From: hrcoord@igc.org (Human Rights Coordinator)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.greek
Subject: CYPRUS: LEADERS WELCOME REPORT ON T
Date: 7 Apr 92 16:29:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: igc.1473100040
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1473100040:000:4724
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Apr  7 09:29:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: CYPRUS: LEADERS WELCOME REPORT ON T

/* Written  9:03 pm  Apr  6, 1992 by newsdesk in
cdp:ips.englibrary */ Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all
rights reserved.  Permission to re- print within 7 days of
original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: CYPRUS: LEADERS WELCOME REPORT ON TURKISH HUMAN RIGHTS
ABUSES

nicosia, apr 3 (ips) -- cypriot leaders and human rights activists
friday welcomed a report by the council of europe which said
turkey has committed gross violations of human rights in cyprus.

they stressed the political significance of the report, approved
by the council of europe on thursday, and called it a ''slap'' and
a ''hammer blow'' against turkey.

it took seven years for the european human rights commission to
issue its report on cyprus state's application against turkey,
filed in 1977, and almost nine years for the committee of
ministers of the council of europe to release the report.

the report, which followed a proposal by the swiss presidency of
the committee, coincided with worldwide condemnation of human
rights violations against the kurdish people by turkish security
forces.

this is the third cyprus application against turkey. the first two
were filed in 1975 and 1976. in both cases, turkey was found
guilty of mass violations of human rights in the country.

but although cyprus has secured three reports condemning turkey,
the council of europe has been unable to impose sanctions against
it. both countries are members of the council.

turkey has occupied one-third of the island's territory since
1974. some 200,000 greek cypriots have been forcibly uprooted from
their homes in the wake of the turkish invasion. a total of 1,619
have been listed as missing persons.

in the past, president george vassiliou and foreign minister
george iacovou had accused european ministers of delaying decision
on turkey's record of human rights violations in cyprus for
''political expediencies''.

in a statement friday, vassiliou said the findings of the report
were of ''great political significance'' and described the report
as a ''hammer blow'' against turkey.

government spokesman akis fantis said the report was a ''slap''
against turkey's policy on cyprus and an ''irrefutable evidence''
of gross violations of human rights in cyprus by turkey.

an official press release called it ''a heavy moral and political
blow by europe against the occupying forces, making turkey
responsible for the unacceptable perpetuation of the drama of the
missing and displaced persons, and for the continuing mass
violations of the rights and freedoms of the cypriot people''.
(more/ips)

cyprus: leaders welcome report on turkish human rights
abuses(2-e)

cyprus: leaders (2)

greece has also welcomed the report, saying it was a ''clear
condemnation'' of turkish violations of human rights on the
island.

a statement issued friday by the greek foreign ministry said the
report ''undoubtedly proves the particularly negative records of
turkey in the field of human rights''.

the attorney-general of cyprus, michael triantafyllides, told a
local radio station the report was a ''tremendous document'' of
moral and political significance.

he expressed confidence that it would have a great impact in the
new europe, which had been affected by the ''sweeping winds of
freedom, democracy and protection of human rights''.

he said the new europe stretching from the urals to the atlantic
ocean no longer tolerates the violation of human rights, citing as
an example germany's reaction to the violation of the rights of
the kurdish people by turkish security forces.

human rights organisations in cyprus said it was obvious that
turkey no longer had a place within the council of europe.

but the international association for the protection of human
rights expressed regret that no sanctions were imposed against
turkey.

the european human rights commission found turkey guilty of
violating three articles of the european convention of human
rights regarding missing persons, refugees, family and property.

the commission said it had found sufficient evidence that missing
greek cypriots were ''unlawfully deprived of their liberty'', and
turkey has failed to account for the fate of these persons, in
violation of article 5 of the convention.

on the displacement of persons and separation of families, the
commission said turkey violated article 8 by its continued refusal
to allow over 170,000 greek cypriots to return to their homes and
family members in northern cyprus.

the commission also found turkey guilty of violating article 1 of
protocol 1 by depriving greek cypriots of their possessions.
(end/ips/hr/gp/ln/92)