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December 27, 2000 Pancyprian Association for the Protection of Human Rights News Reports
URGENT APPEAL

Cypriot father-of-three Panicos Tsiakkourmas, forcibly abducted by the Turkish occupation forces and/or Turkish Cypriots being under the authority and/or command and/or control of the Turkish occupation forces on December 12. Tsiakkourmas, a building contractor, was on his way to Pergamos village, within the area of the British military Bases, to collect a number of Turkish Cypriot workers he employs on building sites.

The kidnapped man, a diabetic, is being kept in prison without medical treatment and on December 27th he was in urgent need of medical care.

It is strongly believed that following his abduction, Tsiakkourmas was taken to Tymbou illegal airport by the "Turkish security forces" who planted on him a fair amount of drugs with a view to incriminating him.

The 39-year-old Panicos Tsiakkourmas' case was committed to "trial" and he will remain in "police custody" until the "assize court" convenes sometime in February, said an UNFICYP's spokesman.

Both Britain and the Cyprus government believe that the Greek Cypriot was illegally abducted and "remanded" on trumped up drugs charges as a reprisal against the earlier arrest of Turkish Cypriot Omar Techoglu, 42, found in possession of 2 kilos of heroin on December 2. The Turkish occupation forces claim that Techoglu was "kidnapped" by Cypriot police in an illegal sting operation. He will stand trial on heroin smuggling charges on January 12.
"Our views are quite clear. All the evidence points in one direction and there is no suggestion that he (Tsiakkourmas) was in any way involved in drugs," British High Commission spokesman Jonathan Allen told AFP,following an investigation by the British authorities, including a forensic examination of Tsiakkourmas' car from which he was abducted.

September 27, 2000 Pancyprian Association for the Protection of Human Rights News Reports
The situation developed in New York regarding the Cyprus problem is in fact very dangerous for the future of Cyprus and its people.
The basis of the Cyprus issue is the 1974 Turkish aggression against the island and -
(a) the continuing occupation of 38% of its territory,
(b) the continuing Turkish refusal to permit the return of the displaced Cypriots to their homes and properties,
(c) the continuing mass, systematic, gross violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Cypriots by Turkey's military forces, as verified by international judicial bodies (including the European Court of Human Rights),
(d) the continuing Turkish refusal to give any information regarding the Cypriots missing since 1974,
(e) the application by Turkey of a policy of ethnic cleansing in the Turkish occupied areas, by forcing the Greek Cypriots who remained in such areas to flee to the government - controlled areas and by illegally(contrary to international law) bringing Turkish settlers to those areas.
Despite the above the United Nations, guided by the US and Britain, have created an artificial and highly illegal framework, within which the proximity talks on Cyprus are held. Such framework suggests that there are two state entities in Cyprus, i.e. the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot, which are equal and which constitute the parts for the establishment of a very loose confederation. This thesis turns the de facto illegal occupation of Cyprus into a de jure situation, contrary to the fundamental norms of international law.
It is my view that the solution to the Cyprus issue should not be based on any "compromise" or any procedure of "give and take". The principles of the United Nations, Europe and international law are the guidelines for such a solution. And it is a fact that the Turkish aggression against Cyprus is an international crime and/or a crime against humanity according to those principles.
What we, Cypriots, expect from the United Nations and the United States is very simple and easy. We expect them to act on their own proclamations regarding the international legal order and the protection of human rights. Nothing more, and ofcourse, nothing less.

August 30,2000 Pancyprian Association for the Protection of Human Rights News Reports
Report by the Pancyprian Association for the Protection of Human Rights
Two 23 years old Greek Cypriot students were kidnapped yesterday by the Turkish occupation forces near Strovilia area. The students were having their vacations at Agia Napa and they lost their way while driving to a nightclub at a nearby village.
The Greek Cypriot students were put under "custody" to be brought before the legally not existent "court" in the occupied areas of Cyprus.
The Turkish occupation forces refused permission to the United Nations Force in Cyprus to visit the two Greek Cypriots and take care of their welfare.No lawyer or relative of the two kidnapped is permitted to visit them and great concern is expressed for their health, their welfare and the safeguarding of their human rights.
It is reminded that the Turkish occupation forces have been recently advanced in the Strovilia area, expanding the Turkish occupation over a new area of Cyprus and the United Nations are handling the whole issue. _____________________________

July 18,2000 Pancyprian Association for the Protection of Human RightsNews Reports
On 17th July 2000, at 13:00 Cyprus local time (11:00 GMT), British tourists Roussel Lee Enet (30) and Cassandra Bacter were sailing in a speed boat in the Paralimni-Protaras area, (South-East coast of Cyprus). They realized that they lost their orientation and approached a vessel asking for help to return to Protaras.
The Turkish military personnel on board the vessel intentionally suggested the wrong direction, towards the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus. The British tourists followed the route suggested by the Turks but they saw Turkish flags on the coast and immediately turned back and sailed away.
Unfortunately, the Turkish military vessel started chasing them and the Turkish troops fired two shots in an attempt to arrest/kidnap the tourists, who managed to arrive to Protaras and filed a complaint with the Police.

July 6, 2000 Statement by the President of the Pancyprian Association for the Protection of Human Rights:
Speaking in Geneva, at yesterday's opening of the third round of the proximity talks on the Cyprus issue, U.N. Secretary General referred to "south", meaning the government controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus.
Mr. Annan should know that in the island of Cyprus there is only one state, the Republic of Cyprus, member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Commonwealth, and a candidate for accession to the European Union.
The northern part of Cyprus is under the military occupation of Turkey since 1974, following Turkey's aggression of the island. There is not any "state" or "state entity" in the northern part of Cyprus and this is verified by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Loizidou vs.. Turkey and the Report of the Commission in the fourth interstate appeal. Furthermore, The United Nations have repeatedly stated, directly or indirectly, that they only recognize one state in Cyprus, the Republic of Cyprus.
I believe that the U.N. Secretary General has a strict duty to safeguard the principles of the U.N. Charter and the rule of law. It is not permitted to the Secretary General to exercise "political acrobatics" with a view to applying his favored policy of "equal distances".
Cyprus suffers for so long and it is time for everyone, especially those who have the duty to apply international law, to exercise their good offices with a view to restoring the flagrantly violated by Turkey rule of law.

JULY 2, 2000 On 1st July 2000, Turkish troops have advanced from their "cease fire" positions, neutralizing the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and threatening small Greek Cypriots communities. This military action is taken only 4 days before the commencement of the third round of the talks to be held in Geneva, for the achievement of a solution to the Cyprus problem.

CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
London, Jul 1 (CNA) - US Senators and Members of Congress sent a letter to President Bill Clinton yesterday, asking him to give his utmost attention to and become fully involved in the upcoming crucial Cyprus settlement talks. The letter was signed by 81 of the 100 US Senators and 232 of the 435 members of Congress.

Nicosia, Jul 1 (CNA) - Manoel de Almeida e Silva, Deputy Spokesman of the UN Secretary-General, has expressed disappointment over the measures taken by Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, against the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Replying to questions during a briefing at UN headquarters yesterday, he said "we are disappointed with the measures taken", adding that "UNFICYP is evaluating the impact of these measures".

Nicosia, Jul 1 (CNA) - US permanent representative to the UN Richard Holbrooke has said he is not very optimistic on the outcome of the UN-sponsored Cyprus peace talks resuming next week in Geneva, while the British envoy for Cyprus Sir David Hannay has expressed cautious optimism. According to Reuters, speaking at a breakfast with business executives at the annual Crans-Montana forum held in Switzerland, Holbrooke said "I certainly hope there is progress but I am not very optimistic". Nicosia, Jul 1 (CNA) - The illegal regime in the areas of Cyprus occupied by Turkey since 1974 today opened some crossing points so that the UN Peace-Keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) can get to two of its camps that were inaccessible after measures were imposed against the Force. Yesterday, the puppet regime in the occupied north started implementing measures against UNFICYP forcing its soldiers to enter these areas only through a single point in the capital Nicosia, to insure their vehicles with Turkish Cypriot insurance companies and pay the illegal regime for the water and electricity they use.

JUNE 22, 2000 Here is a desperate appeal by AVRUPA, a newspaper published in the areas of Cyprus under Turkish occupation:
AVRUPA (22.6.00) publishes the following "Call to the Turkish Cypriot people": "The Ankara administration which in 25 years time has turned Northern Cyprus into a military base and occupation area has started an offensive to silence those who are resisting and demanding to live a humane life here. A new and major operation has been launched by Denktash - who enjoys the support of Ankara - to completely silence AVRUPA, which has become the voice and the spirit of our people. The disdainers sent by Denktash are getting ready to take away everything that belongs to AVRUPA. In the past those who waged the struggle that we are waging today were gunned down and killed. People like Fazil Onder, Ayhan Hikmet, Ahmet Gurkan, Kutlu Adali... All of them were annihilated because the wrote the truth in the newspaper columns. Their killers were never found. The Turkish government and Turkey`s Chief of Staff will be responsible for all the threats, oppressions and intimidations directed at or intended to be directed at AVRUPA and its journalists, because it is they who are ruling this land as though it is one of their provinces. Neither the Turkish President, nor the Prime Minister, nor the Chief of Staff can do away with this responsibility. It is unbecoming of a powerful Turkey, which is trying to be a EU member and is after modernization, to silence the patriots of this small island. It is time to say "STOP" to Denktash who has dragged our community to collapse. Come on Patriots and the Turkish Cypriot People! Let us resist together. This oppression and cruelty is not only directed against us, it is against all of us. Let us own our free will which is under occupation".

JUNE 17, 2000 Mayter Andre (40) from Switzerland and Yoursiger Ildiko (34) from Austria are having their vacations in Cyprus. On Saturday, June 17, at 09.00, while they were having fun riding their jet skies in the sea, East of Polis tis Chrysochous village in the Northern part of the island, they entered the waters near the village Kokkina which is under Turkish occupation. The Turkish troops opened fire against the tourists, firing more than 10 shots. The two tourists were arrested by the Turkish occupation forces and, after they were questioned by a Turkish military officer for nearly two hours, they were released. The two tourists were shocked and could not understand why they were shot and arrested while enjoying their sports.

JUNE 13, 2000 On June 13, there was a big fire in the area of Lefka village, in the part of Cyprus occupied by Turkish troops. The fire was burning out of control and reached the United Nations' controlled buffer zone. The Fire Service of the Republic of Cyprus immediately made representations to the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) to enter the buffer zone and fight the fire. Unfortunately, such action was denied by the Turkish occupation forces. As a result, a pine forest was burned out.

MAY, 2000 A boat was overturned due to a storm and a fisherman found himself in the sea, fighting for his life. Representations made by the coast-guard authorities for a vessel to urgently sail to the area, passing through the waters of the Turkish occupied village of Limnitis, was denied by the Turkish occupation forces. As a result, the fisherman was found dead next day.

September 3rd, 1999
ANOTHER BRUTAL MURDER OF GREEK CYPRIOT ENCLAVED
IN THE TURKISH OCCUPIED AREAS OF CYPRUS.

Another Greek Cypriot from the few remaining in their homes in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus was brutally murdered on Tuesday,

August 31st. The 69year-old farmer, Stelios Harpas, was found in his burnt-out car at 5 pm on Tuesday afternoon approximately 1km from Rizokarpasso village, in the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus. His charred remains were handed over to the Cyprus government on Friday, September 3rd.

Cyprus put part of the blame for the murder of the 69year-old enclave Greek Cypriot on the United Nations. UN Chief of Mission Dame Ann Hercus was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to be told that the government believes that “the mild manner in which the Secretary-General dealt with the issue of the enclaved in his last report provided the occupation regime with the opportunity not to give the issue the proper attention and not feel pressured.”

A government demand that a Greek-Cypriot pathologist be present at the post-mortem which took place in the occupied areas of Cyprus was denied by the occupation forces. Also denied was a request by Harpa’s children to go to their home in Rizokarpasso and mourn their father together with their shocked widow mother.
Such Turkish attitude was condemned by foreign diplomats and jurnalists as being incompatible with the substantial humanitarian help provided by Greece and Cyprus to the victims of the recent earthquake in Turkey. A foreign diplomat commented that "Turkey is unfortunately very far from understanding the fundamental values of the European civilization"!

Government Spokesman said that the government has asked the United Nations for a full report on the circumstance surrounding the murder.

The Cypriot Foreign Minister expressed in a statement his deep shock over the murder. He said that the occupation forces are responsible for the safety of the enclaved Greek-Cypriots in the occupied areas of Cyprus.