DATE=  11/9/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-222389

TITLE=CYPRUS MEETING PREVIEW (LONG)

BYLINE=AL PESSIN

DATELINE=JERUSALEM

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



INTRO:  PRESIDENT CLINTON'S SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CYPRUS, RICHARD 

HOLBROOKE, BEGINS HIS FIRST VISIT TO THE ISLAND MONDAY WITH 

TENSION BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY HIGH AND RELATIONS BETWEEN THE 

ISLAND'S GREEK AND TURKISH SECTORS SET TO BREAK DOWN EARLY NEXT 

YEAR IF SOME AGREEMENT IS NOT REACHED.  AL PESSIN REPORTS FROM 

NICOSIA ON THE ISSUES AND SHARPLY DIFFERENT POSITIONS THAT AWAIT 

MR. HOLBROOKE.



TEXT:  THIS SMALL ISLAND IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN HAS BEEN A 

POINT OF TENSION FOR MORE THAN 30-YEARS, WITH FIGHTING BETWEEN 

ITS MAINLY ETHNIC GREEK AND TURKISH SECTORS BOTH REFLECTING AND 

INCREASING TENSION BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY.  THAT TENSION 

NEARLY LED TO FIGHTING LAST MONTH WHEN TURKISH WAR PLANES 

CHALLENGED GREEK AIR FORCE PLANES DURING MILITARY MANEUVERS.



ON CYPRUS, THE SITUATION HAS BEEN GENERALLY TENSE FOR MANY YEARS,

VIOLENCE HAS BROKEN OUT FROM TIME TO TIME.  PRESIDENT CLINTON 

TRIED TO MEDIATE A SETTLEMENT EARLY IN HIS FIRST TERM, BUT 

FAILED.  NOW, IN HIS SECOND TERM, HE HAS APPOINTED THE VETERAN 

DIPLOMAT RICHARD HOLBROOKE -- THE MAN WHO MEDIATED THE 

SEEMINGLY-IMPOSSIBLE BOSNIA SETTLEMENT -- TO TRY TO DO THE SAME 

FOR CYPRUS.



MR. HOLBROOKE HAS ANOTHER DAUNTING TASK AHEAD OF HIM.



THE SOUTHERN, MAINLY GREEK, SECTOR OF THE ISLAND, KNOWN AS THE 

REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS, HAS APPLIED FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE EUROPEAN 

UNION, AND NEGOTIATIONS ON ITS ACCESSION ARE TO BEGIN IN APRIL.  

THE SMALLER, MAINLY TURKISH NORTHERN SECTOR, WHICH DECLARED ITS 

INDEPENDENCE IN 1974, SAYS IF THOSE TALKS START, ALL TALK OF 

REUNITING THE ISLAND WILL END.  THE GREEK SIDE HAS ALSO ORDERED 

RUSSIAN-MADE ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES FOR DELIVERY NEXT SUMMER, A 

MOVE THE TURKISH SIDE SEES VIRTUALLY AS AN ACT OF WAR.



THE NORTHERN SECTOR BROKE AWAY AFTER A BRIEF, BUT BLOODY AND 

BITTER, WAR WHICH FOLLOWED A GREEK-BACKED COUP AND A TURKISH 

INVASION, BUT ONLY TURKEY RECOGNIZES THE NORTHERN GOVERNMENT.



VARIOUS SETS OF NEGOTIATIONS IN THE 1970'S SET UP A FRAMEWORK FOR

RE-UNIFICATION, BASED ON A VAGUE CONCEPT CALLED BI-COMMUNALITY.  

BUT THE TWO SIDES HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO AGREE ON JUST HOW TO 

IMPLEMENT THAT IDEA.



A SOLUTION SEEMS NO CLOSER TODAY.  THE TURKISH SIDE, WITH ONLY 

18-PERCENT OF THE POPULATION, INSISTS ON EQUALITY IN A NEW 

CYPRIOT FEDERATION.  THE GREEK SIDE, IS RELUCTANT TO GIVE UP THAT

MUCH POWER.



MR. HOLBROOKE IS EXPECTED TO BRING THE GREEK-SIDE LEADER GLAFKOS 

CLERIDES AND THE TURKISH-SIDE LEADER RAUF DENKTASH TOGETHER ON 

TUESDAY, BUT NO QUICK SOLUTION IS EXPECTED.  



THE TWO ELDERLY LEADERS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN SIMILAR 

NEGOTIATIONS FOR MORE THAN 30-YEARS.  THEY BOTH SAY THEY WANT A 

SETTLEMENT, AND BOTH SIDES POINT TO THE EUROPEAN ISSUE AND THE 

MISSILES, AS NEW MOTIVATIONS.  BUT IN TWO RECENT MEETINGS MR. 

CLERIDES AND MR. DENKTASH HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE ANY 

PROGRESS, AND HAVE ACTUALLY INCREASED TENSIONS SOMEWHAT.  



MR. DENKTASH DESCRIBES THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED HOLBROOKE VISIT AS 

DESIGNED ONLY TO RE-ESTABLISH CONTACT, NOT TO HAVE SUBSTANTIVE 

DISCUSSIONS.  WHILE MR. CLERIDES SAYS HE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE 

FORWARD, HE IS FACING ELECTIONS IN FEBRUARY.   (SIGNED)  



NEB/AWP/RAE



09-Nov-97 3:09 PM EST (2009 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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