FAS | News | Cyprus |||| Index | Search |

1998 Cyprus Special Weapons News

• SECRETARY-GENERAL PLEASED BY PRESIDENT CLERIDES' DECISION NOT TO DEPLOY S-300 MISSILES ON CYPRUS 30 December 1998 Press Release SG/SM/6854
• CYPRIOT MISSILES Voice of America 24 December 1998 -- POLITICAL LEADERS IN CYPRUS HAVE DELAYED A DECISION ON WHETHER TO TAKE DELIVERY OF A CONTROVERSIAL RUSSIAN-MADE MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM. TURKEY HAS THREATENED TO DESTROY THE MISSILES IF THEY ARE DELIVERED.
• TEXT: CLINTON SEPT. 22 LETTER TO CONGRESS ON SITUATION IN CYPRUS USIA 22 September 1998 -- Clinton noted that "landings of combat aircraft on Cyprus by Greece and Turkey in mid-July escalated tensions in the region.... Despite this, we intensified our efforts to restart the negotiating process."
• Repas - S-300 purchase Athens, Jul 29 (CNA) -- Greece reaffirmed today that the purchase of the S- 300 anti-aircraft missile system by the Cyprus government was a joint decision within the framework of the defence pact between the two countries.
• Russian ambassador - Missiles Nicosia, Jul 28 (CNA) -- Russian ambassador in Nicosia, Georgi Mouradov, today called for an end to pressure on the governments of Cyprus and Russia, to postpone or cancel the deployment of the S300 surface-to-air missile system on the island. "No self-respecting country will give in to pressure," Mouradov said, after a meeting with Under-Secretary to the President, Pantelis Kouros.
• TRANSCRIPT: AMB. MILLER REMARKS TO PRESS ON ARRIVAL ON CYPRUS 23 July 1998
• TURKEY / CYPRUS Voice of America 20 July 1998 -- PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ DESCRIBED GREEK CYPRIOT PLANS TO SOON DEPLOY RUSSIAN-MADE SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILES AS HIGHLY DANGEROUS. NATO SECRETARY GENERAL JAVIER SOLANA SAID NATO WOULD BE PREPARED TO MONITOR A NO-FLY ZONE OVER CYPRUS. GREECE AND THE GREEK CYPRIOT ADMINISTRATION SAY THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE RUSSIAN-MADE S-300 MISSILES COULD BE CANCELLED, IF A NO-FLY ZONE WERE DECLARED.
• Russia - missiles - assurances, Jul 19 (CNA) -- Russia has given assurances that it would be impossible to violate its agreement with the Republic of Cyprus on the purchase of the S-300 Russian anti-aircraft missile system. State Duma Speaker Gennady Seleznyov said the system will not be deployed if sufficient progress is made on the Cyprus problem, leading to the complete demilitarisation of the island.
• Mouradov - S-300s, Jul 17 (CNA) -- Russian ambassador to Cyprus, Georgi Mouradov, today said an "artificial fuss" has been created on the issue of the S-300 air defence missile system by all those who oppose its deployment on the island, later this year. He also assured Russia will not yield to pressure and will honour its obligations, deriving from the contract signed January 1997 with the Cyprus government, for the sale of the S-300s.
• Israel - S300 - Denial, Jul 17 (CNA) -- The Israeli Defence Ministry has denied reports in the Turkish media claiming that Israel would consider attacking the defence missiles Cyprus has purchased from Russia.
• CYPRUS / PENTAGON Voice of America 16 July 1998 -- PENTAGON SPOKESMAN KEN BACON SAYS GREEK CYPRIOT PLANS TO BUY SOPHISTICATED ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES FROM RUSSIA ARE A STEP IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. HE SAYS THE 'S-300'S' INCREASE TENSIONS ON THE ISLAND AND MAKE THE GREEK CYPRIOTS LESS SECURE.
• PENTAGON SAYS AEGEAN PEACE, STABILITY A PRIORITY By Susan Ellis USIA 16 July 1998 -- One of the proposals that the U.S. has made is a voluntary moratorium on military air flights on that island.
• RUSSIA / CYPRUS Voice of America 13 July 1998 -- RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN AND VISITING CYPRIOT PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES HAVE REAFFIRMED A CONTROVERSIAL DEAL TO SUPPLY THE DIVIDED ISLAND WITH RUSSIAN ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES.
• Russia - Cyprus - missiles by Maria Myles Moscow, Jul 13 (CNA) -- Cyprus and Russian Presidents have confirmed the two countries' readiness to go ahead with the implementation of an agreement for the delivery of Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air to Cyprus. The Cyprus government signed a contract with Russian manufacturers in January 1997 for the purchase. They are scheduled to be deployed later this year.
• Cyprus arms race hots up BBC News Online Friday, July 10, 1998 - Turkey will deploy missiles of its own in northern Cyprus if the Greek-Cypriot government goes ahead with its plans to deploy advanced ground-to-air missiles on the island. Turkey says the Greek-Cypriot missiles, which are due to be delivered later this year, pose an unacceptable threat. They have a range of 90 miles (145 km), which, Turkey says, would threaten its own airspace as well as northern Cyprus's.
• Cypriots test new missiles in Russia By Phil Reeves The Independent (Jul. 10) Cypriot servicemen yesterday tested the S-300 system by launching missiles at dummy rockets flying over a remote Russian firing range at the north end of the Caspian Sea.
• DoD News Briefing Apostolos-Athanasios Tsokhatzopoulos July 8, 1998 -- Secretary Cohen: We think it would be a mistake for the Cypriots to deploy the S-300. We think that that would only add to tensions, rather than decrease them.
• S-300s will mot harm anybody, says Russian ambassador Nicosia, Jul 6 (CNA) -- Russian Ambassador to Cyprus, Georgi Mouradov, stressed that the Russian-made S-300 missile system is a defensive weapon, adding that no Turkish Cypriot or Turk, nor their property, will endure any harm from the system.
• Progress may halt delivery of missiles Jul 3 (CNA) -- Deputy Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department on Information and the Press, Valery Nesterushkin, said the Russian-made S-300 missiles may not be deployed in Cyprus, "if there is a breakthrough in the Cyprus peace process" or if the demilitarisation of the island is "put on a practical plane".
• Greeks move to defuse Cyprus missile threat by Tony Banks The Irish Times June 28 1998 -- In a letter to Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary-general last week, the president of Cyprus, Glafcos Clerides said he would "reconsider the issue of non-importation of new weapons systems to Cyprus provided that progress is made" towards demilitarisation of the island.
• Russia reaffirms position on S300s, Jun 10 (CNA) -- Russia has reaffirmed its decision to deliver the S300 defensive system to Cyprus as agreed, stressing this is not the reason for the deadlock in the Cyprus problem.
• Russian ambassador describes "Sunday Times" report "malicious", Jun 1 (CNA) -- The Russian Ambassador to Cyprus, described today as "malicious" a report by the "Sunday Times" over British plans in case of war in Cyprus, because of the deployment later this year of the Russian- made defensive system S-300.
• Missiles report - Government view, May 31 (CNA) -- The "Sunday Times" reported today that Britain is planning the biggest airlift since the World War II because of fears over war in Cyprus.
• Kasoulides says S-300 will come since deadlock remains, May 29 (CNA) -- Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides stressed today that since the deadlock in the Cyprus problem remains the Russian-made S- 300 defence missile system will be deployed on the island.
• Missiles deployment, Turkish threats "bad", says US envoy, May 26 (CNA) -- The US believes that Turkish threats for a pre- emptive strike against Cyprus are just as unproductive as the deployment of Russian anti-aircraft missiles in Cyprus, US State Department Cyprus Coordinator Thomas Miller said here today.
• S-300 deployed unless agreement on demilitarisation, May 7 (CNA) -- The government sticks to its firm position that anti-aircraft missiles will be deployed in Cyprus unless there is sufficient progress towards a negotiated settlement or an agreement for the demilitarisation of the island.
• U-S / CYPRUS VOA 29 April 1998 THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION IS EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT REPORTED RUSSIAN PLANS TO DELIVER ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES TO THE GREEK CYPRIOT GOVERNMENT LATER THIS YEAR.
• [EXCERPTS] DoD News Briefing 28 April 1998 - We believe that the answer to solving the issues raised by the possible purchase of Russian air defense missiles in Cyprus is that those missiles should not be purchased and deployed there.
• [EXCERPTS] WHITE HOUSE DAILY BRIEFING 29 April 1998 - CYPRUS - MCCURRY: We certainly would like to see a solution that would prevent the introduction to the island of missile technology that we think would be destabilizing.
• EU: ENLARGEMENT WITH THE CYPRUS 'TIME BOMB' USIA Foreign Media Reaction Report April 9, 1998
• [EXCERPTS] U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING MONDAY, MARCH 30, 1998, US Position on the Transfer of S-300 Missiles to Cyprus
• Statement by the Foreign Minister of Cyprus Regarding the S-300 Missiles March 18, 1998 "We explained under which conditions we could re-examine the issue. These would be either the establishment of a procedure leading to peace or a dialogue on the reduction of forces leading to demilitarization, or both."
• CYPRUS TALKS VOA 3/10/98 - INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO REUNITE THE DIVIDED MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND OF CYPRUS ARE GATHERING PACE.
• TEXT: CLINTON LETTER TO CONGRESS ON CYPRUS QUESTION US Information Agency 14 January 1998 (Intense effort exerted to effect a settlement)

FAS | News | Cyprus |||| Index | Search |