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GREEK CYPRIOT MP DISCLOSES LARGE SCALE ARMS TRANSFERS
FROM GREECE TO SOUTH CYPRUS
It has been reported in the Greek Cypriot press that following a meeting of the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives Defence Committee, its Vice- Chairman Mr. Andonis Karas disclosed that lately Greece has been sending sophisticated weaponry valued at hundreds of millions of dollars to South Cyprus, including tanks operated by Greek personnel (Greek Cypriot dailies, Fileleftheros and Simerinidated 8 January, 1999). The Cyprus Weekly of 8 January 1999 establishes a linkage between the aforesaid development and the recent decision of the Greek Cypriot administration regarding the S-300 missiles. The Cyprus Weekly reports that "in return for taking over the Russian missiles, Greece is said to have sent ?arge amounts' of modern weapons to the island, worth millions of pounds". Meanwhile, the Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister, Mr. Yannakis Cassoulides, who appeared on Greek Cypriot TV on 7 January made the following remarks in the light of the systematic implementation of the Joint Military Doctrine between Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, which includes the construction of air and naval bases in South Cyprus for use by the Greek Armed Forces: "The Greek- Greek Cypriot Joint Military Doctrine is not confined to the S-300 missiles alone. Greece has a formidable military presence on the island". |