Page 28 - Bon dia 3 Sept 2020

A28 world news
Diahuebs 3 september 2020

Turkey criticizes U.S. decision to lift Cyprus arms embargo

By SUZAN FRASER and Mitsotakis to pull back and
MENELAOS HADJICO- talk things out.
STIS "We're urging everyone to
Associated Press stand down, to reduce ten-
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — sions and begin to have dip-
Turkey called on the United lomatic discussions about
States to reconsider a decision the conflicts ... in the eastern
to partially lift a 33-year-old Mediterranean," Pompeo
arms embargo against Cy- said. "It is not useful to in-
prus, saying Wednesday that crease military tension in the
the move disrupts "equal- region. Only negative things
ity and balance" between the can flow from that."
Turkish Cypriot and Greek On Wednesday, Greece car-
Cypriot communities on ried out a bond auction as part
the ethnically divided island of efforts to boost cash re-
nation. Turkish Vice Presi- serves for additional support
dent Fuat Oktay said Ankara to pandemic-hit businesses
would continue to take steps as well as defense spending to
to guarantee the security and face the crisis with Turkey.
welfare of the self-declared Cyprus government spokes-
Turkish Cypriot state and of man Kyriakos Koushos told
the Turkish Cypriot people The Associated Press that the
"against such positions that Trump administration's ac-
increase the risk of confron- tion with the arms embargo
tation in the region." was less about bolstering the
Oktay said that Turkey and In this photo provided on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, by the Greek Defense Ministry, warships from country militarily than un-
the breakaway Turkish Cy- Greece, Italy, Cyprus and France, participate in a joint military exercise which was held from 26- derscoring the significant
priot state are "aware of the 28 of August, south of Turkey in eastern Mediterranean sea. role that Washington attri-
games that are being played Associated Press butes to Cyprus in helping to
against them." strengthen regional security
The embargo, imposed in to reunify Cyprus, "poisons" NATO allies have been shad- report that claimed that Pres- and stability.
1987, was designed to pre- regional stability and goes owing each other in recent ident Recep Tayyip Erdogan U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus
vent an arms race that would against the "spirit of alliance" weeks as Turkish survey ves- had ordered the Turkish mil- Judith Garber said the lift-
hinder U.N.-facilitated re- between the U.S. and Turkey. sels and drill ships continue itary to sink a Greek warship ing of the embargo strength-
unification efforts for Cy- U.S. Secretary of State Mike to prospect for hydrocarbons or to down Greek jet but that ens the U.S.-Cyprus security
prus. It was directed against Pompeo informed Cypriot in waters where Greece and Turkish generals refused. partnership while boosting
the southern, Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades Cyprus claim exclusive eco- Turkish Foreign Ministry regional security. She said
part of the island, where Cy- in a telephone call late Tues- nomic rights. spokesman Hami Aksoy Washington informed Turkey
prus' internationally recog- day that the U.S. was partial- "It's been a long time com- also slammed a Greek gov- of the embargo lifting late
nized government is seated. ly lifting the arms embargo ing," Pompeo said during a ernment spokesman who Tuesday and urged that "there
Cyprus split in 1974 when against Cyprus for one year media briefing on Wednes- claimed that the report "high- not be an over-reaction to
Turkey invaded following a — with the option of renewal day. "We've been working on lights who is causing instabil- this decision."
coup by supporters of union — to let it procure non-lethal this for an awfully long time. ity" in the region. He called Garber said the aim of the
with Greece. Turkey, the only equipment. We know that this decision the words of the spokesman embargo lifting is to make
nation to recognize a Turk- The move came at a time of was announced in light of in Athens, Stelios Petsas, an- Cyprus a "more capable part-
ish Cypriot declaration of increased friction between heightened tensions in the other example of Greece's ner" in dealing with challeng-
independence in the island's Turkey and its eastern Medi- eastern Mediterranean, but "provocative" policies. es like terrorism, weapons
north, maintains more than terranean neighbors, Greece we thought it was the right Pompeo said U.S. President trafficking and maritime se-
35,000 troops there. Turkey's and Cyprus, over offshore thing." Turkey meanwhile, Donald Trump has urged curity without having to sell
Foreign Ministry said the energy explorations rights. denied as a "figment of imagi- both Erdogan and Greek the the country lethal weap-
U.S. decision harms efforts Warships from the two nation" a German newspaper Prime Minister Kyriakos ons. q

German police raid 50 homes

in child porn investigation

By KIRSTEN GRIE- abuse through networks such "What's important is that
SHABER as social media and messen- we are seeing a new kind of
Associated Press ger services, Michael Esser, crime," Esser said. "The per-
BERLIN (AP) — A thou- director of criminal investi- petrators are not acting on
sand police officers in Ger- gations for the Cologne po- their own, but are part of big-
many raided the homes of 50 lice, said. None of them are ger networks which are using
people as part of a nationwide suspected of directly abusing the structures of online com-
crackdown on the online any children, according to munication."
sharing and distribution of the current state of the inves- Police received a lot of sup-
child pornography, Cologne tigation. port in their investigation
police said Wednesday. "Behind every picture there is from one specific messenger
None of the 48 men and two a victim of sexual abuse," Es- service operator, Esser said
women suspected of involve- ser said. "We will never give He declined to say which
ment was arrested during up the fight against pedophile one.
Tuesday's raids, but investi- criminals." Investigators are looking
gators seized around 2,000 The raids took places in 12 quickly through the seized
A map of Germany shows the number of raid places at a press phones, computers and other states, with a focus on Ba- images to see if they can find
conference at the police department in Cologne, Germany, devices upon which images varia. They were part of an evidence indicating that chil-
about nationwide child pornography raids, Wednesday, Sept. were stored, police said. investigation that began in dren are still being abused
2, 2020. The suspects are accused of October 2019 and has so far and if so, they will try to find
Associated Press sharing images of child sexual identified 207 suspects. and rescue the victims.q