UN plan troubles Greek Cypriots

Turkish Cypriots are divided over the plan

Greek Cypriot officials say they are unhappy with the revised UN plan for the re-unification of Cyprus.

The plan, which was leaked to journalists on Tuesday, allows fewer refugees to return to the Turkish northern part of the island.

Turkey will also maintain a military presence on the island indefinitely.

Officials from both communities have a last chance on Tuesday to suggest changes to the plan, drawn up by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

He gave us a sandwich and a cup of coffee - he gave them a five-course meal with champagne Greek Cypriot official

The 9,000-page document was presented to the negotiators at a formal ceremony on the shores of Lake Lucerne on Monday.

It contained several revisions to the original plan:

• A reduction in the number of Greek Cypriot refugees allowed to return to northern Cyprus from 21% to 18% of the Turkish Cypriot population

• A reduction in the size of Turkish Cypriot territory by 7% to 29% of Cyprus, allowing some 120,000 Greek Cypriots back to their homes under Greek Cypriot administration

• Restrictions on property rights for Greek Cypriots in the north until the region approaches the living standards of the south

• Twenty-four seats for Turkish Cypriots in the 48-seat Senate, with the possibility of Greek Cypriots representing northern Cyprus removed

• No insistence on the withdrawal of all Turkish troops before Turkey joins the EU

• Greek Cypriot demands to improve the efficiency of federal government met

• Human rights cases brought by Greek Cypriots who lost access to property in the north not to be dropped

The reaction of Greek Cypriot delegates ranged from mixed to negative.

"It was clear that on some points our side was satisfied and on others it was not satisfied," said Greek Cypriot government spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides. "All of us must keep calm and remain sober."

Troops dispute

But another official was directly critical of Mr Annan's changes.

"He gave us a sandwich and a cup of coffee. He gave them a five-course meal with champagne," he said.

One of the main sticking points is the number of Greek and Turkish troops who will remain on the island.

Previous proposals had called for a phased withdrawal of Turkish troops until the time Turkey joined the EU.

But under the revised plan, Turkey will retain an indefinite, albeit scaled back military presence.

Under the new timeframe there would be 6,000 troops on each side until 2001, then 3,000 each until 2018 at which time they would revert to the 950 Greek and 650 Turkish agreed under a 1960 pact.

Northern 'exclusion'

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, has said his country wants to ensure that large numbers of Greek Cypriots are permanently prevented from moving into the Turkish-dominated enclave in the north.

He also wants the European Union to exempt Cyprus from its laws on the right to free settlement.

Cyprus is joining the EU on 1 May, but unless re-unification is accepted by then, membership will in effect apply only in the south.

In 1983, the Turkish-held area declared itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and is recognised internationally only by Turkey.

Original UN plan A united Cyprus run as two Swiss-style cantons Right of return for Greek Cypriots Symbolic, alternating presidency

Delegations from the EU, Russia and the US are also attending.

Mr Annan's main proposals are already known and remain in place: the establishment of a loosely-federated state; and the return to northern Cyprus for some of the 180,000 Greek Cypriots who left when Turkish troops occupied that part of the island in 1974.

His blueprint envisages a power-sharing arrangement giving the Greek and Turkish communities large degrees of autonomy over domestic affairs.

After Wednesday there can be no further changes and all sides have agreed to put the plan to the people of Cyprus in a simple referendum vote in April.

Our correspondent says both sides have placed a remarkable trust in Mr Annan, giving him the power to fill in any gaps in the proposals on which they cannot agree.