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U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing
January 14, 1997
Briefer: Nicholas Burns

CYPRUS/GREECE/TURKEY
16 Mr. Cavanaugh's Trip to Region
16-17 --Delivery of Anti-Aircraft System
16-17 --Measures to Reduce Ceasefire Line Incidents
17 --Mtg. w/FM Pangalos in Athens
17-18 --Discussion of Steps to ReduceTension/Support for Comprehensive Settlement
18 --Mtg. w/Dutch FM van Mierlo
18 --Report of Ciller Visit to Cyprus

RUSSIA/BELARUS
19 --Report of Proposed Referendum on Union

QUESTION: On Cyprus?

MR. BURNS: Yes.

QUESTION: It sounds like both the Cypriots and the Turks have a different take on what happened yesterday with Carey Cavanaugh than you. The Cypriots are saying that there's basically - it sounds like there's no agreement on, or nothing of a breakthrough on the confidence building measures that you talked about; and the Turks are saying that the crisis is not necessarily over?

MR. BURNS: Let's just review the bidding here. President Clerides gave Carey Cavanaugh concrete assurances that no part of the components - none of the components of the anti-aircraft system - will be delivered to Cyprus for the next 16 months. That provides us some breathing space. It provides the Turks - the Turkish Cypriots, the Greeks, the Cypriot Government a breathing space to resolve that problem amicably and cooperatively.

On the second set of issues which refer to the cease-fire lines, I checked again today with Carey Cavanaugh, with our European Bureau. He received assurances of full support for these measures along the cease-fire lines. We understand that the United Nations forces in Cyprus, representatives will be discussing these particular issues with the Cypriot Government and the Turkish Cypriot leadership at the end of this week. That's a positive step forward.

I think "full support" certainly doesn't mean, and I didn't intimate at all yesterday, that means they've signed on the dotted line. "Full support" means, we think, full support to negotiate these things very seriously and to look towards a solution to prevent the kind of thing that we've seen: Two people dead in the last six months because of problems on the cease-fire lines.

QUESTION: The Cypriots seem to suggest that you guys are claiming credit for something that is much more nebulous than you're making it seem?

MR. BURNS: No, we're certainly not claiming credit. In fact, if any credit is due, it's due to the Cypriot Government and to the Turkish Cypriot community, Mr. Denktash, for having agreed to give full support to these measures. We would give the credit to both of them, and that's a good thing. We don't need credit. We're not always looking for credit.

Yasmine.

QUESTION: What do you say to those in Turkey who say that what the U.S. is trying to sell is a major assurance from President Clerides; it is, in fact, an inevitable waiting period for the assembly and transportation of the missiles?

MR. BURNS: We don't agree. The Cypriot Government had other avenues it could have taken to expedite the construction of the anti-aircraft system. It did not have to wait 16 months if it really believed it was necessary to deploy it earlier. So we take issue with that and say that this is a significant step forward by the Cypriot Government.

In general, let me just say, we think that yesterday was a good day. We're certainly not going to stand here and try to add fuel to any of the fires that may still be burning over there - the rhetorical fires. We think it's time for the Turkish Government, the Greek Government, the two communities in Cyprus - the Cypriot Government - to step back, exercise restraint in what they say and what they do and try to resolve these problems amicably.

QUESTION: Do you have anything on the talks in Ankara and Athens?

MR. BURNS: Yes. I know that Bob Pelletreau chaired the talks this morning in Ankara. They began early this morning.

QUESTION: I meant the talks about Cyprus?

MR. BURNS: Oh, further on Carey Cavanaugh?

QUESTION: Yes.

MR. BURNS: Excuse me. I thought you meant the talks in Ankara. Yes, I can say that Carey was in Athens today. He met with the Greek Foreign Ministry leadership. He met with Foreign Minister Pangalos. He and Minister Pangalos reviewed Mr. Pangalos' diplomatic mission to Belgrade which, as you know, the United States felt was very helpful. Carey Cavanaugh briefed Minister Pangalos on his own visit to Nicosia.

In all of Mr. Cavanaugh's meetings in Athens, he reviewed the results that we achieved with all the parties in Cyprus, the steps they've agreed to take along the cease-fire lines and the further steps that we believe must be taken to reduce the sense of tension and to build support for a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem.

Included among these steps is a possible moratorium on flights by Greek and Turkish military aircraft over Cyprus. This item remains under discussion, and we will pursue it with the parties.

I also understand that Carey Cavanaugh met with Dutch Foreign Minister van Mierlo who is in Greece in the capacity as the - the Netherlands capacity as EU President. They discussed coordinating steps between the United States and the European Union on Cyprus.

QUESTION: Did Mr. Cavanaugh get any assurances from the Greeks that they would go along with this moratorium?

MR. BURNS: I believe I'd like to just leave it where I said, and that is, these are serious issues that ought to be discussed. They remain under discussion, so I don't believe we've reached full agreement on that yet.

Yes, Savas.

QUESTION: The Turkish Foreign Minister Spokesman criticized you for your tone of the explanation or your statement against Turkish officials. Do you have any word for them?

MR. BURNS: I regret to hear that. I stand by what I said yesterday and last week. But I'd like to put the accent on trying to move forward now. Now that President Clerides has given us some space - all of us to move forward - let's see restraint on all sides and let's see progress on Cyprus.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) Defense Minister again today? I'm not sure. Someone in the Defense Ministry had something - very provocative words again today about the issue. I understand that Mrs. Ciller is going to be going to Cyprus. Do you have anything to say about it? Have you seen that statement?

MR. BURNS: I've not seen the statement, no.

QUESTION: You think it's a wise move for Mrs. Ciller to go into Cyprus now?

MR. BURNS: I'm not aware that she is going to Cyprus. So I'd rather not comment on hypotheticals in this case. We've said what we have to say. We meant what we said. That message has been delivered to the Turkish Government, privately and publicly. It's time to move on towards cooperation among all the parties. That's where the United States would like to go.

QUESTION: They seem to be ignoring you?

MR. BURNS: Oh, I don't think they're ignoring us, Sid. I don't believe that's the case at all. I think we've got their attention.

Carol.

QUESTION: Belarus?

MR. BURNS: Yes.

QUESTION: A different subject.

MR. BURNS: Yes. Belarus; and then Mr. Abdulsalam, you'll take the floor.

QUESTION: Yesterday, I asked you about the talk out of Moscow, about a merger?

MR. BURNS: So, comments by the United States on that? Yes.

QUESTION: How do you feel about this idea? And do you think, in fact, that this is an effort by Moscow to try to somehow lay a marker ahead of NATO enlargement, show displeasure?

MR. BURNS: We're a little bit limited in what we can say for the following reason. We've just seen Mr. Yastrzhembsky's comments. We've not been apprised by the Russian Government or by the Belarusian Government of this idea that they might propose a referendum on a possible union. We've just not been apprised of that officially. We've only seen the press reports of Mr. Yastrzhembsky's comments. We need to know a lot more about what is in store here, what they have in mind, what the timetable might be, what this union might represent.

As you know, we certainly believe that any kind of change of borders, any kind of integration between states in that part of the world or any part of the world ought to reflect the will of the people, not just the will of the governments involved - the will of the people.

In the case of Belarus, it's a little bit difficult to assess the will of the people. We hear what the government says everyday. We're not really sure what the people are thinking. So we're going to reserve judgment on this. We're going to try to find out what the facts are. And then at the appropriate time, if, in fact, this does go forward - I don't know if it will or not - then we'll perhaps be in a better position to assess it.

QUESTION: In the past, on subjects like this regarding Moscow, the statement has been, "It's okay with us as long it's not coercive. I notice you're not saying that.

MR. BURNS: I remember very well from '93 and '94, when I was working on this issue, what we would say, and we would not just say "coercive," with all due respect. We always talked about the fact that this needed to be voluntary, meaning that it needed to reflect the will of the people of the country. It's one thing for a President of a country, like the President of Belarus, to stand up and say, "Let's do this." It's quite another for the people to say in a valid referendum or a valid way of assessing their opinion, "Yes, we agree." I don't believe that's happened yet in the case of Belarus.