August 30, 1998

President Glafcos Clerides rejected on 31 August a Turkish Cypriot Proposal to resume peace talks with a view to establishing a Confederation in Cyprus as "unacceptable" because it is contrary to and defies UN resolutions on Cyprus.

The President, in a written statement from South Africa where he was attending the Non-Aligned Summit, also said the intention behind this proposal is to render an independent sovereign state into two protectorates, governed by unacceptable restrictions.

He called on the international community to respond in a direct manner to the new Turkish provocative action and described the claims that the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash put forward in his proposal as "absurd."

Mr Denktash, speaking earlier, on the same day, at a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem in occupied Nicosia, called on the Greek Cypriot side to accept the basis of "two sovereign and equal states" in Cyprus before negotiations for a settlement can begin.

He claimed that the structure he proposed was the "only structure" that would safeguard the security, the identity and the well being of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

"Under no circumstances can Mr Denktash's proposal form a basis for talks as it is unacceptable right from the start. It is also contrary to and contemptuous of the very resolutions of the UN on Cyprus and the high level agreements which Mr. Denktash himself has signed, " President Clerides said.

The proposal, he pointed out, also contravenes "the substance and the spirit of international law and all the international organisations which have deplored the Turkish side's attempt to question the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus."

Clerides said he "expects the international community to react directly to Turkey's new provocative action."

In his statement, the President notes that "it is obvious that the intention of the Turkish government and Mr Denktash is to turn Cyprus, from an independent and sovereign state, into two protectorates which will be subject not only to the unacceptable restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Guarantee but to other worse one-sided restraints and restrictions such as those included in the association agreement between Turkey and the occupation regime which has already been deplored."

The proposal, Clerides stresses, is "contrary to the high level agreements, the UN resolutions and in particular the recent Security Council resolution which affirms the basis for settlement talks."

The President also notes that Denktash repeats demands which he has made in talks so far and which "lead to a confederal solution in spite of the fact that the talks aimed at a federal solution."

"We have repeatedly denounced these absurd demands by Mr.Denktash to the Security Council, the UN Secretary-General and the international community in general, who have all expressed their strong objection to these," the statement concludes.

Greek Cypriot political party leaders also rejected the proposal by the Turkish Cypriot leader for what he calls a "Cyprus Confederation", which is tantamount to accepting the status quo of division and occupation of Cyprus.

Party leaders condemned Rauf Denktash's proposal which they described as provocative, unacceptable, cynical but not unexpected.

They also noted that the proposal was put forward in the presence of Turkey's Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, who paid an illegal visit to the Turkish occupied part of the island.

The Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides said that the the government, right from the start, condemned the terrorist actions against the US embassies and innocent people in Kenya and in Tanzania. "We always condemn unequivocally any form of terrorism" he said.

In a condolence telegram to US President Bill Clinton, President Glafcos Clerides condemned these terrorists acts and extended his sympathy to the victims' families.

Similar telegrams were sent by the Cyprus government to the presidents of Kenya and Tanzania.

House of Representatives President, Spyros Kyprianou strongly condemned the recent bomb attacks against the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and expressed the hope the perpetrators will be brought before justice.

Mr Kyprianou sent telegrams to US Vice President and Senate President, Al Gore, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, expressing aversion and shock with the bomb attacks.

In telegrams to Irish and British officials, House of Representatives President, Spyros Kyprianou and Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, say they hope that the perpetrators will be brought before justice.

A resolution on Cyprus, approved at the Forum's third session, expresses "full support to the basic human rights of the youth and the people of Cyprus, including the rights for free movement, settlement, property and mobility all over the island, on a free, unified, demilitarised Cyprus".

"We encourage all the young people of Cyprus, Greek and Turkish Cypriots, to develop communication channels to establish mutual understanding and cooperation," it adds.

The decision to prohibit the transportation of arms and military material to Yugoslavia was taken by the cabinet in August, at one of its weekly meetings.

The cabinet decision is in compliance with the Republic's international obligations, emanating from Security Council resolution 1160.

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