The Greek Cypriot daily Politis reported that the Greek Cypriot authorities have completely demolished the Turkish Cypriot cemetery in Lakadamia village in order to use the area as a car park and decorated the area with adverts.

The newspaper wrote that the initial intention of the Greek Cypriot authorities was to full up the cemetery with the advertisement displays and in order to do this they dig up the whole cemetery and the bones of the Turkish Cypriot skeletons were visible form everywhere. The villagers perceived this inhuman treatment very offensively and reacted strongly. Most of them took photos of the skeletons.

President Denktaş and the leader of Greek Cypriot Administration Glafcos Clerides are meeting again today at 10.00 hours within the framework of the face-to-face negotiations, which started on 16^th of January.

The meeting will take place at the Lefkoşa Cultural Center in the UN controlled buffer zone at the presence of the UN Secretary General’s Adviser on Cyprus Mr.Alavaro De Soto who has been joining the direct talks as an observer.

President Rauf Denktaş has briefed the political parties on the ongoing direct negotiations between him and the Greek Cypriot Leader Glafcos Clerides aimed at finding a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem.

Before the talks with the representatives of the political parties, the President said he intended to exchange views on the ongoing process with them.

The meeting was attended by the Speaker of the Parliament Vehbi Zeki Serter, the Secretary General of the UBP Süha Türkoz, the Leader of the DP Salih Coşar, the Leader of the TKP Hüseyin Angolemli, the leader of the CTP Mehmet Ali Talat, the leader of the MAP Kenan Akın and the deputy-Leaders of the UDP Mehmet Barut and Emirzade Arıtkan.

At the end of the two-hour meeting, the Speaker of the Parliament Vehbi Zeki Serter said the President provided information about the ongoing negotiations process.

He said the Greek Cypriot Administration not only continues to regard the Turkish Cypriots as a minority but also lacks the will to form a partnership with the Turkish Cypriots. He stressed the importance attached by the Turkish Cypriot people to the need for a future solution based on the existence of the two sovereign states, their political equality and the maintenance of the 1960 Treaty of Guarantees.

As to the Greek Cypriot Side’s unilateral application for membership of the European Union, he called this an invalid move and warned of chaos unless the EU stops processing it.

Calling on the Greek Cypriots to grasp the hand of friendship extended by the Turkish Cypriot Side, Mr. Serter said that the consequences of rejecting this would be harmful to all sides.

Speaking on behalf of the National Unity Party Leader- the Prime Minister Derviş Eroğlu- the party’s Secretary General Süha Türkoz said his party was cautiously optimistic of the negotiations process and that the UBP continued to support the President as he conducts these talks.

For his part, the leader of the Democrat Party - the deputy-Prime Minister-  Salih Coşar pointed to what he called are new openings at the talks and expressed his party’s satisfaction over this. 

He ruled out any concessions on the basic principles put up until now by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.   

Mr. Coşar complained that EU diplomats with whom his party establishes occasional contacts are clearly prejudiced.

He said his party does not agree with the view that EU membership will strengthen the Turkish Cypriot economy and added that the Turkish Cypriot Side will never bargain its freedom, independence and rights.

The Leader of the Communal Liberation Party Hüseyin Angolemli stressed the need for the continuation of the negotiations process and said that points of convergence will increase if the two sides treat each other equally.

For his part, the leader of the Republican Turkish Party Mehmet Ali Talat warned that time is running out for an agreement and complained that there is still no sign of any real progress at the ongoing process.

The Leader of the Nationalist Justice Party Kenan Akın said the Greek Cypriot Side - feeling the support of the EU behind it- is continuing to display an intransigent approach at the talks. 

Mr. Akın expressed his party’s strong opposition to any settlement that will mean a return to 1960’ies.   He said, however, that his party does support membership of the EU.

The Deputy leader of the Motherland Party in Turkey, Bülent Akarcalı, has returned to Turkey at the end of his four day visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

While in the Republic, Mr. Akarcalı – who is also the president of the Turkish Democracy Foundation – attended the Development Conference organized jointly by the Turkish Cypriot Development Society and the Turkish Democracy Foundation, under the joint auspices of President Denktaş and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Nejdet Sezer.

Speaking before departure, Mr. Akarcalı said the conference had been a success.

He said special investment projects designed to help give a boost to the TRNC economy are being made ready, alongside efforts designed to remove the existing bureaucratic hurdles in the way of economic cooperation between the two countries.

He said the Turkish private sector is also being encouraged to invest in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as part of the greater plans.

He said a healthy Turkish Cypriot economy within the European Union – as part of a new partnership State with the Greek Cypriots – would pave the way for better relations between the European Union and Turkey.

Turning to the Greek Cypriots, Mr. Akarcalı said that “applying embargoes on those people it wants to co-exist in the future”, would lead them to nowhere.

"You must be sure that you can get nothing from the Turkish Cypriots by threatening them" he underlined, and reminded that Turkish Cypriots have made all concessions they possibly could.

Prime Minister Derviş Eroğlu is having contacts in Balıkesir, Turkey as guest of the Balıkesir Higher Education Foundation and the local radio and television BRT.

Answering to the question of a journalist concerning the Greek Cypriots recent purchase of Russian attack helicopters Prime Minister Mr.Eroğlu commented that it was not a wise thing to purchase these attack helicopters while at the same time they are negotiating with the EU for the accession. The Prime Minister commented that the sale of helicopters and sending Russian technicians for the maintenance of these vehicles to South Cyprus is part of the Russian plan to have a place at the Mediterranean.

During his visit, Mr. Eroğlu will also deliver a talk on the Cyprus issue at Balıkesir University.

Within the framework of his contacts in Balıkesir, the Prime Minister will also receive the Best of the Year 2001 award bestowed on him by the Balıkesir radio and television.

The Special four-day Conference attended by ministerial officials from the TRNC and Turkey, as well as by political parties and many non-governmental organizations designed to look into ways of invigorating the TRNC economy continued yesterday with two separate panel discussions.

The Cyprus Turkish Development Platform is organized jointly by the Turkish Cypriot Development Society and Turkish Democracy Foundation under the joint auspices of President Rauf Denktaş and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

Health and agricultural policies were being discussed at yesterday’s session in separate panels.

The conference will draw to a close today after the issuing of a press release. 

The Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem has said the European Union should adopt a more positive approach on the Cyprus issue in order to influence the Greek Cypriot Side to reciprocate the Turkish Cypriot Side’s constructive approach.

Speaking before his departure for Brussels, where he will attend a conference, Mr. Cem said he would convey his country’s concerns on the issue to the EU Commissioner Responsible for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen with whom he will meet on the sidelines of the conference.

Mr. Cem pointed to the existing misunderstandings between the EU and his country and said efforts should be made to deal with these.

Mr. Cem said he would also discuss in detail the ongoing direct negotiations in Cyprus with the EU Commissioner.