Cyprus division ‘an affront to civilised society’

GREEK Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday called the situation in Cyprus “an affront to the international community, to Hellenism and every notion of civilised society”. He was echoed by President Costis Stephanopoulos, who called the continuing Cyprus problem “an indication of the decadence of the civilised world”.In a statement marking the July 20 anniversary of the invasion 25 years ago, Simitis said that Greece would remain a guarantor of Cyprus’ security. He appealed to Turkey to understand that it was in its own interests to find a lasting settlement to the Cyprus problem.British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook yesterday told Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides at a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels that talks between the two communities on Cyprus should take place without preconditions. Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and Turkey demand recognition for the self-declared ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ before the resumption of intercommunal negotiations.Meanwhile, outgoing American Ambassador Kenneth Brill yesterday said that the US was determined to make every effort to get a comprehensive Cyprus problem negotiating process under way this autumn.Speaking after a farewell meeting with Clerides, Brill said that the US was engaged in a serious process and remained focused on the goals set out by the G8.”The work we are involved in is not a publicity exercise or a public relations exercise, but an exercise in serious quiet diplomacy that is not going to take place in public,” he said.Russian Ambassador Georgy Muratov said Moscow continued to support Cyprus and had “never been indifferent to the tragedy of the Cyprus people”.He said that Russia would take full advantage of its role as a permanent member of the Security Council to promote a fair solution to the Cyprus problem.The ambassador said that the G8 had encouraged the UN to take an initiative on the Cyprus issue and that Russia, as a member of the Security Council, had played a direct role in this.While making it clear that he was not making particular reference to Turkey, Muratov said that countries which continually ignored international opinion were usually dealt with in an effective way.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.