Antenna: News in English (PM), 97-11-06

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

Last Updated: Thursday, 06-Nov-97 13:11:44

CONTENTS

[01] Gilmaz-Interview

[02] Gilmaz-Crete

[03] Turkish violations

[04] Scandalides

[05] "Employment and Tourism"

[06] Little Hero

[07] Sports

[01] Gilmaz-Interview

The meeting came on the sidelines of the Southeastern European Nations summit, organised by the Greek government to promote security and development in the Balkans.

The Turkish prime minister has invited his Greek counterpart to Ankara. But some in Pasok are troubled by Turkey's overall treatment of Greece.

In the aftermath of his meeting with Kostas Simitis Monday, Turkish premier Mesout Yilmaz told Turkish TV station NTV that any problems between Greece and Turkey should be resolved peacefully, as a war would be disastrous for everyone.

Noting that a Greek prime minister hasn't visited Turkey in 40 years, though two Turkish premiers have visited Greece, Yilmaz reiterated his desire for prime minister Simitis to visit Ankara soon.

The Turkish leader also said Monday's meeting put an end to quote "a period of darkness" unquote, in relations. He believes that dialogue should be continued by the nations' foreign ministers.

Sources say Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos is piqued because he was excluded from the Simitis-Yilmaz meeting at the request of Yilmaz, who wanted to meet privately with the Greek premier.

Asked why Yilmaz had refused to shake Pangalos's hand in Crete, Turkish journalist Mehmet Ali Birant told Antenna that Pangalos is perceived in Turkey as having made insulting remarks about the country, and Yilmaz feels bound by public opinion.

Yilmaz made contradictory statements Tuesday. First, he said Simitis had accepted his proposal to appoint two people to maintain open lines of communication between Athens and Ankara. Later, Yilmaz said Simitis was considering the proposal. In fact, says the Greek government spokesman, Simitis rejected the proposal altogether.

In an interview with Antenna's Giorgos Vlavianos, Yilmaz set the record straight.

"I proposed to start dialogue...and assign envoys... "Greek government declined...." "It wasn't an agreement...fresh with Mr Simitis".

Some Pasok MPs are greeting the Simitis-Yilmaz meeting with scepticism.

Iannis Kapsis says there will be no progress until Turkey abandons its inflexible attitude toward Greece.

And Christos Rokofyllos says Greek-Turkish problems couldn't be solved by ten such conferences as the one held in Crete, especially when the focus is not on Greek-Turkish issues.

[02] Gilmaz-Crete

Messout Yilmaz and his wife took a final stroll through the quaint streets of Iraklio Tuesday night. Coming upon two beautiful twin girls, Yilmaz and his wife hugged them.

The Yilmaz's dined at a local taverna - a traditional spread of squid, greens, myzithra cheeze, and honey.

The Turkish leaders assessment was: "Delicious". He added that he would like to return to Crete soon.

[03] Turkish violations

There were more violations of Greek airspace by Turkish fighters Wednesday.

And for the first time since 1974, the Turks staged a mock landing in northern Cyprus.

Greek gave chase to Turkish jets on several occasions, as 56 Turkish F-16s made dozens of airspace incursions between the islands of Limnos to Kastelorizo.

The Turks, conducting manoeuvres code-named "Bull" in the Aegean, are trying to disrupt concurrent Greek exercises in the area, says Athens.

In Cyprus, Turkish forces staged a mock landing in occupied territory, and a mock attack on Russian S- 300 missiles, perhaps giving a taste of what Turkey plans to do if Cyprus instals the missiles as planned next year.

One manoeuvre consisted in commandos landing at an S-300 command site 30 kilometres west of Nicosia, with simultaneous bombardment from the air.

[04] Scandalides

Among those mentioned in the controversial letter, published in "Men" magazine, is current prime minister Kostas Simitis.

Incensed, central committee secretary Kostas Skandalides says he could never have written such a missive, and everyone knows it.

Kostas Skandalides is furious at the publication of the letter allegedly written by him in 1995, for the eyes of the late Pasok leader and three- time prime minister Andreas Papandreou. The controversial document is said to have been taken from archives in the hands of Papandreou's widow, Dimitra Liani Papandreou.

But Skandalides says he didn't write it.

In the letter attributed to Skandalides,

assessment is made of activities by top party members which don't jell with the will of Papandreou.

Essentially, the letter amounts to Skandalides snitching on other party members.

The letter, which Skandalides vigorously denies writing, makes reference to the nascent group of current prime minister Kostas Simitis, Vasso Papandreou, today development minister, and Paraskevas Avgerinos. The three were later to be joined by current foreign minister Theodoros

Pangalos, and were united in their opposition to the way the party and the country were being run by Papandreou and those close to him.

The letter attributed to Skandalides runs: "As for Simitis, Vasso Papandreou, and Avgerinos, they are tending toward the formation of an organised group with an eye on the leadership of the party, when the succession game starts".

The letter describes Pangalos as an unsteady fourth member of the group.

It says, quote "Pangalos has the character of a wolf and as a destabilising element he can't be considered a firm member of the group. He projects himself as a little bit crazy but honest, unmasking the games of the other big political parties", unquote.

The letter goes on to report that Pangalos was making more and more appearances with Michalis Papakonstantinou, a former prime minister who had left New Democracy to become an independent.

The letter also makes caustic reference to Evangelos Venizelos. "In Venizelos", goes the letter, "we see someone who believes it's self- evident that he will rule the country. Indeed, he may find it hard to explain why he isn't already doing so".

Skandalides is suing whoever is responsible for the publication of the letter, along with another attributed to the current agriculture minister, Stephanos Tzoumakas.

In a letter allegedly sent to Andreas Papandreou in 1986, Tzoumakas attacks centrist tendencies among Pasok members, some of whom have at one time or another been cabinet ministers.

"Some members, like Evangelos Yiannopoulos, Giorgos Katsifaras, and Melina Mercouri," he allegedly wrote, "even provoke public opinion. Others show inadequacies. And Menios Koutsogiorgas", the letter complains, "the architect of our anti-right-wing politics, defused the anti-rightist atmosphere at the first opportunity".

The letter says Tzoumakas and others were proposing in 1986, a shift to the right, and bourgeois government.

At a press conference held Wednesday, Skandalides announced he's suing whomever's responsible for publishing the missives.

"Until now", he said, "we've seen the sacriligious attitude of cutting Andreas Papandreou up piece by piece, and selling him off as a cheap product. Now they're trying to cut Pasok into pieces with vulgar attacks against the party secretary. I could never have written that letter. Everyone in Pasok knows it, because the wording and the content would be out of keeping with my style and character.

Skandalides says the unethical forgery will be dealt with by justice.

[05] "Employment and Tourism"

During the EU's "Employment and Tourism" conference in Luxembourg, Papoutsis called on the European Union to help combat unemployment by developing tourism.

"Tourism is a major generator of new jobs in Europe. This is why we in the European Commission

decided to organise this conference, to develop a common approach for the definition of common guidelines to take advantage of the huge possibilities has in creating new jobs".

Papoutsis said the guidelines should stress the importance of professionalism, strongly supporting those in the tourist industry helping them to adapt to the changing market.

[06] Little Hero

'Little Hero' or 'Mikro iros' comics entertained children and adults alike by taking them on the colour splashed adventures of Katerina and Spithas as they fought against the German occupation of Greece.

Praising Anemodouras for his contribution to the war effort Avramopoulos said, "After four years of German occupation, an extremely difficult period of time, 'Little Hero' comics symbolically expressed people's hope for Greece's recovery".

Little Hero comics were published until 1967.

[07] Sports

Ofi exits the tourney with its head held high.

Playing at home, the Cretans beat France's Osair 3-2 in extra time.

But Osair advances on the strength of its 2-1 win in the first leg.

In Thessaloniki, Paok plays to a 4-4 draw with Real Madrid. That's not nearly good enough to overturn the 5-2 whipping Paok suffered in Spain, so Real goes through to the next round.

In the European basketball cupwinners' cup, Panathinaikos continued its roll, knocking of Slovakia's Slovako-farma 87-60. Dino Raja leads the winners with 26 points.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1997

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