Antenna: News in English (PM), 97-11-07

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

Last Updated: Friday, 07-Nov-97 13:56:13

CONTENTS

[01] Parliament

[02] Holbrooke

[03] Stefanopoulos-Parmenion

[04] Pangalos

[05] Simitis-Scandalides

[06] Earthquake

[07] Stock Market

[08] Sports

[01] Parliament

Kostas Simitis briefed MPs on his meeting with Turkish prime minister Mesout Yilmaz last Monday.

Calling his meeting with Yilmaz necessary and beneficial, Simitis says he told the Turkish leader that an all-encompassing dialogue would lead nowhere - Greece wants to resolve differences step- by-step; Simitis also told Yilmaz that the first step is for Ankara to accept the European Union's requests that it stop making threats of violence against Greece, respects international law, and takes its claim to the isle of Imia to the international court.

Simitis told parliament cooperation between the two countries would be good for everyone. And rejected charges that he has beat a retreat before Turkey's bullying tactics.

New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis disagreed. From the time of Turkey's invasion of Imia in 1996 down to the finalising of a non-aggression pact with Turkey last July, said Karamanlis, the Simitis government has been sending the wrong message to Turkey: that Greece is willing to retreat.

[02] Holbrooke

The State Department says Holbrooke will be accompanied by American Cyprus coordinator Thomas Miller.

This will be Holbrooke's first visit to the divided island since the White House appointed him to handle the Cyprus issue earlier this year.

Last week, Holbrooke had talks in New York with Turkish-Cypriot leader Raouf Denktash.

The US has made finding a solution to the Cyprus problem one of its top priorities.

Turkish troops have been in occupation of northern Cyprus since 1974, ignoring UN calls to withdraw.

[03] Stefanopoulos-Parmenion

Kostis Stephanpoulos, defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, and former New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert attended the final day of the military manoeuvres "Parmenion" on the island of Mitilini.

Greek forces staged a mock landing on Mytilini on the final day of the manoeuvres.

Under helicopter and jet cover, the troops stormed the beach.

President Kostis Stephanopoulos, who also paid a visit to the frigate "Hydra", said he was pleased by the defensive exercises. And he added, "I hear reports that Greece wants to provoke a military episode, or is arming Cyprus to attack someone else, I can't imagine whom. That's ridiculous".

Greek F-16 fighters escorted the transport plane that carried Stephanopoulos, defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, and former New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert to the island. Last month, Tsochatzopoulos's plane was harassed by Turkish fighters as it was going from Cyprus to Crete. And there were fears of a repeat episode.

It didn't materialise, but a Turkish frigate did, following the Greek manoeuvres from international waters off the coast of Mytilini.

After days of denying the episode in which Tsochtzopoulos's plane was buzzed, the Turkish prime minister finally admitted it.

Tsochatzopoulos says he's happy to see Turkey willing to admit that it's a trouble-maker. Miltiades Evert said that the Parmenion exercise proved that the Greek armed forces can guarantee Greece's security. He added that Greeks need to be united and vigilant.

There were also Parmenion-ending exercises in Evros, in northern Greece. Observing those manoeuvres, deputy defence minister Dimitris Apostolakis was asked if he anticipates a shooting episode between Greece and Turkey.

He replied, "I hope logic prevails".

[04] Pangalos

Yilmaz said he had made the request because quote, "Pangalos has insulted the Turkish people" unquote with comments he's made.

"I categorically deny that", says Pangalos. Mr Yilmaz never asked that I be kept out of the meeting; he asked to see Mr Simitis alone - the Turkish foreign minister wasn't there either".

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas says Pangalos's version is right.

Pangalos adds that Simitis would never have acceded to such a request. "I have full confidence in Mr Simitis", says Pangalos.

In an interview Wednesday, Yilmaz said he'd asked that Pangalos be kept out of the Simitis meeting because of comments he made in New York recently.

After meeting with the Turkish foreign minister in New York in September, Pangalos said "you can't talk to a robber and a murderer" - a reference to Turkey's bloody invasion of Cyprus in 1974.

Pangalos says he made the comment only after the

Turkish foreign minister had repeated Turkey's claims to half the Aegean during their discussion.

[05] Simitis-Scandalides

On Wednesday, Men Magazine published a letter allegedly written by Skandalides to then-prime minister Andreas Papandreou in 1995.

The missive outlines and assesses the activities by leading Pasok members, including Simitis.... activities directed against the Papandreou leadership.

Skandalides denies authorship of the letter, and is sueing those responsible for publishing it.

In dismissing the letter, Simitis stands by Skandalides's claim that it's a forgery, adding that he's not interested in knowing who DID write it and send it to the press.

The premier adds that Skandalides is a well-tested party member who's contributed to the development of the party.

The magazine says the letter came from archives in the possession of Papandreou's widow. Dimitra Liani Papandreou says she's not responsible for the leak, that the letter was pilfered from the archives.

[06] Earthquake

A 5.4 richter shaker rocked central Greece late Wednesday night.

It was just after 11 pm when Itea in central Greece was hit by a 5.4 richter jolt, centred south of the city in under the Gulf of Corinth.

The quake was felt in northern Greece as well. Slight damages were reported, including cracks in some school buildings, leaving pupils leery of heeding the morning bell. There were power outages in the area around the epicentre.

Earlier in the day, at around noon, three tremors shook the region of Avlona, just north of Athens. The strongest was 4.6 on the Richter scale.

A few hours later, Crete felt the tremble: a 5.2 quake centred just off the island's southwest coast.

One high school in Iraklion suffered cracks, leaving students unwilling to enter the building.

The seismic activity began on Tuesday, when Athens felt a 4.3 richter tremor, followed by another of 4.1.

Many people living in the Itea area, worried by the 5.4 quake, decided to play safe, and spent Wednesday night outside.

One woman said, "I was afraid. The first thing I did was to get my children out of the house".

One boy said, "I was afraid of being hit by a falling object". <p But seismologists are urging calm. Geophysicist Vassilis Papazachos says there could be a connection between the Itea and Avlona quakes, but that isn't reason for alarm, or to expect more quakes all over the country.

Noting that Greece is in a high seismic activity area, Papazachos reminds everyone that tremors are an everyday occurence.

Giorgos Stavrakakis, director of the Athens Observatory Geodynamic Institute, says the Avlona fissures are short, which is why the tremors were weak.

As for Itea, site of the strongest shaker, he explains that more seismic activity can be expected there, because it's in a tectonic zone.

Itea had a 5.7 quake in 1992. In 1995, there was a devastating quake in Aigio, on the opposite side of the gulf of Corinth.

Seismologist Akis Tselendis urges calm - the fact that there were three tremors in the area in the space of two days is just a coincidence. It doesn't necessarily mean something bigger is on the way.

[07] Stock Market

The stock market closed down 4.3 per cent on the day Wednesday.

As it did several times last week, the Bank of Greece intervened to protect the Greek currency, ...raising the inter-bank lending rate to 70 per cent. The Bank says it will keep rates at that level for a week to fend off speculators. 400 million dollars left the country during the latest assault on the drachma, but that was offset by an international influx of 200 million dollars. Finance minister Giannos Papan-toniou denies rumours tha the drachma was discussed at the European Union level.

And Merryl-Lynch says that the drachma is solid, thanks to the high interest rates. it foresees no change in Bank of Greece policy before the end of the year.

There was one more positive piece of news Thursday: the inflation rate dropped to 4.7 per cent.

[08] Sports

Olympiakos has two wins and a loss going into the match; Real is three and oh.

And the Greek team looks ready to draw first blood in the fifth minute of the contest, when Stelios Yiannakopoulos is brought down in the penalty area.

But no penalty is called. Referee Helmut Krook signals to continue play.

There's anger on the Olympiakos bench, and after the match, Real coach Yoop Henkes says he thought a penalty should have been called.

In retrospect, Olympiakos could've really used the penalty, as the game ended in a scoreless draw.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1997

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