MPA NEWS IN BRIEF (17/06/1996)

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 17, 1996

TITLES

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] GREEK ARMED FORCES AND CYPRIOT NATIONAL GUARD ON STAND BY

The Greek armed forces and the Cypriot National Guard are on a stand by position since early this morning, when the second phase of the turkish military exercise "Thalassolykos '96" started.

The turkish aeronautical exercises "Ephessos" and Thalassolykos '96" will take place from the Dardanelles to Famagusta and will last until June 22.

Ankara has already proceeded to an arbitrary blocking of six regions in Nicosia's FIR, a fact which political. analysts are interpreting as a challenge to the Joint Defense Doctrine that exists between Greece and Cyprus.

[02] TURKISH DOCUMENT PROVING IMIA'S GREEK SOVEREINGTY UPSETS ANKARA

A 63-year-old document that was written by a turkish diplomat and attests to the greek sovereignty of the Imia islets, has brought a storm to Ankara's Foreign Ministry, according to recent reports published in the turkish press.

"Milliyet" columnist Yialtsin Doyan writes that "the difficult position that Turkey finds itself in regarding the Imia islets crisis, is confirmed through official data according to which Turkey is not right."

The Turkish columnist lashes out against the Foreign Ministry's officials who handled the crisis and, more specifically, agaisnt Under-Secretary Onur Oymen because, according to Doyan, he was the man who concealed these documents upon receiving them first.

"When the Aegean Sea issue surfaced again, over the senseless talk of the Gavdos island, Turkey was "cornered" for good in the international arena," Doyan writes.

The report that Doyan refers to, is a letter dated January 3, 1933 addressed by the Turkish then- foreign minister Tervik Rustu Aras to the Italian Ambassador Vincenzo Loiacono, which, in short, upholds the map drawn in accordance to the Lausanne Treaty.

[03] GREECE IS A BIG PROBLEM FOR OUR GOVERNMENT, SAYS TURKISH GENERAL

Greece is a big problem for Turkey, stated yesterday the former chief of the turkish Armed Forces General Staff and current parliamentarian Dogan Gures, who also pointed out the need to maintain cooperation in the interior front.

According to turkish press, Mr. Gures warned of an imminent danger of a coup and emphasized that the ideal cooperation for forming a coalition government is to exclude the Islamic Welfare Party from the Cabinet, which should be formed by the remaining four parties.

[04] COOPERATION AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN SERB AND GREEK UNIVERSITIES

A cooperation agreement was signed between the greek university of Ioannina and the serb university of Nis, providing for a long-term academic collaboration in the areas of education and scientific research.

The dean of Nis university Branimir Gorgevic and dean of Ioannina Univeristy Dimitris Glaros, signed the agreement today, and Mr. Glaros stated that the protocol "reaffirms the longstanding friendship that exists between the two universities, and foremostly the friendship between the serb and greek peoples."

[05] NO TALKS ON CYPRUS, UNLESS COMMON GROUND IS FOUND, SAYS GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL

The talks regarding the Cyprus problem will not be held unless a common ground is found first, stated yesterday the Cypriot government spokesperson Yiannakis Kasoulides.

Speaking from New York, where he accompanied Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides, Mr. Kasoulides stated that the President had clearly brought forth the need to find a common ground on the problem's five basic premises so that talks can begin again with turk- cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

Regarding the issue of de-militarization, Mr. Kassoulides clarified that it was simply brought up by Mr. Clerides to the UN Secretary-General Butros Ghali during their meeting in Geneva.

The Cypriot President, Mr. Kasoulides explained, presented his known position regarding de- militarization, although the issue cannot become a subject for talks on finding a solution to the Cyprus problem, but rather concerns a situation that will be created and will enable the solution-seeking process.

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