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GREEK CYPRIOT ARMY PURCHASES ARMOURED COMBAT VEHICLE

It has been revealed that the ongoing efforts of the Greek Cypriot Administration to purchase VALUK 6x6 type armoured combat vehicles for the Greek Cypriot army, which are fully equipped with light armaments and produced in Slovenia, is near completion. 

An Armenian called Agop Chopuryan, who lives in Larnaca, has been named as the middleman responsible for the purchase of the said armoured vehicles, which are produced in a Jewish man called Benjamin Lax’s factory, named as  ‘Sz-Strojl in Tehnoloska Oprema’, in the Ravne-Koroskem region of Slovenia. It is noted that preparations for the sale of these vehicles were completed since November 2002, and that soon they will be clandestinely transported to the island.  

It has been discovered that the Valuk 6x6 Armoured Combat Vehicle is the name of a project and that it has been produced with 14 different feature, which  make it suitable for all climates. Its last production test was carried out in north Slovenia in 1995, and a large part of its production was carried out by using more than 100 computers.  

The Valuk armoured vehicles in question have a 7000cm cubic turbo diesel motor, maximum  speed of 130km per hour when empty, and a full maximum speed of 105km per hour. The vehicles have the capacity to travel upto 600 km without supplementing its fuel, can carry nine persons including the driver, and can climb up a 60 per cent elevated hill, and pass through a  40 per cent  slope sideways. The armoured vehicles weigh 13,300kg, have the capacity to carry 3 tonnes of cargo , and is easily able to go through water filled areas measuring 120cm in height, and ditches measuring 50cm. The vehicles, which also have extras such as air-conditioning and tyre pressure control systems,  also include one 7.62mm machine gun, and one 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun.  

The Greek Cypriot Administration, which is not taking into consideration the demilitarization of the island and the elimination of the Greek Cypriot National Guard and the TRNC Security Forces Commandorate after a possible settlement, is continuing with its rearmament efforts in full force, and such efforts, which the Greek Cypriots are trying to carry out secretly and quietly,  is a major concern not only for UK and  US officials, but also for its own public.  

Whilst the Greek Cypriot Administration is injecting themes of a  settlement and peace to the TRNC people and trying to cause them to revolt, it is now much more obvious why so much emphasis has been placed on the number of Turkish troops to remain on the island, when initially, according to the Annan Plan, a figure of 7,500 was considered, and then this number was reduced to 2,500 upon the requests of Greek Cypriot officials, whereas today, following a letter sent by the Greek Cypriot leader, Glafcos Clerides, to the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, it has been requested that this figure, for a certain period of time, be reduced to zero. In this context, the continuation, without a break, of the Greek Cypriot Administration’s 2002-2006 rearmament programme is also being observed with amazement by the Greek Cypriot public, and without any reservations, the Greek Cypriots are saying  that, “they do not understand what policy is being followed by the Greek Cypriot Administration ”.