Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-03-02

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From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.gr

News in English, 02/03/97

TITLES

• Turkish air force jets ivade Greek air space, reaching as far as Crete.
• Greek-Cypriots living like refugees in their own homeland.
• And, a third candidate makes a bid for the New Democracy leadership.

NATO REVIEW

But we start with Friday's meeting between the Greek prime minister and the Nato secretary general, where Greek-Turkish relations were discussed.

Nato secretary Javier Solana said an extension on the summer moratorium on military exercises in the Aegean would help reduce Aegean tensions.

The Greek leader didn't disagree.

Nato secretary Javier Solana arrived in Athens for talks with prime minister Kostas Simitis, eagre to contribute to a smoothing out of Greek- Turkish relations.

Nato's priority right now is extending into eastern Europe. But Solana says that before that can go ahead, all must be well on the alliance's southeastern flank - in other words, between Greece and Turkey.

Relations between the two Nato members have been strained by Turkish attempts to question Greek sovereignty in the Aegean.

Solana thinks the best way forward is for both countries to agree to measures that could take the tension and uncertainty out of their relations.

The Nato secretary said in Athens that he sees a 1988 agreement between the Greek and Turkish foreign ministers, on the need to reduce tensions in the Aegean, as a model to go by.

That agreement calls for a moratorium on Greek and Turkish military exercises in the Aegean for two months in the summer. Solana would like to see that extended to four months.

The 1988 agreement also calls for Greece and Turkey to provide Nato with records of flights over the Aegeanm and for Nato observers to be stationed on both sides of the Aegean.

Says Solana,

"We'd like to build on the 1988 Papoulias-Gilmaz agreement, and we do the same thing in the summer. I'll do what I can to further agreement between the two countries".

Prime minister Simitis said he agrees there's a need to confront the problems between Greece and Turkey. He also noted that the Papoulias-Gilmaz agreement of 1988 outlines several general principles concerning the need to prevent tensions from escalating.

TURKEY WALL STREET

That verbal offensive was supplemented by the worst Turkish incursions into Greek air space since 1974.

Greece says the latest provocations are more of the same from Turkey.

TURKEY FLIGHTS

And there were more Turkish air space violations to come.

On Thursday, Turkish jets flew over the eastern Aegean islands of Chios, Lesvos, and Samos, again taking pictures.

The planes were chased away by Greek fighters.

Greek leaders say Turkey is trying to make a point with its incursions: that it has rights to the Aegean.

What Turkey is aiming at with its provocations is upsetting the status quo in the region, to grab a chunk of the Aegean and the Greek islands for itself.

What Athens would like to see is the international community sit up and take notice of the dangerous games Turkey is playing. Greece lodged formal protests over the air space violations with Ankara, and with a number of international organisations.

ON-EU/CYPRUS REVIEW

His comments came after three EU members tried to get Greece to accept the Turkish-Cypriots as equal talking partners with free Cyprus, in negotiations on Cypriot entry into the EU.

Greece rebuffed the ploy by Britain, France, and Germany, saying if it were accepted it would be tantamount to recognising Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus as a legal state.

Greece and Cyprus would both like better relations with Turkey, but they don't see any friendly intentions emanating from Ankara.

ND REVIEW

On Thursday, Karmanlis ended days of speculation about whether or not he would run for the party's highest office at next month's congress.

He joined the current party leader and MP Giorgos Souflias on the list of presidential hopefuls.

© ANT1 Radio 1997

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