Annan III: the key points

By a Staff Reporter

REPORTS emerged yesterday on the details of UN Plan 3, with Secretary-General Kofi Annan expected on the island tomorrow for one last push for a settlement.

Although the amended plan has not been officially submitted, the reports were based on an informal document presented by UN special envoy Alvaro de Soto.

Overall, the latest arrangements reduce the territory to come under Greek Cypriot administration, although this is partly compensated by the cession of a substantial part of the British bases, and by the return of villages around Morphou and Famagusta, allowing the return of more refugees under Greek Cypriot administration.

According to the reports, the Karpas peninsula in the north will remain under Turkish Cypriot administration; the area will retain its status as agreed in Vienna III, and will therefore not be subject to the UN' plan's arrangements regarding the return of refugees. Under Plan 2, the Karpas would have come under Greek Cypriot administration.

The loss of Karpas is compensated by additional areas west of Famagusta and around the Gulf of Morphou; in total, this will allow for the return of 2,700 more refugees, while an additional 15 villages come under Greek Cypriot administration.

Close to 50 percent of the British Bases will be ceded if the comprehensive settlement is approved by both sides in separate referenda. Ninety per cent of this territory will come under Greek Cypriot control, the rest under Turkish Cypriot administration.

Twenty-one per cent of refugees will have the right to return to homes remaining under Turkish Cypriot administration; this figure is a significant drop from the previous quota, which was 28 per cent. Moreover, a moratorium of six years will apply for the return of refugees, up from four years in Plan 2. Exceptions to this apply only to persons aged over 65, who may return to their homes after a period of two years.

The return of refugees will be effected over a 21-year period from the moment of signing. This is broken down into three sub-periods. In the first period (years 7-10), seven per cent of refugees return; in years 10-14, 14 per cent; and in years 14-21, 21 per cent (the ceiling). Moreover, in any one village or community under Turkish Cypriot administration, 20 per cent of returning Greek Cypriots will be able to build a house, an improvement on the previous quota of 14 per cent. But in the entire territory controlled by the Turkish Cypriots, 10 per cent of returning Greek Cypriots will be able to build a house.

All these quotas, which are exemptions to the European acquis communautaire, will, however, be abolished once Turkey becomes a full member of the European Union.

The number of settlers from mainland Turkey remaining will range from 45,000 to 60,000, pending finalised arrangements.

One of the most controversial points in the negotiations has been the strength of military contingents from Greece and Turkey; the average figure quoted now is 6,000 for each contingent. Army strength is to be reassessed in the year 2010, while all troops will be removed from the island once Turkey accedes to the EU.

In the future, immigrants from Greece and Turkey cannot exceed five per cent of the population in each constituent state.

The new state will be called "United Cyprus Republic," based on a federal government. It will comprise two "constituent states" (as opposed to "component states"). The island's airspace, territorial waters and economic zone will belong to the Republic.

The new UN plan affirms that Cyprus will join EMU (Economic and Monetary Union) and become part of the Schengen Treaty.

Moving onto government, the major change to the previous plan is that the Minister for European Affairs will serve a full five-year term, meaning he will hold a pivotal position in the Presidential Council.

The three foreign judges appointed to the Constitutional Court - seen as a dispute-resolving apparatus - will cast a single vote each.

The two ethnic communities will conduct separate elections for the lower house of parliament and the Senate. However, both may participate in municipal elections.

Another important point is that the referendum for a settlement will not include the question of whether Cyprus should join the EU.
CYPRUS MAIL 25/02/2003

Britain offers bases land in case of peace

By a Staff Reporter

BRITAIN has offered to cede almost half of the territory from its sovereign bases on the island in a bid to facilitate a peace settlement, it was confirmed yesterday.

The bombshell news, which even took diplomats by surprise, was confirmed by Britain's special envoy Lord David Hannay.

According to the proposal, Britain would give up 45 square miles, almost half of the SBA territory, in the event of a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Ninety per cent of this territory would come under Greek Cypriot control, the rest would go to the Turkish Cypriot community.

British High Commission spokesman Stuart Summers clarified to the Cyprus Mail that the offer was valid, provided the agreement reached was approved by both sides in referenda. If either community rejected the peace settlement, then the British offer was void.

Both Lord Hannay and the British Foreign Office said the offer was incorporated into the new UN plan, expected to be submitted sometime in the next few days.

The two previous UN peace plans contained no reference to the size of the SBA.

Noting that this was a "very momentous week for Cyprus," Hannay avoided going into details of the British proposal.

For his part, Summers explained that the areas offered were mostly farm land and residential, and would be ceded from both the Dhekelia and Akrotiri bases. British sovereignty over the rest of the areas would not be affected.

He added that the offer would be implemented "simultaneously" with the rest of the deal, if accepted by both sides.

The areas offered would entail considerable economic advantages for Greek Cypriots, said Summers.

A British Foreign Office spokesman said that "the reason for this offer is that it became clear that territorial adjustments are an important issue. Britain gave urgent consideration to what it could do to help in bridging the remaining gap, to maximise the chance of a settlement."

President elect Tassos Papadopoulos welcomed the idea as a contribution, but not a factor that would seal a settlement.

"It's more than welcome. We've always said that bases were a part of the price," he told reporters in Athens.

The news came as intense deliberations are under way in Athens, Ankara and Cyprus, with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan set to visit the island tomorrow.

Britain currently retains 98 square miles, or three per cent, of Cypriot territory. Approximately 3,500 British forces are stationed at Dhekelia and Akrotiri, which is the largest RAF facility outside Britain and served as a key supply post during the 1991 Gulf War.

The status of the British bases has been controversial ever since 1960, when Cyprus acquired its independence from Britain. In recent years, several demos have been held in protest at military exercises close to residential areas, with environmentalists claiming pollution.

Britain is one the island's three guarantor powers with Greece and Turkey.
CYPRUS MAIL 25/02/2003

Erdogan: third plan will bring solution

By Jean Christou

TURKISH leader Tayyip Erdogan yesterday gave a boost to UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan's Cyprus peace shuttle, saying a deal could be reached in time for it to be approved by separate referenda in March.

His comments injected a note of optimism after hopes for a speedy solution appeared to fade.

In Ankara, Annan said the two sides could be given a maximum one-week extension to the UN's February 28 deadline.

In Athens, Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis said it would be virtually impossible to expect a deal, even by the end of March. Visiting president elect Tassos Papadopoulos added it was "practically impossible" to meet the UN timetable, even if the Turkish Cypriot side changed heart.

In occupied Nicosia, however, Rauf Denktash said a third version of the Annan plan offered the Turkish Cypriots "peanuts".

Erdogan, however, indicated the third plan was acceptable for Turkey, setting the stage for a new confrontation with Denktash.

"I think that the third Cyprus plan will bring the solution we want and that we can wrap up the issue in March with referenda on both sides," Erdogan said after meeting Annan.

"We find that the third plan is much more able to provide a solution than the first and second plans."

Simitis, however, was less optimistic. Speaking during a joint news conference in Athens with Papadopoulos, he said:

"The margins of success within the given frame are very small, almost non-existent. And when I say margin, I'm talking about the end of March."

Annan, who was in Ankara for talks ahead of visits to Athens and Nicosia, told CNN Turk that if the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders needed a little more time to reach an agreement, they could have one or two days, "maximum one week".

That was all the time the UN was prepared to give, he said, adding that the UN still wanted the leaders to sign by February 28.

"If there is will and determination... we can reach a solution by February 28. We don't want to focus on March 7, we want to focus on February 28."

Both Simitis and Papadopoulos, on his first official visit to the Greek capital since his election, blamed Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash for "intransigence" in his insistence on the international recognition of his breakaway regime and opposition to key elements of the UN plan.

""We want to say that within the time limits a Cyprus settlement demands the willingness of the other side. But the position of the Turkish Cypriot leader remains unchanged despite growing reactions from the Turkish Cypriot community (for a settlement)," Simitis said.

His feelings were echoed by Papadopoulos: "If there is a change, and we hope there is a change after Annan's visit to Ankara, then there might be a possibility (for a solution) but practically it is impossible to maintain the timeframe," he said.

Papadopoulos and Denktash have not yet met face-to-face since the DIKO leader swept to power in the presidential elections on February 16, ousting Denktash's long-term sparring partner Glafcos Clerides.

Both veteran politicians had been engaged in intensive negotiations on the Cyprus issue for over a year and Papadopoulos' election appears to have alienated the Turkish Cypriot leader even further.

Denktash has repeatedly said he would not sign the Annan plan as it stood and that it was a "crime against humanity". Annan is expected to present a third version of his plan when he visits the island. The plan is said to be a 'take-it-or-leave-it' one.

"I have received information on the planned changes... They are offering cake to the Greek Cypriots and peanuts to us," Denktash told reporters before a special meeting of his 'cabinet' to discuss the UN plan.

The Turkish Cypriot leader also reiterated that the February 28 deadline could probably not be met. "Everyone is talking about how time is running out. This is not an issue that can be taken care of in three or five minutes. It may not be finished on February 28," he said.

The UN had hoped a deal could be clinched in time for both sides to hold separate referenda on March 30 so that a united Cyprus could sign the EU accession treaty in April. If no agreement is reached Cyprus will join the EU divided and any efforts to solve the political problem could be shelved for years.

Annan flies to Athens today and arrives in Cyprus tomorrow.

In Nicosia, UN State Department Co-ordinator Thomas Weston and Britain's special envoy Lord Hannay were preparing the ground with a round of contacts with Greek Cypriot officials and representatives of the Turkish Cypriots.

Speaking after a meeting with House President Demetris Christofias, Lord Hannay said: "This is a very momentous week for Cyprus. This is a week in which some important decisions will be taken either positively or negatively or by default". "By default, I mean if decisions are not taken, opportunities get missed," he added.

"The British government is very helpful. We have invested quite a lot of effort, have made a contribution -- which you are familiar with in the latest ideas put forward by the Secretary General -- of our own, to the settlement of the problem which we hope will have a positive effect and we will be doing everything we can to help but it is not we who will be taking the decisions. The decisions will be taken by Cypriots, first by their leaders and then by their electorates who are faced with a referendum."

CYPRUS MAIL 25/02/2003

Peace activists to welcome Annan

By a Staff Reporter

MORE than 100 peace activists are to greet Kofi Annan tomorrow afternoon in front of the Hilton Hotel where he will be staying on his arrival in Cyprus.

Members of the pro-solution group 'Platform for Solution -- Reunification Now' are aiming to urge Cypriot leaders to accept the UN peace plan by Friday's UN deadline.

"They must accept the UN plan before EU accession; we have prepared a resolution which we will submit to Kofi Annan," Stelios Georgiou, a member of the group, told the Cyprus Mail.

The group hopes to draw local and international media attention by gathering outside the hotel.

'Solution - Reunification- is a group of Greek Cypriots working to encourage a solution to the Cyprus problem. They are appealing to the leaderships of both sides, and see recent efforts to reunite the island as an important opportunity not to be missed.

"This is a very good chance unlike the last, and it may be decades before another chance comes along," Georgiou added.

The group is, however, concerned at the lack of enthusiasm for a solution on the part of the Greek Cypriot community.

"One of the reasons why our platform was created was that we didn't want it to appear that only Turkish Cypriots support a solution.

"If Greek Cypriots believe the time for a solution has come, then it's time for them to get up from their couches and say so," Georgiou said.

Members of the group say efforts for a solution were sidetracked during the recent election campaign.

The demonstration will come one day before Turkish Cypriots are scheduled to rally for a solution in occupied Nicosia.

'Solution - Reunification' has been in contact with the Turkish Cypriot movement, and is planning is planning a series of events in co-operation with Greek and Turkish Cypriot groups.

Annan will be in Cyprus this week in a last-ditch effort order to seal a deal by the February 28 deadline.

CYPRUS MAIL 25/02/2003

With the credibility of the United Nations, Britain and the US at stake, all diplomatic stops will be pulled out this week in an attempt to clinch a deal over the divided island of Cyprus.

Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Chris Patten, external affairs commissioner, and George Papandreou, Greek foreign minister, will tomorrow hold an EU-US ministerial meeting in Washington.

Meetings with Condoleezza Rice, US national security adviser, and Colin Powell, secretary of state, will be dominated by Iraq, North Korea and Cyprus. Mr Powell backs a united Cyprus because it would increase security in the eastern Mediterranean and improve relations between Greece and Turkey, both Nato members.

Originally, Tassos Papadopoulos, who will be sworn in as president of the Greek Cypriot south on Friday, and Rauf Dentash, his Turkish Cypriot counterpart in the north, had until the end of the week to secure an agreement in principle over a plan to unite the island.

Kofi Annan, UN secretary-general, intends to extend that deadline by a week.

Senior members of the Bush administration have suggested an improved deal on the UN package for northern Cyprus to the Turkish military in return for Turkey's co-operation in providing bases and logistics for any US-led war against Iraq.

The island has been the subject of several UN attempts to broker a deal.

It has been divided since 1974, when the Turkish army invaded the north in response to a coup attempt by a Greek junta.

The UN and Europeans fear US backsliding over Cyprus and a US-led attack on Iraq would have unpredictable consequences for the region - which explains why they are desperate to secure a deal as soon as possible.

They say any serious economic and political fall-out could make it more difficult for the Turkish military to cede northern Cyprus since it would be preoccupied with domestic politics and the consequences for its border security with the Kurds in northern Iraq.

Cyprus is set to join the EU in 2004, whether the island is divided or not.

The shifting US stance has not helped Mr Annan, who has invested much energy and credibility in forging a deal. He will arrive on the island today after talks in Ankara and Athens and is expected to present fresh proposals to the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders. He will stay until Friday.

One diplomat in Cyprus said that Mr Annan was giving all he could to clinch a deal before any action took place in Iraq.

The idea is that, once the principles are agreed, the two communities would hold referenda next month in time for a symbolic ceremony in Athens on April 16, when EU heads of state will sign the accession treaties for 10 candidate countries.

As it stands, the Annan deal is designed to devolve maximum powers to the two communities.

There would be a power-sharing structure for issues such as foreign policy and economic affairs.

Both sides have singled out territory, settlers and security as the most important issues.

Diplomats say that Mr Annan will suggest more amendments, ceding some more territory to the Turkish Cypriots, increasing the number of Turkish settlers who can remain and revising the number of Greek and Turkish troops to be stationed on the island, which is to be demilitarised.

OBSERVER: Song contest
Financial Times; Feb 26, 2003

You cannot fault the United Nations for trying. Cyprus may not yet be united, despite Kofi Annan's best efforts, but it already has a provisional flag and national anthem.

Peacekeepers on the divided island have been deluged with more than 1,000 drawings, musical scores, tapes and CDs, entries in competitions to find a new flag and national anthem for the island.

Contestants aren't just from the island itself; 15 countries are represented, among them Japan and New Zealand. The most heartwarming? A flag designed by the three-year-old offspring of a mixed Greek/Turkish Cypriot marriage.

The most user-friendly? A full orchestral performance of the proposed national anthem - though the UN won't reveal the words or the tune.

There's only one discordant note - Rauf Denktash and Tassos Papadopoulos, the Turkish and Greek community leaders, appear unlikely to agree a deal before the UN-imposed deadline, even though it's been extended in desperation until March 7.

Costas Simitis, the Greek prime minister, yesterday lowered expectations of a united Cyprus joining the European Union.

His comments undermined a last-ditch peace mission by Kofi Annan, United Nations secretary-general, who has set a Friday deadline for Greek and Turkish Cypriots to agree a deal reuniting the island.

Mr Simitis, who made the comments after meeting Tassos Papadopoulos, the newly elected Greek Cypriot president, cast Rauf Denktash, the Turkish Cypriot leader, as the stumbling block to progress in the 29-year dispute.

But the comments, which took most observers by surprise, also reflect a lack of confidence that the nationalist Mr Papadopoulos would prove as amenable to an accord as Glafcos Clerides, his predecessor.

Mr Annan, who yesterday began talks in Ankara in a tour of the region, said his Friday deadline for a deal could be pushed back by a week. But he stressed it was "not an artificial deadline".

Rather it was driven by a desire to allow a united Cyprus to join the EU in April after giving both sides time to hold a March 30 referendum on any deal.

Although Mr Denktash has come under intense pressure from his own people, intermittently backed by the new government in Ankara, to agree a deal, he has powerful allies in the Turkish establishment opposed to a deal.

"If this opportunity is missed I do not know when one will be available again," Mr Annan said yesterday, urging both sides to display courage and a willingness to compromise. Hours earlier, Mr Simitis told reporters in Athens that "the margins of success within the given frame are very small, almost non-existent...when I say margin, I'm talking about the end of March".

Mr Annan said he would submit a revised proposal to both Greek and Turkish Cypriots when he visits Nicosia tomorrow after talks in Athens today.

The latest revisions are seen in Athens as making concessions to Turkish Cypriots that could prove unacceptable to Mr Papadopoulos. Mr Annan also sought to assuage fears that the proposed return of some Greek Cypriots to the Turkish-controlled north would eventually swamp the smaller Turkish Cypriot community.

"If Cyprus is going to become a member of the EU, this should not be seen as a risk," he said.

Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the AKP leader who is simultaneously having to sell to his party and country support for a US-led war against Iraq, said after meeting Mr Annan that the revised Cyprus plan seemed to "offer a better opportunity for an agreement".

In an effort to promote a settlement, the UK is understood to have offered to give up a 45square mile area, half the territory occupied by its sovereign bases, for settlement by Greek Cypriots unable to return home.

Britain offers to hand over land on its Cyprus bases

By Daniel Howden in Nicosia

Britain made a surprise move yesterday to break the deadlock in peace talks over Cyprus, by offering to hand over half the territory of its military bases on the island.

The offer, intended as an incentive to the Greek and Turkish communities on the divided Mediterranean island, came during talks to revise a reunification plan tabled by the United Nations. Britain's two sovereign bases (SBAs) on the southern and eastern coasts of the island, cover an area of 98 square miles.

Kofi Annan, the secretary general of the UN, has embarked on a final round of shuttle diplomacy as he attempts to produce an agreement in time for a united Cyprus to sign the European Union accession treaty in Athens in April. Mr Annan held talks in Ankara yesterday and arrives in Athens today, before more talks in Nicosia for what he is calling "the defining moment for Cyprus".

Lord Hannay, Britain's special envoy to Cyprus, said the offer – described by diplomats as astonishing – was designed to help to push for a deal. "What he [Mr Annan] has put forward has the full consent of the British Government," he said.

The island has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded the north in response to an Athens-engineered coup seeking full union with Greece. The breakaway Turkish-Cypriot state in the north is only recognised by Turkey, which keeps 40,000 troops on the territory.

The SBAs, which have been under British control for four decades, cover 3 per cent of the island, which is about half the size of Wales. Under the plan, 45sq miles of British territory would be ceded to Greek and Turkish authorities, with 90 per cent of that amount going to the Greeks. The offer is conditional on a deal being reached by the end of the month, to leave sufficient time for separate referendums for ethnic Turks and Greeks. Otherwise Cyprus will enter the European Union divided.

Mr Annan's plan envisages a loose federation termed the "indissoluble partnership", with a common state government and two equal component states.

Time for a deal is running out and there is no sign of compromise in either camp. Costas Simitis, the Prime Minister of Greece, said yesterday that the chances of agreeing a deal in time were fading rapidly. "The margins of success within the given frame are very small, almost non-existent."

Tassos Papadopoulos, the recently elected Greek-Cypriot President, speaking during his first official visit to Athens, welcomed the British proposal but said it would not be decisive in delivering a deal. "It's more than welcome. We've always said that bases were a part of the price," he said.

The main stumbling block to a solution to Europe's longest- running conflict remains the right of return for tens of thousands of Greek-Cypriot refugees, who lost their homes after the Turkish occupation.

Mr Papadopoulos, a nationalist hardliner, has already demanded improvements to the plan to favour Greek-Cypriots, after campaigning on the platform of returning all refugees. Meanwhile, Rauf Denktash, the Turkish-Cypriot leader, has dismissed these demands as a "meaningless dream".

The SBAs, at Akrotiri in the west of the island and Dhekelia in the east, were established in 1960 as part of Cyprus's treaty of independence. An army spokesman said there was no question of the operational capacity of the strategic bases being compromised.

Today, the SBAs are home to nearly 8,000 Britons, of which almost half are military personnel. Akrotiri, the biggest RAF base outside Britain, would play a major part in any war against Iraq. It was one of the main logistics suppliers during the Gulf War in 1991.

BRITAIN said yesterday that it was prepared to give up nearly half the territory covered by its two sovereign military bases in Cyprus to help to secure a peace deal between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot parts of the island.

The United Nations is pushing the two sides to accept a comprehensive settlement by the end of the month so that a reunited island can enter the European Union next year.

Kofi Annan, the Secretary- General of the UN, arrives in Cyprus tomorrow and is expected to present a revised draft settlement to both sides. The February 28 deadline could be extended by a week, he said yesterday.

British officials were quick to say that any handover would not reduce the operational effectiveness of the bases, which are playing a critical role as staging posts in the military build-up in the Gulf.

"There could be trimming of bits we don’t really need or can redeploy from, and it won’t make any difference to staffing levels," an official in London said.

If territory is relinquished, 90 per cent of it would go to the Greek Cypriots and the remainder to the Turkish Cypriots. "Given there is going to be some nip and tuck on the territory issue, we could help balance the percentages," the official said. "It all depends on whether Annan tables his revised plan and whether it works."

The British offer will come as a surprise to the negotiators. Although any handover is conditional on a settlement, Britain has now openly acknowledged that militarily it does not need all its valuable land on the island. That could leave London open to pressure to reduce the size of its colonial footprint, even if there is no peace deal.

One of the main points of dispute is how much territory the Turkish Cypriots will hand back to the Greek Cypriots. Rauf Denktas, the veteran Turkish Cypriot leader, has objected bitterly to UN proposals that would reduce the territory under his people’s control from 37 per cent of the island to 28.5 per cent.

The bases cover a total of 98 square miles (158 sq km), or 3 per cent of Cypriot territory. Britain is willing to give up 45 square miles (72 sq km). Most of the territory under discussion is in the eastern sovereign base at Dhekelia, although the important position at Ayios Nikolaos, home to a tri-Service signals unit, would be retained. The western sovereign base area of Akrotiri, the biggest RAF facility outside Britain and nicknamed the "kebab posting" by airmen, is regarded as more useful.

The sovereign bases were retained by Britain when Cyprus won independence in 1960 and have helped to protect Britain’s oil interests in the Middle East, in part replacing the Suez Canal foothold that was removed by Nasser.

Britain still regards its Cyprus bases as vital strategic assets, despite the end of the Cold War. The Vulcan nuclear bombers stationed on the island within striking distance of the former Soviet Union have long gone, and the number of British Forces has shrunk over the past three decades, from 6,000 in 1970 to 3,500 today.

The bases bristle with antennae, sucking intelligence about the region from the ether for GCHQ. Their value as staging and supply posts at the volatile edge of the world’s richest oil region was reinforced during the Gulf War, when 10,000 sorties were flown. The last time they were used for direct offensive action was during the Suez crisis in 1956.

Annan -- it's now or never

By Jean Christou
UNITED NATIONS Secretary-general Kofi Annan warned yesterday that if the current opportunity to reunite Cyprus is missed there may not be another chance.

Annan, who is due on the island today, was speaking in Athens after his contacts in Ankara on Monday. In Cyprus he will present a third version of his plan in a last-ditch attempt to secure a deal by Friday, the UN's deadline.

"If this opportunity is missed, it is not clear when it will reoccur and if it will any time soon," he said. "It is therefore easy to understand that decision time has come, decision time has arrived, and why the parties should adhere to the goal of reaching agreement on February 28."

Annan said that although the two sides in Cyprus were being given extra time to reply to his third plan for a solution, if it dragged on much past the deadline the chances of a united Cyprus signing the EU accession treaty would be lost.

"The goal of February 28 may slip a few days, but to go much beyond February 28 would doom the prospect of a reunited Cyprus signing the treaty of accession," Annan said. "Postponing an agreement beyond early March would amount to saying 'no' to EU accession by a united Cyprus."

Sources close to the talks told Reuters in Nicosia that Annan is likely to give President-elect Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash until March 7 to consider his proposals, after which they would be summoned abroad for an answer. "They are not saying it officially, but of course this is a 'take it or leave it'," the source said.

The Secretary-general said that during his two days of contacts he will give both leaders a preview of his final version of a draft for a comprehensive settlement, which includes changes that he intends to propose on his previous draft.

Commenting on his visit to Turkey, Annan said that Ankara understood the urgency for a solution and added that he would be seeking the support of the Greek government in his effort to reach an agreement by February 28. "They (the Turkish side) understand and accept the urgency and the need to make progress, and they also accept the fact that they would want to see a united Cyprus in the EU... they are going to do whatever they can to assist me in my efforts," Annan said.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis said on Monday that it would be impossible to expect a deal even by the end of March. Papadopoulos expressed the same conviction during his visit to the Greek capital on Monday.

Asked to comment on the views of Athens and Nicosia, Annan said he would want to sit with both of them to discuss the issue and the urgency that all attach to the problem.

"I think we will have a chance to exchange ideas and discuss how we move forward," he said. "But as I have indicated, if we miss this opportunity to get a reunited Cyprus into the European Union on April 16, I am not sure when that opportunity will be offered again."

He said that the EU and the UN Security Council had a strong preference that the treaty of accession should be signed on behalf of a reunited Cyprus. "A great deal of attention seems to be riveted these days to the Iraqi crisis, but my paramount interest this week as I visit Turkey, Greece and Cyprus is (that) the problem is Cyprus and a settlement," Annan said.

He said that there was an "extraordinary opportunity" to solve it and that he would "make every effort to see that the opportunity is not missed".

"Following intensive consultations which have included Mr Papadopoulos since his election on February 16, I provided all concerned this past Sunday with a preview of the elements of what I hope is a final revision of the draft," Annan said. "I will shortly hand it to them on the island."

He said that the revisions he has in mind will not come as a surprise to the parties, because they were the culmination of "the most intensive process of negotiations that has ever occurred on the Cyprus problem".

"My revised plan represents the best effort by the UN to help the parties reach an agreement. The rest is up to them, Greece, Turkey and ultimately to the people on both sides," he said.

Annan's sentiments were reiterated by Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis after he met the UN Secretary-general in Athens yesterday.

Speaking last night, Simitis said political willingness was required from the parties in the quest for a solution, and appealed to all involved to show the same will that Cyprus and Greece had exhibited.

Annan said "courage and determination" were necessary to reach a settlement, and said he looked forward to meeting Papadopoulos today.

Papadopoulos, who returned to the island yesterday, said Nicosia and Athens had agreed on ways to handle developments and that Greece has reconfirmed its strong support for the positions of the Greek Cypriot side.

"I have the assurances of Greece's firm support in the joint course to achieve the common goals. I am generally satisfied, and I feel stronger, and have greater confidence to handle the developments ahead," he said on arrival at Larnaca Airport.

Commenting on Annan's statements in Athens, Papadopoulos agreed that there was an opportunity at hand. "This is not something new, we have said this many times, because it coincides with the deadline for the referendums if they are declared," he said. "On the other hand, there is the accession of Cyprus to the EU, therefore it is an opportunity. Whether it is a unique opportunity, or the last opportunity, that is an issue for each one to judge."

As for the plan being an ultimatum, Papadopoulos said: "We are ready for negotiation. We are ready to discuss any plan, any provisions which we believe we have to discuss, within the framework that negotiations can be held."

He said EU accession was already determined and that he did not see any procedural or substantial way in which the island's accession would be compromised "unless there are such developments which will postpone the whole of the enlargement, and not only for Cyprus," he said.

"We will study the revised plan, we will give our opinion on it, and the National Council will determine whether it is acceptable or not."

Meanwhile, European Commission President Romano Prodi yesterday repeated his strong preference for the accession of a united Cyprus to the EU.

"In view of the imminence of February 28, he gives full support to the final push of the UN and calls all parties concerned to step up their efforts to reach a solution of the Cyprus problem," said a statement issued in Brussels.

Prodi reiterated that the acquis communautaire should not be an obstacle to a settlement: "The Union is ready to accommodate the terms of a settlement in the Treaty of Accession in line with the principles on which the European Union is founded," he said.

Prodi also recalled the Commission's willingness to organise an international Donor Conference to secure financing for the implementation of the UN Plan.
CYPRUS MAIL 26/02/2003

Bases offer: proof they no longer need the land?

By Jean Christou

BRITAIN on Monday offered to hand back almost half of its 98 square-mile territory as part of a Cyprus solution: why now, and - if the land is of no military value - why not sooner?

According to the proposal, presented by British special envoy Lord David Hannay, Britain would give up some 45 square miles in the event of a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Britain currently retains 98 square miles, or three per cent, of Cypriot territory. Approximately 3,500 British forces are stationed at Dhekelia and Akrotiri, which is the largest RAF facility outside Britain and served as a key supply post during the 1991 Gulf War.

Ninety per cent of the territory returned would come under Greek Cypriot control, the rest would go to the Turkish Cypriot community.

The offer is valid only if a Cyprus solution based on the UN plan is agreed by both sides in separate referenda. If either community rejected the peace settlement, the British offer would be void.

However, according to Appendix P of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment, under which the two sovereign base areas were created: "In the event that the government of the United Kingdom, in view of changes in their military requirements, should at any time decide to divest themselves of the aforesaid sovereignty or effective control over the Sovereign Base Areas, or any part thereof, it is understood that such sovereignty or control shall be transferred to the Republic of Cyprus."

The fact that Britain is prepared to give up territory in the event of a Cyprus solution has raised the question of why it was not done sooner, in line with the provisions of Appendix P.

Britain admits that the areas in question are no longer necessary for their military operations on the island, but it is believed they have not been handed back sooner for fear of entering a political minefield with the Turkish Cypriots, many of whom live within bases territory. This is believed to have been the key consideration to holding on to territory Britain no longer needs.

Including the extra land in the context of a Cyprus settlement removes any problems in that regard.

From a legal point of view, the Treaty of Establishment refers to the Republic of Cyprus as created in 1960 with Turkish Cypriot participation. Britain is concerned at handing the land back to the Republic without a settlement for fear of upsetting the Turks, even though it only recognises the Republic.

DIKO deputy and anti-bases campaigner Marios Matsakis said that by offering back the land as part of a Cyprus solution, Britain had shown it didn't really need it in the first place.

"If they don't need it, they should give it back immediately and it shouldn't be part of a solution," he told the Cyprus Mail. "It has nothing to do with a solution."

Commenting on Britain's reasons for not giving the land back sooner, he said there was no reason why it should have upset Turkish Cypriots because the land would have been given back to the Republic of Cyprus.

"The treaty of establishment talks quite clearly about the Republic of Cyprus and this is the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus," he said.

"They will not be taking anything from the Turkish Cypriots. They will be giving back some land to the Republic of Cyprus."

Matsakis said that even if there was no Cyprus solution, he would strongly support the idea that civilian areas outside British military installations be given back to the Republic.

"This stance of the British government has proved what I've been saying all along: that the civilian areas outside the installations are not of military importance to Britain so they have proved this and therefore they should give it back," he said.

Following a similar line, the Green Party said yesterday it would not rest until the bases were completely removed from Cyprus.

Outgoing government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said it was too early to be thinking about whether Britain should return the land irrespective of a solution. "It's a sacrifice they are undertaking to facilitate a solution," he said. "That's what they say. Let's wait and see whether there will be a solution and we shall see."

Outgoing Attorney-general, Alecos Markides, who has been retained on Tassos Papadopoulos' negotiating said it didn't follow that Britain should give the land back in any case. "They want to make a gesture for the purpose of facilitating a solution to the Cyprus problem," he said. "The bottom line is they want to make a gesture, nothing less, nothing more."

He did not want to comment on Appendix P and said it was a matter for the government.

House President Demetris Christofias warned the Cypriot people should not be blinded by the bases offer and should focus on the issue at hand -- "a solution to the Cyprus problem."

Papadopoulos said yesterday the British offer was "an encouraging development, which we must welcome. Let's hope that gradually, all the Bases' territory will be returned either to the Republic of Cyprus or the new state which will ensue," he said.
CYPRUS MAIL 26/02/2003

THE TIMES 27/02/2003