MAK-NEWS 31/07/95 (M.I.L.S.)

From: MILS - Skopje <mils@ITL.MK>

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 31 July 1995

[01] NIMITZ ARRIVING IN A VISIT TO MACEDONIA TODAY

US Special Envoy in the Greek-Macedonian dispute Matthew Nimitz will arrive in Macedonia today in a two-day visit, to meet Macedonian Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski.

'I believe the talks will continue within the next two weeks, that is sometime during the first half of August. It is very important that the sides in the dispute determine their positions precisely. In my opinion, the negotiating process will be intensified and the two sides are to meet 'tjte-`-tjte' in the presence of mediators,' the Skopje daily Vecer cites Nimitz's statement for the magazine Dollar.

The media in Athens say US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke also voiced optimism that an agreement can be reached by the middle of September.

[02] GREECE DEMANDING EXCLUSIVE RIGHT OVER THE STAR

A1 Television quotes yesterday's Elefterothipia as writing that Greece has asked for an exclusive international right over the Vergina Star, the symbol of the ancient Macedonian dynasty which is applied on the flag of Macedonia. The paper states that Greece has submitted an application to the UN at the beginning of July.

[03] KOZIREV GIVES INTERVIEW FOR MACEDONIAN TELEVISION

Speaking on the Macedonian-Russian relations in an interview with the Macedonian Television, Russian Federation Foreign Minister Andrei Kozirev said, 'I think that the recent, first-ever visit of a Macedonian foreign minister to Moscow is a significant step forward in the development of relations between our two nations, that are linked by common historical, cultural and religious background. We were among the first countries to recognize the Republic of Macedonia and we will continue to support the Macedonian state and its sovereignty. We believe that the problems you are facing, such as the problem with Greece for instance, ought to be resolved by political means, through negotiations. It is our intention to expand political, economic and cultural relations with Macedonia and this was mainly discussed at the meeting in Moscow. The visit presents a useful demonstration of our mutual relations and opens new possibilities for wider cooperation,' Kozirev said, adding that the talks also included military cooperation issues.

[04] BORDER MEETING OF MACEDONIANS IN TRNOVO

In an organization of the Association of Macedonians from Aegean Macedonia, a fifteenth traditional border meeting took place yesterday in the village of Trnovo, near Bitola. The meeting was attended by about 10,000 people, among which a large number of Macedonians from Bulgaria, Albania, Greece and other European and overseas countries.

Association president Aleksandar Popovski, who declared the meeting open, said that the manifestation was aimed at securing respect for the rights of Macedonian minorities in all Balkan countries and pointing out the need for education, religious services and media in the Macedonian language in these countries. Popovski stated that the Greek reactionary authorities are systematically destroying everything reminding of Macedonia (such as Macedonian toponyms, churches, monasteries, tombs and property).

The present were also addressed by Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov, who said the meetings in Trnovo ought to be preserved as a tradition of all Macedonians. He spoke of the current political moment, situation in the Balkans, crisis and Macedonia's relations with the neighbors. He sent a message to all Macedonians in the world, appealing to foster the patriotic feeling towards Macedonia, to avoid party- based splits out of the country, and preserve the identity of the Macedonian language, culture and unity of the church.

[05] GLIGOROV MEETS REPRESENTATIVES OF MACEDONIANS IN TRNOVO

During the Trnovo meeting of Macedonians from out of the country, Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov met with representatives of Macedonians living in Albania, Bulgaria and Greece, Macedonian Television reports. They spoke of problems they face in these countries, particularly in the fields of education and information in the mother tongue, as well as the lack of moral and economic support from Macedonia and the too high entry visas for Macedonians from Albania and Greece.

Gligorov spoke of the efforts currently undertaken by Macedonia to finally resolve their problems, stressing the need for a cultural union of all Macedonians to enable the Republic of Macedonia raise the question of Macedonian minorities in the Balkans at the international institutions. The president said efforts are also under way to purchase a satellite television channel to connect all Macedonians in the world with their home land.

Representatives of Macedonians from Greece were especially informed on the course of negotiations between Macedonia and Greece. Gligorov stressed Macedonia will never give up its name and will firmly insist on consistent implementation of international conventions on rights of minorities.

[06] ETHNIC RELATIONS IN MACEDONIA RELAXED, RADIO TIRANA SAYS

Yesterday, Radio Tirana repeated an announcement of the Macedonian authorities' decision to release the convicted ethnic Albanians in the 'paramilitary case', A1 Television reports.

'The restless engagement of ethnic Albanian deputies in the Macedonian parliament and the frequent meetings with President Gligorov proved fruitful. All of the convicted will be released on August 1, while two of them, not having spent a third of their sentences, will be pardoned by Gligorov,' the radio reports. The further comment says that this is to prove in the eyes of the international community that Macedonia is ready to seriously approach all problems and conflicts in the country. The release of the 'parasoldiers', the radio says, will largely contribute to a relaxation in the ethnic relations in Macedonia.

Meantime, Macedonian Minister of Justice Vlado Popovski explained that the prisoners will not be pardoned by the president, as Radio Tirana says, but that there is a legal possibility to release from prison those who have already spent a third of their sentence.

[07] CANCELED PARTICIPATION AT UN SEMINAR

Macedonian weekly Puls cites Rilindia as informing of the coming UN-organized seminar in Vienna on the topic entitled 'Resolving Conflicts: Search for Common Space'. Besides UN Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi and other statesmen from the former Yugoslav republics, invitations for participation were also sent to Veton Suroi, chief editor of the weekly Koha and Iso Rusi, a publicist of Skopje. The latter, however, sent a letter to the Director General of the UN office in Vienna, stating it would be immoral for them to take part in the seminar in the light of the recent events in Srebrenica, Zhepa and the entire Bosnia, all done under the UN flag.

'Under present conditions, we do not see how we could debate on the 'new conflicts' (as you refer to Kosovo and Macedonia),' the letter says.

Menduh Tachi also canceled his participation at the seminar, on grounds of the 'irresponsible and incorrect behavior of the United nations toward the recent events in Bosnia.'

[08] GOVERNMENT PRESS-CONFERENCE

At a press-conference last Friday, the government's spokesman Djuner Ismail told reporters that another 8 administration officers have been relieved of duty on grounds of unsatisfactory results in their work, upon a suggestion of the competent ministries. The changes will not result in replacing the current ministers.

[09] MACEDONIA EXTRADITES BAIRAMI TO BELGIUM

Basri Bairami, accused of kidnapping the former Belgium prime minister Paul Vanden, was turned over to authorities in Belgium last Friday upon a request of Belgium and in compliance with international laws.

Bairami was an outstanding member of the so-called Hamers gang, accused of a series of robberies in the late '80s. He had managed to escape from the Brussels prison in May 1993 along with two other gang members, taking 4 hostages.

[10] MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE SEMINAR

A Summer School of the Seminar on Macedonian Language, Literature and Culture will take place August 4 to 24 in Ohrid, in the presence of about 120 Macedonian language experts from 25 countries. A scientific discussion (to be held on 21-22 August) will present latest findings, and a first-ever Macedonian-Russian Slavistic Scientific Conference, organized by the Philology Department of the University in Skopje, will take place on August 23-24.

[11] NEW PRICES OF BREAD

In accordance with last Friday's Macedonian Government decision, the price of bread is increased by 3 Denars (the new price is 23 Denars), and the white flour baked products of 'Zhitoluks' will be sold at 8 to 12 per cent higher prices.

MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT:

[12] WHAT CAN TURKEY DO IN A WORLD WITHOUT ORDER?

by Dr. Cuneyt Ulsever (PART I)

(Turkish Daily News, 21 July 1995)

How orderly were the '80s! There was us and the capitalists or us and the communists. The lines were clear. There was a struggle and there was the aim of destroying each other and extending one's own sphere of influence. As an outpost against communism, Turkey had the duty of the policeman of the Western alliance. If the West really angered us, we would sometimes even threaten weakly that we would move over to the other side.

When we Turks started feeling uneasy about our situation, our 'superiors' in the government would prophesy that Communism would 'take over this winter' and we would once again take our place in the preordained system.

Mr. Suleiman Demirel had to work hard to protect the West in those days. Opposition groups sometimes lost their temper with him, claiming that 'Morrison Suleiman' was nothing but a servant of the West. So the Demirel for whom the leftists voted as the 'servant of democracy' in 1991, and the same president who claimed 'the West wants the Treaty of Sevres back', had suffered a good deal in those times to protect the West against those same leftists.

The West was so blinded by the desire to destroy communism that no one was asking 'What will happen later?' For years, the West thought of nothing else but that Communism was the only real evil and that everything would be fine only if communism was destroyed.

The West finally got its wish. Communism went and died. But just when it was really starting to believe that a rose garden was about to take its place, the West was faced with three factors it had not foreseen and thus could not deal with: Cultural demands (the new tribalism) which broke out all over the world once communism died; struggles for democracy which Western public opinion approved of fully (and terrorism that was practically supported by the West); and, just as everyone was saying that the antithesis of capitalism was dead, the rise of Islam.

Moldovans, Belarussians, Azerbaijanis and Georgians sought a new identity and democratic forms. This new demand for identity brought also the demand for democracy to the forefront. The West had not attached much importance to this until then. Remember how Turkey had problems concerning democracy and human rights in the old days too. How much did the West concern itself with our democratization process then? At present, the West is unwillingly brought face to face with loyal allies like Turkey because of the obligation to keep new cultures and states on its side. Moreover, there is public opinion in each Western country which supports this demand for identity by the emerging countries. Didn't the West present its struggle against communism as a fight for democracy? So it must now at least verbally support new demands for democracy.

The third point is that Western capitalism has not noticed that it was the one that created communism. The West simply did not want to acknowledge that the capitalist mode of production could not allow for social justice, which communism had to fight for. Communism is now dead but poverty and wealth still exist on an international level. Communism no longer fills the need for an antithesis. And this is where Islam comes in, emerging as a political opposition to the West in place of communism and socialism. Moreover, it has no opponent. So now there is no socialism, no communism, nor any ideology embracing social democracy. Islam can clear the board.

As for Turkey, its own sense of order has been undermined because of the lack of a world order. The reason for the existence of its central authorities has been destroyed. In the communist period, the state and the bureaucracy were in alliance with the West and the West controlled the economy through the country's political and social structures. Since this relationship between the state and the citizen was an inheritance from the Ottomans, it all seemed normal to us Turks. The West, as in those times, gave material and moral support to this clumsy and unproductive state because it was in its interest to do so.

But now the situation has changed. The West no longer wishes to give the same support and, besides, the need for centralized structures in ex-outposts like Turkey is disappearing. Once the West pulls back its support, the economy's weaknesses become even more evident. Public expenditure increases and becomes the burden of the people, who as a result call for privatization. Unfortunately we cannot sell off the public sector and there is no escape for us.

There are three major obstacles to privatization: the bureaucracy, the politicians and parasitical entrepreneurs. All of these three have lost the support of the West, and the bureaucracy in particular has seen its supremacy destroyed. As a result of being left alone, they have become particularly aggressive. The West in turn no longer knows what to say to its ex-allies.

The state apparatus is in a deadlock over the economy, and at the same time we face an unpalatable Kurdish reality and the increasing cultural demands that are made by the Kurdish population. The alliance made by the bureaucracy and the political authority with the West has again suffered a blow. In the past, we were waiting for a war which might happen, and now we find ourselves in the thick of one. We have been shooting ourselves in the leg. Some of our former friends and allies have even been feeding the enemy within.

Even those who do not support the 'enemy within' are making trouble for our current rulers by urging democratization. This is like inviting Sultans to abdicate voluntarily. Who gives up his power of his own will? We expect the bureaucrats and the politicians to amend the laws which establish their authority. This is a paradox seldom witnessed. Turkey, in the new global situation, is caught up in a third spiral as regards the Welfare Party. The West used to be afraid of our falling prey to communism. Instead of taking certain measures to resolve the problems of the gap between rich and poor - which the West itself helped to instigate - it stuck to its belief that if communism came to an end, the poor would keep quiet. In addition, the West never even tried to understand the sociological and cultural perspective of poverty. And now, we are rescued from communism.

(to be continued)

(end)

mils-news 31 July '95