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[08] Tselentis offers more damning testimony against other 'N17' defendants

Athens 06/08/03 (ANA)

Patroklos Tselentis took the stand for a second day in a row on Tuesday at the trial of 19 “N17” suspects, 24 hours after he positively identified the man police charge was ultra-leftist terrorist group’s “Primus inter pares” cadre, Alexandros Giotopoulos or a.k.a “Michel Economou”.

Giotopoulos has denied any involvement with “November 17”, while a handful of defendants that provided final statements to the same court last week directly or indirectly offered testimony that the self-described translator was not a member.

Tselentis, identified in the voluminous indictment as the “N17” operative known as “ Alekos” or “Tenias“, is the first defendant out of five not to claim that authorities threatened or tortured him into providing confessions or information about other terror suspects.

Tselentis, 43, also identified Dimitris Koufodinas, the defendant authorities accuse of being the notorious terror band’s operatio-nal chief.

Queried by prosecutors over Tselentis’ testimony, Koufodinas merely replied that ‘some of it is true and some of it is false”.

In other statements, Tselentis said that Giotopoulos, the Paris-educated son of a well-known 1930s-era Trotskyite in Greece, had acted out of “ideological” reasons only, that he “accepted dialogue” but did not accept views and conclusions of others, and referred to him as “somewhat elite”.

As per Koufodinas, a self-styled beekeeper who lived under an assumed identity since the early 1980s, Tselentis used a term to denote that he was of a working-class background and mentality, while also describing him as persistent, ethical as well as introverted. He said Koufodinas lived in the band’s safehouses throughout the mid-1980s and with money gathered by the group.

Asked about N17’s hierarchy, he answered that reality was illustrated in practice, adding that Giotopoulos and Koufodinas were individuals with “special skills”.

“He’s a very intelligent man, Tselentis, he realized that in order to make a trade he would need to talk about Giotopoulos,” was Giotopoulos’ reply.

In other matters, Tselentis said he never saw any women in the terrorist group and that he did not know Theologos Psaradellis, one of the ''19'', and a defendant that only admits to participating in a bank robbery. Additionally, he says he never heard the name Yiannis Serifis mentioned by “N17” members. Serifis, a noted leftist and anti-state labor activist once tried and acquitted of similar terrorism charges in the late 1970s, also maintains his innocence.

Conversely, he said he saw defendant Nikos Papanastasiou on a few occasions during his early participation with the deadly terror gang.

As far as the group’s habits and organization is concerned, Tselentis said members often met once a month in outdoor areas (i.e. cafes) where they discussed matters using code words. Communication by phone was prohibited, whereas numerous safehouses were kept so that no one member knew all the locations.

In case a member was apprehended, the other members were obliged to evacuate the safehouses they knew of, and they were advised to avoid making any statements to police for at least 24 hours.

Members were also ordered to never leave behind a wounded fellow comrade, Tselentis said, noting that in case of minor injuries “we would have to take him along with us, while if it was more serious we would take him by car and leave him outside a hospital before fleeing.”

His testimony continues on Wednesday.

[09] ''Imported'' bears raid Drama region

Athens 06/08/03 (ANA)

Stock breeders said that in the past few weeks there have been in the region an increased number of raids by bears entering Greek territory from the south of neighboring Bulgaria.

Apart from the bears, last month the same area was raided by wolves, which farmers say also come from Bulgaria.

[10] Spokesman says Turkey's dealings with regime illegal

NICOSIA 06/08/03 (CNA/ANA)

Asked what the government intends to do, the spokesman said ''Cyprus' permanent appeal to all directions over the illegality of the occupation and our demand to end the occupation will continue until the Cyprus problem is solved and the illegality of the occupation ceases.''

Chrysostomides said Turkey is ''the only country that recognizes the illegal regime and any dealings that take place between Turkey and the occupation regime are part of the wider frame-work of occupation on the one hand, and the illegal declaration of the regime on the other.''

''There is no way to control these dealings,'' he said, adding that ''from the very first day of the invasion and occupation there has been a regime which is being ruled by the law of armed conflict. The same regime continues to exist today. Whatever dealings take place between Turkey and the occupation regime are part of a framework of illegality,'' the spokesman added.

Chrysostomides further said these dealings were ''proof of the support of the Denktash policy by the official Turkey.''

According to Turkish media, Turkey is proceeding with the signing of a ''customs union'' with the regime, reacting to Cyprus' signing of the Accession Treaty with the EU.

For this reason, the so-called ''association council'' between Turkey and the occupation regime will convene on Friday with the participation of five ministers from Turkey, who will pay an illegal visit to the occupied areas of the island.

The Turkish Cypriot unilateral declaration of independence was declared ''legally invalid'' by UN Security Council resolution 541 of November 1983, which called on all states not to recognize the self-styled regime and not to facilitate it in any way.

Only Turkey, whose troops invaded and occupied the island's northern third, has recognized the bogus state.

[11] More Cypriots crossed divide in July than in May, study says

NICOSIA 06/08/03 (CNA/ANA)

between 11 and 13 July 2003. Also, the majority of Turkish Cypriots asked said they would visit the free areas again.

According to the study conducted among 2,534 Greek Cypriots who had traveled to the occupied areas in 794 groups and 1,294 Turkish Cypriots who had visited the free areas in 430 groups, 61% of the Greek Cypriots asked intend to revisit the occupied areas, compared to 45% asked in May when the first study was conducted.

Regarding Turkish Cypriots, 94% maintain their intention to re-visit the free areas.

According to the results of both studies and movement from 23 April 2003 until 13 July 2003, the total expenditure of Greek Cypriots in the occupied areas is estimated at 5,523,000 Cyprus pounds and that of Turkish Cypriots to 3,133,000 Cyprus pounds.

On average Greek Cypriots spend 9.81 pounds per person compared to 7.38 in May. This increase came from spending at nightclubs, from 1.72 pounds to 3.81 pounds, and from 2.12 pounds to 3.90 pounds at restaurants.

On the other hand, on average a Turkish Cypriot spends 8.89 pounds compared to 7.19 pounds in May. This increase is due to the purchase of foodstuff and drinks from supermarkets.

Turkish Cypriots' spending at restaurants was down from 2.74 to 2.08 pounds, as well as on clothing and footwear, from 1.77 in May to 0.69 pounds in July. Between 23 April and 13 July a total of 552,880 Greek Cypriots visited the occupied areas while 403,577 Turkish Cypriots came to the free areas of the Republic.

In July 40% of Greek Cypriots had visited the occupied areas four and more times, while the percentage during the first study was only 12%.

The percentage of Greek Cypriots visiting the occupied areas for the first time was significantly down to 16% compared to 43% in May.

Similarly, 78% of Turkish Cypriots have visited the free areas four and more times, while 49% of them had crossed to the southern controlled areas more than ten times.

The percentage of Turkish Cypriots visiting the free areas for the first time was down to 4% compared to 27% in May.

According to a study in June at Larnaca Airport, 4.1% of tourists who resided in the free areas visited the occupied areas, spending on average 12.70 pounds per person and a total of 136 thousand pounds for the month.

The interviews were conducted at the crossing points.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

[12] Cypriot official in Rome for talks with Italian Presidency

NICOSIA 06/08/03 (CNA/ANA)

The Ambassador, visiting Rome at the invitation of the Italian Presidency, held talks with Rocco Cangelosi, Director General of European Integration at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the forthcoming Intergovernmental Conference and on bilateral issues of European interest, an official press release said.

[13] British Bases to get new Administrator

NICOSIA 06/08/03 (CNA/ANA)

He assumes his duties on September 5 in succession of Air Vice Marshal TW Rimmer.

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