1 April 2004

1. "Police Brutally Beat Nine Journalists", Reporters Without Borders has protested after police beat nine journalists who were covering the crushing of a demonstration against electoral fraud in South-eastern Diyarbakir.

2. "Talabani: Kirkuk sacred for Kurds", Iraqi Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani said the oil-rich center of Kirkuk is as important for Kurds as East Jerusalem is for Arabs and Muslims.

3. "German party leader optimistic for Turkey's EU prospects", SPD leader plays down German opposition's concerns that Turkey is culturally different and says prospects for Turkish accession are good

4. "U.S. gets involved in Cyprus deal", Powell calls negotiators on both sides, but objections remain.

5. "Annan sends proposal to Cypriot voters", U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan put the future of Cyprus in the hands of its people as he laid out a proposal for reunification of the Mediterranean island that will now go directly to voters.

6. "The modern history of Cyprus", following is a chronology of key events in the modern history of Cyprus.

1. - Reporters Without Borders - "Police Brutally Beat Nine Journalists":

Reporters Without Borders has protested after police beat nine journalists who were covering the crushing of a demonstration against electoral fraud in South-eastern Diyarbakir.

PARIS / 30 March 2004

Reporters Without Borders has protested after police beat nine journalists who were covering the crushing of a demonstration against electoral fraud in South-eastern Diyarbakir. Three journalists needed hospital treatment.

The journalists, who were beaten with clubs and chains, were only doing their job, said the international press freedom organization, condemning such practices. It called on interior minister, Abdulkadir Aksu, to do everything possible to identify and punish those who carried out the abuses.

Activists of the pro-Kurd Democratic People's party (DEHAP) had gathered around the Diyarbakir court house at the close of polling at around 11pm on 28 March, accusing the security forces of rigging the elections. Police set about violently dispersing the demonstrators, then attacking journalists covering the clashes.

Those attacked were: cameraman Hakim Cetiner of national TV networks SKY Turk and Show TV; Saban Boz, journalist with Show TV; Besir Ariz, Faysal Karadeniz, Ahmet Bulut and Bayram Bulut, of the local daily Soz and local Soz TV; Mehmet Sirin Hatman, cameraman for the pro-Kurd press agency Dicle Haber Ajansi (DIHA); Bahire Karatas, reporter with DIHA and Firat Duzgun, of local Gun TV.

Mehmet Sirin Hatman, Saban Boz and Bahire Karatas were taken to hospital for treatment. Hatman and Bayram Bulut were left with broken arms. Police also damaged their cameras and tried to seize film from the journalists.

2. - UPI - "Talabani: Kirkuk sacred for Kurds":

CAIRO / 31 March 2004

Iraqi Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani said the oil-rich center of Kirkuk is as important for Kurds as East Jerusalem is for Arabs and Muslims.

Speaking in an interview with Cairo's mass-circulation daily al-Ahram Wednesday Talabani said: "Kirkuk is a sacred city for Kurds as much as Jerusalem is for Muslim and we have been struggling for it for more than 40 years."

Talabani, whose Patriotic Union of Kurdistan has been sharing control of Iraq's Kurdistan with Massud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party since 1991, said past Iraqi governments were ready to recognize the autonomy of Kurdistan, excluding Kirkuk.

"Historically and demographically speaking, Kirkuk was never part of Iraq but part of Kurdistan," he said.

He said Kurds were not seeking secession from Iraq but want the right of autonomy under a federal system to be recognized.

3. - Turkish Daily News - "German party leader optimistic for Turkey's EU prospects":

SPD leader plays down German opposition's concerns that Turkey is culturally different and says prospects for Turkish accession are good

ANKARA / 1 April 2004

Leader of Germany's ruling Social Democrat Party (SPD) Franz Muntefering said on Wednesday that the prospects were good for Turkey joining the European Union.

Muntefering was speaking at a meeting where Turkish-origin members of the party were introduced in the framework of campaigns for European Parliament elections that will be held on June 13.

Muntefering said his party was supporting Turkey's EU bid adding, "We told Turkey that if it meets the necessary criteria, it will be accepted to the Union. Turkey has fulfilled a majority of these criteria and we welcome the reforms in this country. Turkey's membership is not a thing to be realized immediately, however there are good prospects for its membership for the future. We, as the SPD, are on Turkey's side on the road to the EU."

Turkish membership is a matter of heated debate on the domestic political scene of Germany, home to more than 2.5 million Turks. The government is a supporter of Turkey's bid to join the EU, while its rival Christian Democratic Party (CDU) is opposed to Turkey's entry to the Union citing its large size, poor economic record, religious and cultural differences.

Recently, the leader of the Christian Democrats Angela Merkel suggested a "privileged partnership" for Turkey instead of full membership into the Union, drawing harsh reactions from Turkish officials. German government officials had noted that such an option was not on the agenda.

Muntefering said that it was true that there were religious and cultural differences between Turkey and the EU, however he continued, "The world has become a smaller place. Turkey is only two hours away by plane. The relations are much closer than the past. This is an historic opportunity. We should act together for a common future."

4. - The New York Times - "U.S. gets involved in Cyprus deal":

Powell calls negotiators on both sides, but objections remain

FRIGEN / 1 April 2004 / by Alan Cowell

Switzerland For the first time publicly in the negotiations on the future of divided Cyprus, the United States intervened on Wednesday to urge all sides to compromise in pursuit of an agreement and to offer proposals to break the apparent deadlock. Addressing reporters in Germany, Secretary of State Colin Powell said he had spoken on the telephone to negotiators from both sides, Reuters reported. "What I have been saying to all the parties is, this is a historic opportunity," Powell said. "It must not be lost. This is the time for leaders to show flexibility, for leaders to be willing to compromise for the greater good of the Cypriot people."

Powell said that in telephone conversations he had been "trying to put forward positions on the various outstanding issues that might help resolve those outstanding issues." He did not go into detail but suggested that the negotiations had not totally collapsed. "They really are going minute by minute, hour by hour," he said. Despite the United States intervention, both the Greek government and the Greek Cypriots seemed to strengthen their objections on Wednesday to unspecified parts of proposals by the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan.

The Greek Cypriot president, Tassos Papadopoulos, told Annan at a meeting on Wednesday that his proposals "are not satisfactory," according to Cypros Chrysostomides, a spokesman for the Cypriot leader. And Theodoris Rousopoulos, a Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman, told reporters, "With today's developments, chances of an agreed settlement seem poor." Turkish officials, who had expressed cautious optimism about the outcome of the talks, had no immediate comment. Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 after a pro-Greek coup, triggering three decades of partition between the Muslim Turkish-speaking minority in the north and the Greek-speaking Orthodox Christians of the south. In that period the south has prospered from tourism and other income while the north, politically isolated, has not kept up. The invasion sent hundreds of thousands of Greek Cypriots fleeing south, and successive attempts to reunite the island, divided by a buffer zone policed by United Nations troops, have faltered on an array of intractable issues, including the presence of 40,000 Turkish troops as well as Turkish worries that the wealthier south would overwhelm the north. There are also disputes over the land to be returned by the Turkish Cypriots and the number of troops to remain in Cyprus if there is a settlement. The problems stretch further because of Cyprus's strategic position as a host to British military bases in the south that offer a staging post for deployments in Iraq and elsewhere. Turkey, a close NATO ally of the United States, has long been viewed by security experts as a land bridge between Europe and potential flashpoints in Iraq, Iran and Syria. Under a previously agreed timetable, Annan has a mandate to fill the gaps in disputed areas of the 9,000-page settlement plan and submit it for Cypriot approval just days before the island, along with nine other countries, joins the 15-nation European Union on May 1. But without the active support of governments, many experts believe the Greek Cypriots could reject the deal, dealing Annan's diplomacy a brutal blow and opening the way for Cyprus to enter the European Union as a divided, militarized island represented only by its Greek Cypriot government. That, in turn could spark a chain of setbacks, damaging Turkey's own hopes of applying for European Union membership and courting an anti-Western backlash among its 60 million people. Annan's proposals, the newest in a series of revisions, emerged after three days of intensive talks near this Swiss village south of the city of Lucerne.

5. - AP - "Annan sends proposal to Cypriot voters":

FUERIGEN / 1 April 2004 / by Alex Efty

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan put the future of Cyprus in the hands of its people as he laid out a proposal for reunification of the Mediterranean island that will now go directly to voters.

The two sides and the Greek and Turkish governments failed to reach an agreement of their own after lengthy talks, prompting Annan to fill in the blanks and ask voters to give final approval in separate referendums in the two Cypriot communities on April 24.

"There have been too many missed opportunities in the past. For the sake of all of you, I urge you not to make the same mistake again," Annan said Wednesday on the final day of peace talks in the Swiss mountaintop resort of Buergenstock.

If Greek and Turkish Cypriots vote for the plan, the island will be reunited in time to join the European Union as a single country on May 1. If either side rejects it, EU rules and benefits will not apply to the breakaway state in the Turkish-occupied north of the island, which is not recognized internationally.

"The time for negotiations and consultation is over. The time for decision and action has arrived," Annan said. "Let us be clear, the choice is not between this settlement plan and some other magical, mythical solution. In reality, the choice is between this settlement and no settlement."

Cyprus has been split into the Greek Cypriot-controlled south and the occupied north since Turkey invaded in 1974 following a short-lived coup by supporters of union with Greece. The breakaway state is only recognized by Turkey, which maintains 40,000 troops there.

Turkey's government, which is keen to see a settlement in Cyprus as a step toward eventually joining the EU itself, quickly endorsed the proposal.

"No side has lost in these negotiations," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters.

He said the most important issues for Turkey were ensuring that the agreement would be adopted by the European Union, political equality for the Turkish Cypriot minority, boosting prosperity in the impoverished north, ensuring the continued presence of Turkish troops and protecting some 80,000 Turkish settlers.

"I would like to call on the Greek and Turkish sides: let's walk together on the road of peace that started here in Buergenstock and let's take the necessary steps together," Erdogan said.

The Greek side was more cautious after expressing disappointment in the failure to guarantee Turkish troop withdrawal and the return of all Greek Cypriot refugees to their homes in the northern part of the island.

"Unfortunately it was not possible to reach an agreed settlement. It is now up to the people of Cyprus to reach a decision and I hope they will do this with clear thought and vision," Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis said.

In Berlin, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said the settlement proposed by Annan was fair to both sides and he urged Greek and Turkish Cypriot voters to approve the proposal.

"We know they will make this choice with the future of all Cypriots in mind," Powell said in a statement.

Annan's plan -- which is 220 pages long and is accompanied by some 9,000 pages of annexes -- envisages separate Greek and Turkish Cypriot states linked by a weak federal government.

A proportion of the Greek Cypriot refugees who fled or were forced from their homes in the north will have the right to go back. Turkey must drastically reduce -- but not withdraw entirely -- the number of troops it maintains on the island.

The United Nations has been in Cyprus since 1964 and maintains more than 1,200 peacekeepers there. Successive secretaries-general have tried to solve the Cyprus problem but have been unable to find a solution that satisfied both communities.

Annan's most difficult task will be convincing the Greek Cypriot majority to vote for the plan.

The Greek Cypriot majority knows that -- whatever the outcome of the vote -- they will join the European Union on May 1 and get all the benefits that entails. Their standard of living is five times that of the Turkish Cypriots, and reunification would require them to pour money into the impoverished north.

Yet the Greek Cypriots have deep emotional reasons for wanting to see their island reunited. Some 180,000 people are waiting for the chance to return to their homes in the north.

"No one can be certain of what the future holds," Annan said. "But I am certain that my settlement plan offers the best and fairest chance of peace, prosperity and stability that is ever likely to be on offer.

6. - CNN / Reuters - "The modern history of Cyprus":

LONDON / 1 April 2004

Following is a chronology of key events in the modern history of Cyprus.

1878 - The Ottoman Empire hands over Cyprus to British administration while retaining nominal sovereignty.

1914 - Britain annexes Cyprus, later absorbing it formally as a crown colony.

1955 - Greek Cypriot EOKA guerrilla group launches armed revolt against British rule.

1960 - Britain grants independence to Cyprus under a power-sharing constitution between Turkish and Greek Cypriots. Britain, Greece and Turkey assume the role of guarantors of Cyprus's status.

1963 - Greek Cypriot President Archbishop Makarios proposes changes to the constitution, effectively abrogating power-sharing arrangements with the Turks. Inter-communal violence erupts.

1964 - Power sharing crumbles amid fighting; government formed without Turkish Cypriots. U.N. peacekeeping force (UNFICYP) established.

1967 - Military seizes power in Greece.

1974 - Military junta in Greece backs July coup against Makarios. Militants advocating union with Greece overthrow him. Five days after the coup Turkish troops land in northern Cyprus. Greek Cypriots flee their homes.

- Turkey and Greece come close to war. The coup quickly collapses as does the Athens junta. Turkish forces occupy a third of the island.

1977 & 1979 - Greek and Turkish Cypriots agree in principle that Cyprus should be a bicommunal federal republic with powers and functions of a central federal state.

1983 - Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash declares a breakaway state in northern Cyprus. Only Turkey recognizes it.

1998 - Government of Cyprus begins EU accession talks.

1999 - EU accepts Turkey as a candidate for membership.

1999-2000 - U.N.-led talks held in New York and Geneva, which end inconclusively.

Jan 16, 2002 - Reunification talks start. June deadline passes without result.

- Nov 11 - U.N. presents peace plan for Cyprus calling for broad power-sharing and a return of territory to Greek Cypriots.

- March 11 - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan announces end of efforts to reunite island and withdrawal of his peace envoy, Alvaro de Soto.

- April 16 - Cyprus signs accession treaty with EU.

- April 22 - Denktash authorizes opening checkpoints on the so-called "Green Line" for day trips, to bolster confidence between the two sides.

- Dec 14 - Landmark Turkish Cypriot election ends in dead heat with rival anti UN plan and pro-plan blocs landing 25 parliament seats each.

Jan 24, 2004 - The Turkish Cypriot enclave's new coalition government wins vote of confidence, setting stage for a renewed push to end the island's division.

- Feb 13 - Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriots agree in New York to road map for talks on Annan's reunification plan for Cyprus before its May 1 entry into the E.U.

- Feb 19 - Talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders begin.

- March 22 - Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos says bilateral negotiations with Turkish Cypriots have reached no agreement and will move to Switzerland, where Turkey and Greece will join them.

- March 24 - Expanded negotiations start in Buergenstock, Switzerland.

- March 27 - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan takes personal charge of negotiations.

- March 29 - Annan submits a revised reunification text, seeking reactions from the parties before filling in any final disputed blanks.

- March 31 - Annan submits final reunification plan, sending it to public referendum on April 24.