tsiakourmas was set up in retaliation over the arrest two weeks ago of Omer Tekoglu, a Turkish Cypriot who was picked up by police outside Pyla, allegedly in possession of two kilos of heroin. The Turkish Cypriot side issued a stark ultimatum for Tekoglu's release, saying that if Greek Cypriot police were engaging in a new policy of kidnapping suspects from the UN-controlled buffer zone, Turkish Cypriot police would respond in a similar manner. Unconfirmed reports yesterday suggested the Turkish Cypriot side had prevented workers crossing from the north yesterday, and that the workers had staged a demonstration to protest against the bar.

    [02] We will go to Geneva, Cassoulides tells the UN

    THE GREEK Cypriot side will be attending the sixth round of proximity talks in Geneva at the end of January, Foreign Minster Yiannakis Cassoulides confirmed yesterday. Until now, neither side has given an answer to the UN on its participation. The government has never indicated that it would not attend the talks, but said earlier it would not take a final decision until after the UNFICYP mandate had been approved. Cassoulides said yesterday the positive six-monthly report from UN Secretary-general followed by Wednesday's Security Council resolution had ensured the Greek Cypriot's side's participation. "After seeing the developments with regard to the resolution there is no reason for us not to take part," Cassoulides told a news conference yesterday. In renewing the six-monthly mandate of the UN force in Cyprus, UNFICYP, the Security Council refrained from satisfying Turkish Cypriot demands for a reference to its approval in the presence of the force on the island. In fact the Security Council took Turkish troops to task over measures imposed last June to restrict the movement of UN personnel, urging them to rescind the measures and restore the status quo at Strovilia. Last year, ostensibly to prevent access by UN troops to the north, Turkish troops moved their positions forward to encompass the tiny Greek Cypriot village, putting its residents within the occupied areas. Cassoulides said the Greek Cypriot side was pleased with the way the Security Council had responded to the Strovilia situation. He said it was the first time the Turkish forces had received a slap on the wrist in a mandate renewal. The government was also pleased that the Turkish Cypriot side's attempt to have the mandate altered to suit them hadn't worked. Cassoulides said President Clerides would soon make his position on the talks known to the UN Secretary-general. Commenting on Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash's threat not to attend the Geneva talks, Cassoulides said the government was closely watching developments. "We are watching calmly and not rushing every minute to discuss how Denktash is dealing with the issue," he said. "We don't know if he is going to go to the talks." Denktash has repeatedly said that, as far as the Turkish Cypriot side is concerned, the talks are over. On Tuesday, he was reported as saying that he would go to Geneva and talk with UN officials but not in the context of a sixth round. Opposition newspaper Avrupa said Denktash would tell the UN he was willing to take part as a "first round" of new talks on his terms. Yesterday, the Turkish Cypriot leader denied he had ever said such a thing. The Turkish Cypriot leader has still not said outright whether or not he will go to Geneva. In an interview with Reuters yesterday Clerides said that if Denktash did not go back to the talks, it would mean he did not want a solution to the Cyprus problem. He hoped at Ankara at least, given its EU aspirations, might now show a different attitude. Asked if he would like to renew his old acquaintance with Denktash, Clerides said: "it might be useful" in a social context where the Cyprus problem would not be discussed and they could talk like "two old friends". "At the moment, he is not willing even to stay at the same hotel as me in case he meets me in the lift. He is not likely to want to see me across the dinner table," Clerides said.

    [03] Shipping department did not inspect deportation boat

    THE BOAT which sank on Wednesday on its way back from a deportation shuttle to Lebanon had not been inspected by the Merchant Shipping Department, it emerged yesterday. The Royal Prince was returning from Beirut, where it had just dropped off 47 illegal immigrants, when it sank in heavy seas 67 miles from the coast of Larnaca. The vessel issued a distress call at 3am, saying it had lost power after its engine room flooded. The nine crew were safely rescued by two helicopters scrambled to the scene. On Wednesday, Merchant Shipping Department official Nicos Economides said the vessel had been inspected last summer and certified as sea worthy until October 31 this year. Economides added the ship was only certified to carry out passenger cruises along the coast of the island - no more than five miles out. The government, who had commandeered the boat, said the vessel had been inspected and pronounced seaworthy before its departure on Tuesday. But yesterday, sources in the merchant shipping department told the Cyprus Mail that no one from the department had inspected the boat before it took to the seas. An expert added that the vessel was not built to sail in force eight winds and heavy seas. "In theory, if the owner requested a permit to sail to Lebanon, most probably he would not get one, and if he did it would be under certain conditions," the expert said. Captains of such vessels should always check that weather conditions were good before attempting to sail, even if it was a short distance, he added. The 29-year-old captain of the 73-tonne Royal Prince had initially decided not to sail from Beirut because of the bad weather, but changed his mind and left from Lebanon at 6.30pm on Tuesday. A police patrol boat, which had escorted the ferry to Lebanon and was already on its way back to Cyprus, radioed the captain and advised him to return to Beirut. A police spokesman told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that it was not their job to check the condition of the ship. "Our duty was to escort the vessel with the immigrants to Lebanon," he said.

    [04] Villagers' terror as holes swallow trees

    STRANGE holes have swallowed up the ground near Pera Chorio, with villagers terrified their houses and property could be sucked out from under their feet. In the last few days, a 14-metre eucalyptus tree and two lemon trees from a local orchard have disappeared into the ground. The three gaping holes have defaced a ploughed field, a dirt track road and the local lemon orchard. One of the craters measures 15 metres by 8 metres. Villagers are afraid there could be worse to come. All those concerned are extremely worried and the local municipality has issued a circular. The curse has struck in the Yialias river valley between Nisou and Pera Chorio, on the riverbank opposite Pera Chorio village. The affected area covers 500 by 300 metres - and includes a flat field that construction teams were poised to develop. Indeed, those most fearful are people already planning to erect houses in the seemingly idyllic rural haven. One of the rifts lies just six metres from a plot of land recently given a building permit. The Geological Survey Department has fenced off the section of land branded as "high risk" to prevent children and animals straying into the danger zone. But although the department has been investigating the phenomenon since the land first caved in eight years ago, there's still no known way of preventing the phenomenon, other than filling the area with concrete - difficult because the affected area is so large. Investigations, however, have assured that the old village of Pera Chorio not at risk. "We are reassured that the built up area is not affected," director of the Geological Survey Department George Petrides told the Cyprus Mail. The phenomenon, called `karst', was first observed originated in a region of Yugoslavia. The sinkholes develop when underground water channels its way through certain rock formations. "Groundwater dilutes the rock, creating smaller and then larger openings like underground caves," said Petrides. When this happens to limestone (as it did in Yugoslavia) stalagmites and stalactites form in huge underground caves, large and impressive enough to become tourist attractions. But in Cyprus the affected rock is gypsum, which creates much thinner formations, not so much a tourist attraction as a public danger. In the river valley between Nisou and Pera Chorio, a very thick layer of gravel covers the gypsum. "When water runs through the gravel to the gypsum, it's as if the straw breaks the camel's back. The roof of the underground cave collapses and the soil rushes in," Petrides explained. To prevent future catastrophe, the district municipality has to ensure that detailed geological surveys are carried out before approving building permits. All investigators will have to submit their findings to the geological department for evaluation. "There is a possibility that if there aren't cavities everywhere, then they could build," Petrides said. But the fear is still latent. On the plot for which the permit has already been given, two boreholes were drilled and nothing was found. "It wasn't on the marked area, but to have the sinkhole six metres away is not going to make you feel comfortable," said Petrides. He said the Department would continue to investigate the problem until they came up with a solution. Similar phenomena have also been recorded in the Paphos district.

    [05] Market back to square one

    GAINS FROM Monday's five per cent surge were almost entirely wiped out yesterday when the all-share index lost another 2.15 per cent as pressure to liquidate continued to plague the market. Trading opened on negative territory some seven points down on Tuesday's 256-point close. The index managed to drag itself up to 253 in the first 15 minutes but plunged again to end at 250.53 points. Volume was also down at £15 million with losers outpacing gainers 131 to 32 and 49 companies remaining unchanged. The FTSE/CySE also lost, dropping 2.62 per cent mainly due to heavy pressure on five of its 20 blue chips, three of them in the banking sector, which slid an overall 2.66 per cent. Bank of Cyprus (BoC) gave up another 12 cents to close at £3.58 while Cyprus Popular Bank shed eight cents, ending at £3.53, and Hellenic Bank lost one cent to £1.45. BoC did slightly better on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) yesterday but only thanks to a last-minute rally. The share gained 0.44 per cent compared to increases on the general ASE index and that of the banking sector of 2.58 and 1.69 respectively. BoC shares ended at 2,280 (£3.81) after hitting an intraday low of 2,205 (£3.68) and trading well under Tuesday's levels until the last five minutes of the session. The most actively traded share on the CSE yesterday was GlobalSoft, after a quiet three days. The share traded on a volume of £3.28 million, one fifth of the day's total, but the stock slipped back eight cents to close at £5.13. Louis Cruise Lines also came under pressure coming out two cents lower at 50 cents after 1.6 million shares had been traded. Nicosia trader Demos Stavrides said quite a lot of investors were selling to clear their accounts by Friday when brokers would no longer be accepting orders without cash up front. He also said that despite a 20 per cent increase in the index over the past eight days, investors were still unsure whether the market had stabilised or not. "Today's session showed that the 250-point level is quite a strong one," he said. `Maybe it really is time to invest." Stavrides said they expected a further slide in the index on Friday at least in the beginning. "We are likely to see a drop at the start of trading but we might end with a small increase by the end of the day," he said.

    [06] Bases and UN step up security after arrest of Greek Cypriot

    A GREEK Cypriot man seized on Tuesday near Pergamos by Turkish Cypriot `police' was yesterday remanded in custody in the north for eight days accused of drug trafficking. Contractor Panicos Tsiakourmas, 39, disappeared at around 6am on the road to the occupied village of Pergamos, which borders the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area (SBA). He was on his way to pick up six Turkish Cypriot workers to take them to Nicosia. The pick-up truck, its engine still running, was found within SBA territory, some 400 metres from the area controlled by Turkish troops. The car door was open and the headlights still on. Tsiakourmas' brother, who was also on his way to Pergamos to pick up five other Turkish Cypriot workers, spotted the empty car at about 6.15am. The Turkish Cypriot side claims Tsiakourmas was found in possession of some 1.5 kilos of cannabis. They say he was arrested inside the occupied areas. UNFICYP personnel, including a doctor, were allowed to visit Tsiakourmas yesterday afternoon. The incident has prompted the bases and the UN to step up security in the area. The bases said yesterday they had established a temporary control point in the vicinity of the SBA prison, to "provide reassurance to people within or legitimately moving through this area," a bases announcement said. UNFICYP from yesterday also increased its presence in the buffer zone village of Pyla by adding to its number of regular patrols. Although the UN does not have powers of arrest in the mixed village under its control, police from both sides are required to alert UNFICYP personnel as to what they are doing. The increased measures by the bases and the UN show both are concerned over the incident and the suspicious nature of the arrest, but they are reluctant to comment until official investigations are completed. Until then all they have to go with are the word of the Greek Cypriot man against that of Turkish Cypriot `police'. Sources in the UN and the bases said it is well known that drugs were smuggled "both ways" through Pyla. However, they agreed this particular incident sounded "fishy" based on evidence so far. "But how bad the smell is we don't know yet," said one source. The government is convinced Tsiakourmas was set up in retaliation over the arrest two weeks ago of Omer Tekoglu, a Turkish Cypriot who picked up by police outside Pyla, allegedly in possession of two kilos of heroin. The Turkish Cypriot side issued a stark ultimatum for Tekoglu's release, saying that if Greek Cypriot police were engaging in a new policy of kidnapping suspects from the UN-controlled buffer zone, Turkish Cypriot police would respond in a similar manner. DIKO deputy Nicos Cleanthous told reporters at the House yesterday he had information that Tsiakourmas was actually on bases territory when he was arrested. However, this could not be confirmed since only his vehicle was found in the area. Unconfirmed reports yesterday also suggested the Turkish Cypriot side had prevented workers crossing from the north yesterday, and that the workers had staged a demonstration to protest against the bar.

    [07] Teachers set new strike for Tuesday

    By a Staff Reporter HIGH school teachers yesterday announced another 24- hour strike for Tuesday as the Education Ministry stood firm in its refusal to negotiate until the unions suspend their action. The announcement came after a national meeting of Teachers' union OELMEK in Limassol. It added union members had instructed their committee to call any action they felt necessary, but also to negotiate with the Ministry. Education Minister Ouranios Ioannides yesterday repeated his insistence that he would not negotiate under the threat of further action. "Our hands are tied as OELMEK will not let us enter any dialogue. The problem is clear, and that is that we are not prepared to risk (raising secondary school teachers' salaries), which would cause a storm of reactions in the public sector and put primary school teachers up in arms again." Responding to criticism that the Ministry had not handled the issue properly from the start, Ioannides said: "The opposite happened, everything we did was an attempt to prevent a crisis."

    The spat began when primary school teachers went on strike demanding pay rises to bring them into line with secondary school teachers. This caused the secondary teachers to react, asking for an upgrade in their salary status to maintain the gap with primary school teachers.

    [08] Petrol prices could come down soon

    By a Staff Reporter MOTORISTS could be looking at fuel price cuts of up to five cents by the end of the year, the House Commerce Committee heard yesterday. Speaking before the committee, Trade and Industry Minister Nicos Rolandis said that based on the price regulation mechanism currently in place, there could be cuts in fuel prices of up to five cents per litre by the end of the month. The committee discussed the issue of importing, refining, and marketing fuel. Committee Chairman, DISY deputy Demetris Sylouris said the system regulating fuel prices would have to change with the island's accession to the European Union. He wondered how consumers would be protected when the system changed, since price liberalisation would allow companies to change fuel prices at will. Rolandis said there was no way consumers would remain unprotected because the ministry - come price liberalisation - would define a ceiling price on fuel.

    This will be the highest selling price in accordance with fuel prices in other European countries.

    [09] Savvides: time to move ahead on Health scheme

    By a Staff Reporter HEALTH Minister Frixos Savvides said yesterday that all the parliamentary parties had agreed it was vital to expedite the implementation of the planned National Health Scheme. Under the scheme, all employees would have to contribute to the plan, irrespective of existing medical provisions they might enjoy under other schemes. The scheme faces determined opposition from civil service union PASYDY, which wants free medical care for civil servants. It is also resisted by the Bank Employees' Association, which wants its members excluded from the plan, saying the health provisions they have as bank employees are sufficient. Speaking after a closed House Health Committee meeting yesterday, Savvides said the parties unanimously agreed that the procedures needed to be accelerated. He added that three parties - DISY, KISOS, and the United Democrats - agreed with the scheme as it was and were ready to vote for it. AKEL has voiced opposition to provisions within for the plan, charging the government with ultimately planning to privatise hospitals, something which PASYDY also claims. But Savvides has repeatedly rejected the charge, saying the scheme would privatise nothing. Instead it provides for economisation and autonomisation by making each state hospital responsible within the state system for its own budget, hiring and firing, purchase of supplies and so on. PASYDY resists the plan because, it claims, civil servants have a right to free medicine and they do not want to pay for it. But according to the legislation drafted in 1948, civil servants are already obliged to pay a small fraction for medical treatment, in relation to their earnings. At the time, this amounted to 25 cents per night in hospital. Over the years, public service salaries have soared, but the contribution has remained the same. As for bank employees, Savvides says their health scheme is good for flu or coughs, but when it comes to serious illnesses such as cancer, leukaemia, or heart disease, the government is footing the bill. "The plan is designed to cover everyone," Savvides said yesterday. "If someone has a better one then I would accept it," he added. The minister said that it the plan was approved by the House it would take around five years to be fully implemented.

    Cyprus Mail 2000


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