MPA NEWS IN BRIEF (12/06/1996)

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

Macedonian Press Agency Brief News in English Directory

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, June 12, 1996

TITLES

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] GREEK PREMIER SIMITIS BRIEFED BY FOREIGN MINISTER PANGALOS

Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos met with Prime Minister Kostas Simitis today and briefed him on the latest developments in greek-turkish relations and the outcomes from yesterday's meeting with German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel.

As it made known yesterday, Germany has adopted a policy of "equal distancing" between Greece and Turkey, following the footsteps of the United States.

During yesterday's meeting with President Kostis Stephanopoulos and Mr. Pangalos, German Chancellor Helmut Khol and Mr. Kinkel refrained from adopting the greek request that the European Union give guarrantees for the greek borders, and proceeded to exert further pressures on Greece to lift its veto over Turkey's funding from the MEDA financing program.

[02] UN SEC-GEN'S REPORT ON CYPRIOT GUARD'S KILLING CHANGED SLIGHTLY

The United Nations have succumbed to Ankara's protests over the Secretary-General's bi-annual report, which holds the turk-cypriot side responsible for the murder of a 19-year-old Cypriot National Guardsman, and the document was changed from the original text.

The report refers to the murder of National Guardsman Stelios Panagis who was killed on June 3 at the island's disengagement area, and also blames the turk- cypriot side for obstructing the peacekeeping forces efforts to provide aid to the dying guardsman.

According to sources, the turkish diplomats were especially displeased by the fact that the report asked that legal charges be filed against those responsible for the killing and, as such, the amended version merely asks that the proper steps be taken.

Yet, in spite of the changes, the UN Secretary- General's report still maintains a critical spirit for the turkish side's actions. Of significant importance is considered a paragraph which states that the UNFICYP police have been asked to interrogate the Turkish soldier that shot Panagis.

Cypriot Foreign Minister Alekos Michaelides gave instructions to the Permanent Representatives of Cyprus in New York to issue a demarche to the UN regarding these alterations in the report. The Cypriot government is protesting the fact that turkish protestations were taken into consideration in order to conceal evidence.

The UN report's original version stated that Panagis was killed with malice by the turk-cypriot guard who fired his gun at the greek-cypriot in ambush. and also mentioned that the turkish soldiers shot three times and obstructed the peacekeeping forces men from getting to Panagis on time in order to transport him safely to a hospital. It is reported that Panagis still had a faint pulse when he was given first aid.

[03] TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER SCRAMBLES TO EXPLAIN ANKARA'S STANCE OVER GAVDOS

In an effort to soften the negative blows issued by Ankara over the island of Gavdos, turkish Foreign Minister Emre Gionensay stated yesterday that there is no issue of territorial claims regarding specific geographical regions.

During his meeting with italian EU-presidency's representative, Mr. Gionensay characterized the Gavdos issue as an "intepretation matter" that has technical and military structure without political meaning.

[04] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT SAYS THAT DECISIVE MEASURES MUST BE TAKEN BY UN

Cypriot Foreign Minister Alekos Michaelides stated that President Glafkos Clerides asked the United Nations Secretary-General Butros Ghali to undertake more decisive measures for solving the Cyprus problem, during their meeting in Geneva yesterday.

Mr. Michaelides, who is accompanying the Cypriot President, also stated that following th UN Secretary- General's meetings with Mr. Clerides and Turk-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, one cannot speak with abounding optimism, given the turkish side's intransigence.

The Foreign Minister reiterated the Greek-Cypriot side's insistance on finding common ground on the critical issues, prior to embarking on direct talks.

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