Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-12-20

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

Last Updated: Saturday, 20-Dec-97 11:51:26

CONTENTS

[01] Plane crash

[02] Relativs

[03] Yilmaz

[04] State Department

[05] Sports

[01] Plane crash

By nightfall, no trace of the aircraft had been found, and the search was called off until Saturday.

Two days after the Aerosweet plane went down, there were scant hopes of finding any survivors.

Six thousand troops and four thousand volunteers fought their way through snow, fog, and ice, over dangerous paths shrouded in icy winter Friday, looking for the Iak 42 plane that went missing Wednesday night.

With visibility of no more than 100 metres at times, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. It's quite possible that a search team could pass within 30 metres of the plane and be none the wiser.

The search has been concentrated on the Pieria mountains southwest of Thessaloniki. There were teams looking for the plane on Mount Olympus and further north in the Vertiskos range, on the assumption that the plane may not be in the Pieria region as everyone thinks.

17 helicopters and two C-130 cargo planes assisted the ground search.

On one Pieria peak, search teams reached a height of 1200 metres Friday - the peak reaches 1700 metres.

On Mount Olympus, the teams got as high as 700 metres.

There were a few reports Friday that hunters had spotted the plane wreckage - none of them panned out.

A US P3-C Orion surveillance plane based in Italy entered the search Friday night. Its aerial photographs will be worked up in the hope that they will reveal where the Ukrainian plane lies. The low-flying plane, which can fly into the eye of a hurricane, is equipped with metal detectors. A US naval spokesman said it is able to distinguish between a tree and a crash site.

Alternate Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou thanked US ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns for the assistance. Burns expressed his condolences to the families of those on the ill-fated plane.

The Orion will complete its mission early Saturday, when a Nato U2 will also be drafted in to take aerial photos.

Nato was asked if it had a satellite in the area that could take photos. Unfortunately, it did not.

Perhaps the most encouraging news Friday was the starry sky over the village of Fotina, from which the search teams start out on their mission every morning.

If the clear weather holds, then it will make Saturday's search much easier. Thursday and Friday, the troops and volunteers had just four hours of daylight on the slopes.

[02] Relativs

Two days after the ill-fated flight was scheduled to land, relatives and friends of the passengers were still in the terminal, hoping against hope that their loved ones are still alive.

One woman wept unconsolably in the terminal.

Another man cried in anguish: they're all dead.

Still another woman asked "who will give me back my 35-year-old young man.

For many, a cruel fate. A fate one Greek businessman escaped by chance. Dimitirs Tzemertzis was supposed to be on the Aerosweet flight Wednesday. Thinking a business deal had fallen through, he had his bags packed and told his family in Greece he was going home early. He was ready to go, when a phone call came saying the deal was back on. He cancelled his flight plans and phoned his family again.

That night, he got a call at his hotel from his brother. "Is that you Dimitris?" he asked. "Since I'm talking, of course it is", he replied.

His brother said everyone on the plane has been lost.

[03] Yilmaz

Last weekend, the EU leaders told Turkey to improve its relations with Greece and its human rights record, and show a willingness to solve the Cyprus problem, if it ever wants to be put on EU membership track.

Enraged, Yilmaz said there is no longer any ground for political dialogue between his country and the EU.

In Washington Thursday, the Turkish leader warned that the EU decisions, which included a strong confirmation that talks on Cypriot EU admission will go ahead as planned next year, will lead to permanent partition of the island. EU talks, with free Cyprus, warned Yilmaz, will push his government into further integrating occupied Cyprus.

During his Washington press conference, Yilmaz also charged that the EU wants to exclude Turkey because

it is a muslim nation, and he threatened to withdraw his country's application for membership.

Antenna's Alexandra Spyridaki asked Yilmaz what he hopes to achieve during his trip to Washington, which comes in the wake of his falling out with the EU.

"I hope my visit will help contribute to the further development of our relations with the US". "Do you feel upset with the European Union?" "Of course".

Specifically Yilmaz hopes his meeting with Clinton will lead to expanded defence and economic ties between their two countries.

After the EU summit debacle, Turkey suggested it will cancel plans to buy European-made aircraft. In the US, Yilmaz has signed a contract to purchase 49 American Boeing 737s.

Turkey's falling out with the EU has concerned the US. An article in the Washington Post expresses the worry that Turkey's angry turn away from Europe threatens to upset the balance between secular and muslim forces in Turkey.

The paper points out that the EU has been telling Turkey for years what it must do if it wants to move toward membership, but Ankara has not responded. Now, it is suddenly threatening the EU.

The Post also maintains that Turkey's attempt to offset its European problems by tightening relations with the US is unlikely to pay dividends: The idea of Nato member Turkey moving away from the alliance into a bi- lateral defence pact with the US is far-fetched; and Turkey is 60 per cent dependent on Europe for its exports, the article points out.

The Post concludes that Turkey must take the difficult but necessary steps to approach the EU, from both Europe and the US.

[04] State Department

Foley reaffirmed that the US believes a bizonal, bicommunal federation should replace the divided Cyprus.

The American spokesman also said Cypriot entry into the EU could contribute to resolving the Cyprus issue.

[05] Sports

Aek gets a big win in its final round one clashe, beating Alba Berlin in Germany, 67-60. Pane Prelevich leads the winners with 13 points.

Aek finishes the round with a six and four record, which it takes with it into the second round.

Olympiakos loses its final group one contest at home to Israel's Maccabee, a 76-71 decision. But it's not a loss that hurts too much.

The third Greek team in the tournament is Paok, which goes into the next round sporting a 6 and 4 record, the second best.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1997

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