TURKEY yesterday renewed its condemnation of Greek Cypriot plans to purchase anti aircraft missiles, dismissing an announcement that the weapons would not be deployed for at least 16 months.
"The deployment of the S-300 missiles tomorrow or in 16 months time doesn't make a difference for Turkey," a senior foreign ministry official said in Ankara. "The missiles should not be deployed at all."
Earlier the US peace envoy, Mr Carey Cavanaugh, said in Nicosia that President Glafcos Clerides of Cyprus had pledged to withheld deployment of the Russian ground to air missiles for 16 months. Mr Cavanaugh claimed this agreement should defuse tension between Nicosia and Ankara.
The US had not asked the Cyprus government to cancel the purchase, Mr Cavanaugh stated, but Mr Clerides' assurances should encourage people to stop talking in terms of conflict and to work to reduce tension.
Having pronounced the missile crisis at and end, Mr Cavanaugh promptly focused on preparing the ground for the resumption of inter communal talks and crossed the dividing "Green Line" for a meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash.
Mr Denktash earlier this week threatened to retaliate for the missile deployment by taking over the empty Varosha suburb of the port city of Famagusta. Varosha, abandoned by its inhabitants during the Turkish invasion in 1974, was to be handed back to the Greek Cypriots as part of a political settlement.
The missile crisis blew up on January 4th after the Cyprus government signed a $600 million contract with Russia for the purchase of S-300 missiles capable of shooting down Turkish aircraft, taking off from the major mainland airbase at Adana.
The Turkish Defence Minister, Mr Turhan Tayan, has threatened to use all possible means, including a naval blockade, to prevent the deployment of the missiles while the Turkish Foreign Minister, Ms Tansu Ciller, who is due to visit the Turkish occupied north this week, said repeatedly that Turkey would "hit" the missile sites.
Mr Cavanaugh left Cyprus last night for Athens where he is scheduled to hold two days of talks with the Greek authorities before flying to Ankara.