THE Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash, warned yesterday that unless immediate action was taken to reduce growing tension between his community and the Greek Cypriots, Cyprus would be heading for catastrophe.
He was speaking following the shooting dead of one Turkish Cypriot soldier and the wounding of another at a sentry post on the line which has separated the communities since 1974. His people blame the Greek Cypriots, but the Cyprus government says there is not evidence its people were involved in Sunday's attack.
The Turkish Foreign Minister, Ms Tansu Ciller, will attend the soldier's funeral today. "If it is ever proven that the shots were fired from the Greek Cypriot side, or by the Greek Cypriot security forces, then the Greek Cypriots will never be able to live this one down." Ms Ciller said yesterday.
Last month, two Greek Cypriots were killed during demonstrations against the Turkish army's occupation of northern Cyprus.
Mr Denktash said he was repeating his appeals for talks with President Glafcos Clerides, adding that it was not necessary to discuss the overall Cyprus problem.
"The fact that we will be meeting will give a message to our peoples that we are able to meet and that we intend to produce something good for the island. This is a message needed for Cyprus.
"There is nothing else that we can do which will reduce tension. If the Greek Cypriots want to keep Cyprus in the headlines and instead of cooling the atmosphere by meeting and talking they want to keep on adding fire to it, then I think the signals are that we are heading for catastrophe," he said.
Previous calls for such meetings by Mr Denktash, supported by international diplomats and the UN after last month's demonstrations, have been turned down by the Cyprus government which wants discussions on a wider basis. Yesterday, however, the government spokesman refused to say how such an idea would be considered following the latest killing.