Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-12-11

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

Last Updated: Thursday, 11-Dec-97 11:10:36

CONTENTS

[01] Simitis-Junger

[02] Parliament-NATO

[03] Ôurkey-Violations

[04] Ship

[05] Simitis-Karamanlis

[06] Poll

[07] Áthens 2004

[01] Simitis-Junger

I will only back down, says prime minister Kostas Simitis, if Turkey publicly states that it will respect the principles adhered to by civilised nations.

Simitis spoke after meeting with Luxembourg prime minister Jean-Claude Junger, whose country currently holds the EU chair.

The Simitis-Junger meeting came in the run-up to this month's EU summit in Luxembourg.

The idea of creating a prospective EU members conference which Turkey could sit in on was floated recently. Simitis say's it's a ruse some EU members want to use to give Turkey a foot in the door, even though everyone in the EU agrees that Turkey is nowhere close to meeting the requirements for EU membership.

[02] Parliament-NATO

During a parliamentary debate, Kostas Karamanlis said he understands Pasok MPs who question the prime minister's agreement to bring the Aegean into Nato's new command structure as it is.

The new structure would unify the air spaces of Nato members for the purposes of alliance exercises and flights.

Many in Pasok fear that will lead to Turkey, a Nato member, gaining joint control over the Aegean with Greece.

New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis said it's natural that even members of ruling Pasok should have questions about the abrogation of national air space control as far as Nato operations go. "The fear that the Nato agreement will lead to joint Greek-Turkish control over the Aegean air space is understandable", added the opposition leader.

Many in Pasok were upset that the government approved the deal without discussing it with the

party first. Karamanlis accused the prime minister of developing and implementing his policies in secret, a sign, he claimed, of Simitis's feelings of guilt about what he's doing.

The opposition leader also said the in-fighting in Pasok that followed the Nato developments, was tragicomic, and muddying the government's image.

Simitis defended the Nato agreement, which also calls for the reopening of an alliance regional command centre in Larisa, under Greek command, and reduces Turkey's regional command posts from three to one.

The Greek leader told his opponents: "With the Larissa command, we'll have a say in Nato developments. If we back out of the deal, we'll end up being an observer of developments.

Simitis didn't address Karamanlis's comments about the impression the fighting in Pasok has made on the nation. But he said that the last New Democracy government was guilty of making concessions on vital foreign affairs issues.

He also criticised New Democracy European parliamentary deputies for voting against an EU resolution which states that Turkish objections to the EU's plans to start membership talks with Cyprus cannot be accepted by the EU.

[03] Ôurkey-Violations

And on Wednesday, Greek fighters chased 10 Turkish F- 16s out of Greek air space.

The intruders flew over the area just north of the Sporadic islands and headed toward Halkidiki in northern Greece.

The Turkish jets got to within 15 miles of Halkidiki, but retreated when Greek fighters

appeared.

The latest violations come just a day after the US announced that it is allowing Greece to buy F-15 and F-16 fighters from McDonnell aircraft.

Greek defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos said the incursions were a typical piece of Turkish harassment. He added that the fact that the intruders were chase away shows that Greece is determined to defend its sovereign rights.

[04] Ship

It was daybreak Wednesday when Greek fishermen saw the SOS flares fired by the crew of the Esgourlou. They immediately radoed the Greek authorities, and a joint navy-coast guard search was launched.

Two commercial ships sailing near the place where the flares were spotted approached the area. They found eleven sailors, 10 in life boats, one in the sea.

The recovered seamen were taken to the hospital in Kimi, just two miles from where the boat went down. All were in good condition - having suffered light cuts and bruises and hyppothermia.

Wednesday night, the Greek navy and coast guard were still searching the shipwreck area for the ship's second engineer, who was in the engine room when the Esgourlou started sinking.

Antenna's helicopter landed on the rock of Prassoula Wednesday. It is believed the ill-fated ship struck the rock before sinking half a mile away.

There is a light house on the Greek rock, and it's suspected that the watch on the bridge fell asleep, setting the stage for the tragedy.

[05] Simitis-Karamanlis

The leader of New Democracy charged that Pasok's economic policies are impeding the country's march toward a more closely integrated Europe.

The prime minister responded that Greece will join Europe's unified currency before 2002.

New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis asked prime minister Kostas Simitis to "admit" that he's responsible for the fact that Greece won't be joining the unified European currency in the first round in 1999.

Karamanlis said foot-dragging on the part of the current, and past, Pasok government's has resulted in Greece being marginalised within the European Union.

The opposition added in derisive tones: "We're at the tail-end of Europe, we're in overall decline in every sector, the country lacks credibility, our leaders are ineffectual - mediocracy rules. The Simitis government has compromised with decay".

Karamanlis took issue with the way Pasok has approached the matter of achieving economic convergence with other EU members.

He said the government's strong-drachmae policy, which has exhausted the opportunities for productive development, and its tax forays are the wrong way of combatting inflation and the national deficit, key indicators in determining whether or not a nation is ready for monetary union.

In 15 months there have been 49 new taxes, added Karamanlis, yet the government denies it.

The opposition leader also noted that Greece has absorbed only a third of the EU development funds it's been allotted, while two thirds of the time it has to do it in has passed. Greece risks losing the rest of the funding package.

Arguing that the macroeconomic picture looks good, Kostas Simitis reassured parliament that Greece will be a part of the European Monetary Unit by 2002, that is, before the new Eurocurrency circulates.

The prime minister added that just achieving good numbers - on inflation and the deficit - isn't good enough to make sure monetary union works. There has got to be a political mechanism to ensure that the EU isn't vulnerable to periodic stock market crises that rock the world economy.

For that reason, Simitis believes the EU needs a body that will be responsible for formulating its economic policies.

Responding to the charge that the government has been slow in putting EU development funds to use, the prime minister pointed out that by the end of this year, Greece will have absorbed half the funds its been allotted for the period 1994 to 2001.

[06] Poll

The poll gives the main opposition party a five- point edge over the ruling party.

Pasok MPs had mixed reaction to the poll, which also shows that more people think Pasok would win an election if one were held now.

Says Fivos Ioannides, "We shouldn't pay to much attention to it. A government is judged at the end of its term. There can be shifts in voter opinion in-between elections".

For Harris Tsiokas, the poll shows there's been some attrition, and the government should bear its lost voters in mind".

New Democracy MP Fivos Kostopoulos says, "The poll result was expected. The government's poor policies are driving its voters away from Pasok. And they're turning to us, because we've got the right ideas. New Democracy will win the next elections".

The government's four-year term expires in the year 2000.

[07] Áthens 2004

On Wednesday, sports minister Andreas Fouras briefed New Democracy on its plans for the organising committee.

New Democracy MP Tzannis Tzannetakis says "There must be consensus on this matter. We're ready to look at the committee issue, to work with it. We want to ensure the organising committee that's put together will be able to stage the games as well as possible".

The government will announce its Olympic plans in the New Year.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1997

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