MPA NEWS IN ENGLISH (13/06/1996)

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@philippos.mpa.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, June 13 1996

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] NATO CAN NOT REMAIN INDIFFERENT TO A PROBLEM INVOLVING TWO OF ITS MEMBERS, STATED THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas referring to the issue of the island of Gavdos, stated that NATO can not remain indifferent to a problem involving two of its members.

Mr.Reppas commenting on the statements made by US President Clinton, according to which, the future of the relations between Greece and Turkey will be brighter if the two countries resolve their differences, called on the United States to help the forces working for stability and peace in the region and to resist those which undermine the climate of stability.

[02] GREECE MUST BRING THE ISSUE OF THE AEGEAN ISLANDS OF IMVROS AND TENEDOS TO THE HAGUE

Representatives of Imvros and Tenedos natives and university professors, addressing the greek Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee demanded that Greece must appeal to the International Court of Justice in The Hague on the issue of the human rights violations committed by the turks on the islands of Imvros and Tenedos. All the speakers underlined that the greek government is necessary to make use of all the special protection measures in order to stop the continuing violations.

It should be noted, that this is the first time that the issue of those two islands is being discussed in the greek Parliament.

As it was stressed, 99% of the greek properties have been expropriated and of the 12.000 greeks, who lived on the island of Imvros, now only 300 remain, while the turks are 8.000.

International Relations professors Neoklis Sarris, Leonidas Papadopoulos and Dimitris Tsourkas, as well as, honorary ambassador Efthimios Stophoropoulos underlined that Greece can appeal to international organizations accusing Turkey of Lauzanne Treaty violations based on substantiated evidence.

University professor Neoklis Sarris stated that there are no lost homelands but only forgotten ones, pointing out the Greece ignored the islands of Imvros and Tenedos and abandoned them to the mercy of Turkey.

He said that Greece has no right to be silent, adding that if the same happened in Thrace it would have caused the outcry of the international public opinion. Prof.Sarris concluded by saying that Ankara's goal is to bring back to the Aegean the status that existed before the Balkan War.

[03] ARSENIS:GREECE DOES NOT SEEK NATO'S ARBITRATION ON GAVDOS

"The Atlantic Alliance must come to the realization that Turkey's preposterous behavior creates not only bilateral problems, but problems within NATO's functioning as well," stated the Greek National Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis during his address at the NATO Defense Ministers Summit held today in Brussels.

Within the Summit's parameters, Mr. Arsenis met with his counterparts from Canada, Britain and Germany, while this evening he is expected to meet with France's Defense Minister Mr. Charles Millon.

Commenting on his first contacts held this moning, Mr. Arsenis stated that the greek side "did not have a hard time informing and convincing its allies in NATO" regarding the turkish stance, albeit adding that "more efforts are needed in convincing the NATO alllies to abandon their self-deluding positions of equal distancing towards Greece and Turkey."

Moreover, Mr. Arsenis added that regarding the Gavdos island issue, Turkey's behavior has reached a feverish pitch adding hat Greece does not plan to sit idly on the sidelines.

Responding to reporters' questions, Mr. Arsenis stated that he did not bring forth the issue of the turkish provocations to the Summit's plenary session because he does not consider the situation to be critical, and also because Greece does not wish for NATO's arbitration in the matter.

"The issue will be brought forward at the right time, when the Allies will realize that the turkish intransigence creates problems in the functioning of NATO's northeastern wing, Mr. Arsenis stated.

He reiterated that Greece is willing to react to the turkish aggression with every means and noted that many countries in the Alliance have offered to become involved in the greco-turkish differences.

Tomorrow morning Mr. Arsenis will meet with United States Secretary of Defense William Perry and with NATO's Secretary-General Javier Solana.

[04] GREEK PRESIDENT SPEAKS TO GREEK COMMUNITY IN GERMANY

Greek President Konstantinos Stephanopoulos, stated today that "Greece is in a position to defend itself, although I hope that we will not need to do so," during his address given to the greek community living in Germany.

President Stephanopoulos, who is concluding his official visit to Germany today, emphasized the significance of a united Greece during these hard times, noting that the problems the country is facing are somebody else's doing.

"When did Greece wrong Turkey? When did Greece persecute turkish priests?" the President asked.

Mr. Stephanopoulos emphasized that Greece does not wish for a military confrontation, and pointed out that "we have proposed the only way there is to resolve differences between civilized countries."

"There are, of course, uncivilized countries as well," he continued. "We have suggessted to resort - together if they wish- to the International Justice Court at The Hague. That is because we are certain we are right and we will be justified. And the Turks know that which is why they are resisting (the resort)."

President Stephanopoulos emphasized that Greece expects solidarity from its European Union allies.

"We do not wish to upset the long-standing friendship between Greece and Turkey, however, beyond interests -economic and others- there are certain principles that must remain intact."

The President emphasized that Greece wishes for Turkey's approach with Europe, however not at the cost of the greek situation with Turkey.

"Greece will not accept offensive behavior," he stated.

[05] US PRESIDENT: WE HAVE INVESTED A LOT OF TIME IN GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS

Expressing his heightened concern over greco- turkish relations, United States President Bill Clinton stated yesterday that the future that lies ahead will be improved if both sides aim to resolve their differences.

Speaking at a White House joint press conference with the European Commission President Jacques Santer and the President of the European Council, Italian President Romano Pronti, President Clinton stated that he considers the resolving of the problems between Athens and Ankara to be a "decisive factor for building the future we want for Europe and, more specifically, for the Mediterranean region."

The US president added that on the issue of resolving the greek-turkish differences, the US have invested a lot of time and he expects to further do so in the upcoming months, as well as in the following years, "if the people decide so."

[06] NATO DEFENSE MINISTERS MEET IN BRUSSELS TODAY

NATO's 15 Defense Ministers will meet in Brussels today where, in a brainstorming session, they will discuss the multinational peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and the upgrading of Europe's role in the Alliance.

Greek Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis met this morning with his German counterpart Volker Ruhe and Britain's Michael Portillo, whom he briefed on the recent developments in greco-turkish relations and Greece's positions on national issues.

Mr. Arsenis made it clear that Greece is willing to face the turkish provocations in every way and added that Greece will not tolerate the questioning of greek sovereignty in its islands and islets.

Moreover, Mr. Arsenis gave special emphasis to the Gavdos island issue, by pointing out that Turkey has exceeded the limits by questioning the legal status of an inhabited greek island.

This afternoon, the Greek Defense Minister will meet with his counterpart from the United States William Perry and French Defense Minister Charles Million.

[07] MEASURES AGAINST FYROM WERE DIFFICULT BUT NECESSARY

A delegation of journalists form the Czech Republic visiting Greece met with the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos in Thessaloniki today.

Among the topics discussed was the relations between Greece and Skopje where Mr. Petsalnikos stated that the economic ties between the two countries have significantly improved, although the name issue remains pending.

According to Mr. Petsalnikos, who gave the Czech journalists an extensive historical background on the issue, referred to the embargo imposed by Greece upon Skopje in 1994 as a "difficult, but neseccary decision."

[08] MINOR OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER MEETS WITH IRISH PRIME MINISTER

Leader of Greece's Political Spring Party Antonis Samaras met with the Irish Prime Minister John Bruton in Dublin today, where he brought forth the issues faced by Greece regarding Turkey's provocativeness in the Aegean Sea.

Mr. Samaras stated that the equal distancing policy adopted by some of Greece's european allies is dangerous, since it merely encourages Turkey's provocative stance against Greece.

[09] GREECE-ISRAEL TO JOIN FORCES IN MILITARY EXERCISES

Israel and Greece have agreed to conduct joint naval exercises over the Eastern Mediterranean in the following months.

According to Israeli media, the aim of these exercises is to allay Greece's fears over the strengthening of military ties between Israel and Turkey.

[10] POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH GREEK PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT

Poland is linearly opposed to any changes of Europe's borders as well as to the use of force or the threat thereof, stated the Polish Foreign Minister Darios Rosati today, during his meeting with the President of Greek Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis.

On a two-day visit to Greece, Mr. Rosati emphasized his country's respect for the International Law's principles and treaties regarding the Aegean Sea status and added that Mr. Kaklamanis' recent visit to Poland paved the way for closer cooperation not only between the two countries' parliaments, but at a governmental level as well.

In turn, Mr. Kaklamanis expressed Greece's support for Poland's accession to the European Union.

[11] EUROPEAN COMMISSION SAYS GREEK ECONOMY IS ON RIGHT TRACK

Upon examining the fiscal economies of the countries that benefit from the Cohesion Fund, the European Commission has concluded that Greece, along with Spain and Portugal, is on the right economic path.

The Commission has concluded that the three aforementioned countries have closely followed the debt reduction targets, as they were set by the Council, and, as such, no punitive measures will be taken, such as the cancellation of new funding.

Specifically for Greece, the GNP deficit rate for 1995 fell to 9.2 per cent, well below the Cohesion Fund's ceiling rate of 10.7 per cent.

[12] GREEK-BULGARIAN MAYORS TO DISCUSS BURGAS- ALEXANDROUPOLIS OIL PIPELINE

A greek-bulgarian meeting, at a mayoral level, regarding the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, will be held on June 15 following a relevant initiative proposed by Souflio Mayor P. Christodoulou.

The talks will focus on the pipeline's construction and, according to Sofia's Russian Ambassador A.Avdeev, experts are currently preparing new studies examining the oil pipleline's productiveness. According to the Russian ambassador, the project has proven to be more complex than was expected, thereby resulting in delays.

National participation in the pipeline is allocated at 50 per cent for Russia, 25 per cent for Bulgaria and 25 per cent for Greece.

[13] EARTHQUAKE MEASURING 4,5 ON THE RICHTER SCALE HIT SOUTHERN GREECE

An earthquake measuring 4,5 on the Richter scale hit the sea region 15 kilometers west of Katakolon in the Peloponnese, southern Greece at 8:41'am this morning.

The earthquake was felt in the city of Patras and according to police, no damages were reported.

[14] FORD CONSERVATION AWARDS CEREMONY HELD IN BUDAPEST

With great pomp and circumstance, the european "Henry Ford Conservation Awards" were held in Budapest's Museum of Fine Arts today.

Twenty-six european countries participated at this year's contest which was themed around the cultural and environmental contradictions and similarities found in the european continent

Representing Greece was director Maria Hatzimichalis-Papaliou with the movie "You Are Not Alone."

[15] POLICE TO DON ECOLOGY OUTFITS AND PROTECT NATURE

Thessaloniki's Police Force is planning to propose legislation that will guard and protect the country's natural resources, according to a seminar held today in Thessaloniki titled "Police and the Environment" at the Aristotle University.

The proposal, which will be presented to the Ministry of Public Order at a future date, was approvingly welcomed by the local authorities, among whom the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos, who stated that "one of the most frequently occuring crimes is that of environmental pollution" and, as such, contends that through the creation of a special force, there will be improved application of the already-existing legislation.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[16] US EXAMINE THE DANGERS RESULTING FROM ARMS RACE IN CYPRUS

The United States are examining closely the dangers lurking from the rising military build-up in Cyprus, stated the US State Department spokesperson Nicholas Burns today.

"Our belief is and our position is that we all need to make an effort to try to resolve the problems of Cyprus, and we've been at this for a long time, over 20 years," Mr. Burns stated, adding that John Kornblum, the US Assistant Secretary-designate to Cyprus, has made this very clear publicly, having had extensive conversations with all the parties to the conflict.

Referring to various scenaria of war, Mr. Burns reiterated that the US do not adopt such views.

"We do not believe that there is a rational reason to raise the diplomatic temperature and to talk about war games or a future of conflict. In reality, we want to turn the situation towards the other direciton," he said.

[17] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT ARRIVES IN NEW YORK, TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON

"Butros Ghali, as well as others, believes that the issue of Cyprus' accession to the European Union can serve as the catalyst in solving the Cyprus problem," stated the Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides, responding to questions by reporters upon his arrival in New York after his one-day stop in Switzerland where he met with the UN Secretary-General.

Referring to his meeting with Mr. Ghali, President Clerides stated that they discussed the issue of the missing persons in Cyprus, and the recent killing of the Greek-Cypriot National Guardsman at the demarcation line.

Mr. Clerides pointed out to Mr. Ghali that the situation must be dealt with very seriously since this killing marks the seventh victim in recent years.

Also, Mr. Ghali and Mr. Clerides exchanged views on the Cyrpiot problem and concluded that direct talks are not feasible between the two sides of the divided island, since, according to the Cypriot President, no common ground has been found in the problem's basic aspects.

When asked if he awaits a new US initiative to come forward following his meeting with US President Clinton next Tuesday, Mr. Clerides stated that his assessment is that at this stage the US have not arrived at a decision on proposing a specific solution plan.

Also, Mr. Clerides stated that the recent crisis between Greece and Turkey affects the Cyprus issue, just as any tension noted in Cyprus affects the greek- turkish relations, "they're communicating vessels."

In turn, Mr. Clerides referred to Europe's role in solving the Cypriot issue, and stated that the ultimate solution would be a coordinated effort on behalf of the US and Europe.

Lastly, regarding the governmental instability noted in Ankara, Mr. Clerides reminded that it has been an ever-present issue.

"The Cypriot issue was unfortunate in this regard, as there was never a time when there were stable governments in all fronts, Greece, Turkey and even Cyprus."

[18] TURKISH PRESS POINTS OUT CONTRADICTIONS IN ANKARA'S FOREIGN POLICY

"Conflict abounds in the sidelines" screams the headline of a turkish newspaper's editorial that comments on recent statements made by Turkish Foreign Minister Emre Gionensay and Turkey's Navy Chief Dervisoglou regarding the Gavdos island issue.

"Hurriyet" editor-in-chief Ertugrul Ozkiok wrote that various contradictions arise from recent statements made by these two officials, illustrating a lack of coordination between the Foreign Ministry and the General Staff.

However, the columnist refers to a study compiled recently by the turkish naval forces regarding the Aegean Sea islands, where Gavdos was categorized under the "islets with unclear status." According to Ozkiok, the questions brought forth by the turkish official in NATO, who first questioned the island's greek sovereingty, were based on these instructions.

Meanwhile, another cause of concern for the turkish Foreign Ministry are the documents recently provided by Italy to the greek press, according to which Turkey verifies a document based on which the Imia islet is left to Greece. According to Ozkiok, these documents strengthen Greece's positions in Europe.

Lastly, the turkish columnist writes that the Imia crisis, and the Gavdos crisis that followed, have "cornered" Turkey, which "as a large ship can not easily make sudden manoeuvres" and points out that Ankara will be subjected to extensive diplomatic damage if it does not coordinate the moves between its Foreign Ministry and the General Staff.

[19] PRE-CONDITIONS FOR THE EU FINANCING OF TURKEY WERE APPROVED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

An amendment proposed by greek Euro-Deputy Yiannos Kranidiotis and approved by the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, provides that Turkey should respect International Law and the territorial integrity and external borders of the EU member states in order to receive EU funds from the MEDA programme.

In the amendment is also mentioned that the efforts aiming at making the Mediterranean a region of political stability and security should continue and that the EU policy for the region must contribute to the development and stabilization of democracy, to the respect of human rights and basic freedoms, as well as, to the promotion of good neighbourly relations.

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