Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 99-02-17

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, February 17, 1999

TITLES

[01] GREEK PREMIER ISSUES STATEMENT ON OCALAN ISSUE

[02] PKK OCCUPATIONS END IN MOST GREEK EMBASSIES

[03] WESTERN GOVERNMENTS REQUEST A FAIR TRIAL FOR OCALAN

[04] MOST GREEK EMBASSIES IN EUROPE FREED, IN AUSTRALIA TOO

[05] GREEK FM: EUROPE BEARS RESPONSIBILITY IN THE OCALAN MATTER

[06] UN OFFICES IN GENEVA UNDER SIEGE BY KURDS

[07] WASHINGTON POST: FBI GAVE AWAY OCALAN'S WHEREABOUTS

[08] U.S. DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN OCALAN'S APPREHENSION, TRANSFER

[09] OCALAN IS IN ISOLATION OUTSIDE IZMIR, ACCORDING TO REPORTS

[10] OCALAN'S TRANSFER WAS CONDUCTED BY KENYA, ACCORDING TO U.S.

[11] OCALAN ISSUE: OPPOSITION CRITICAL OF GOVERNMENT'S HANDLING

[12] DUTCH FINANCE MINISTER TO ARRIVE IN ATHENS TOMORROW

[13] US CONGRESSMEN TO VISIT GREECE TOMORROW

[14] HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH APPEALS FOR A FAIR TRIAL OF OCALAN

[15] GREECE'S ALTERNATE FM THANKS AUSTRIAN AUTHORITIES

[16] GREECE'S AGRICULTURE MINISTER IN BRUSSELS

[17] ALBANIA: SECURITY PUMPED UP AT GREEK, TURKISH EMBASSIES

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] GREEK PREMIER ISSUES STATEMENT ON OCALAN ISSUE

Athens, February 17 (MPA)

Mr. Simitis added that Mr. Ocalan did not inform the Greek government on the actions he took and the negotiations he engaged in. The Premier stated that this matter contains a number of gaps and traps and urged everyone to refrain from weaving covert scenarios and hurling accusations.

The Greek Premier further stressed that there is no political reason or alibi for PKK's contemptible action of seizing Greek embassies. A.F.

[02] PKK OCCUPATIONS END IN MOST GREEK EMBASSIES

Thessaloniki, February 17 (MPA)

Specifically, the embassies at The Hague and Vienna have been freed, along with the diplomats and staff members taken hostage therein. Also, one of two hostages at the Zurich embassy has been freed.

Meanwhile, a number of Kurds gathered outside Greece's embassy in Nicosia and declared a hunger strike late yesterday night. A.F.

[03] WESTERN GOVERNMENTS REQUEST A FAIR TRIAL FOR OCALAN

Thessaloniki, February 17 (MPA)

Turkish Premier Bulent Ecevit stated that no European country has the right to admonish or advise Turkey on this matter.

Meanwhile, the Turkish state security court has called for the death penalty, charging Mr. Ocalan with treason. According to reports, Mr. Ocalan's defense counsel were barred from seeing their client yesterday. A.F.

[04] MOST GREEK EMBASSIES IN EUROPE FREED, IN AUSTRALIA TOO

Thessaloniki, February 17 (MPA)

Also, the Greek consulates embassies in Australia's Melbourne and Sydney were freed after local police raided the premises. Five Australian police officers were wounded during the raid operations.

The embassies of Sidney and Bonn and the consulates of Frankfurt, Berlin and Dusseldorf will remain closed for a small number of days due to extensive material damages. A.F.

[05] GREEK FM: EUROPE BEARS RESPONSIBILITY IN THE OCALAN MATTER

Athens, February 17 (MPA)

Specifically, Mr. Pangalos made clear insinuations as to Italy's role in the matter, as Mr. Ocalan had requested political asylum from Rome, as well as to other countries, such as Germany and the Netherlands, the latter being Mr. Ocalan's actual destination.

Mr. Pangalos said that the PKK leader had been given "temporary residence for humanitarian reasons" at the Greek ambassador's residence in Kenya.

"But at his own responsibility and initiative, and despite the Greek advice to the contrary, he tried to go to the Netherlands," the Greek minister said.

He added that en route from the ambassador's house to the airport, which was followed by Greek embassy cars, Mr. Ocalan's car "deviated from the route, and the embassy cars lost visual contact" with the vehicle. A.F.

[06] UN OFFICES IN GENEVA UNDER SIEGE BY KURDS

United Nations, February 17 (MPA)

Mr. Eckhard said that the group got through the gate at approximately 4:30 a.m., Geneva time, broke open the main entrance of the Palais des Nations building, and then moved quickly to one of the main conference rooms in the New Building.

The head of UN security in Geneva was trying to persuade the Kurdish protesters to leave the building as about 100 other Kurds demonstrated outside, the spokesman said. A.F.

[07] WASHINGTON POST: FBI GAVE AWAY OCALAN'S WHEREABOUTS

Washington, February 17 (MPA)

According to the article, which quotes Turkish officials, Mr. Ocalan was traced through his mobile phone which he made use of without taking precautions. A.F.

[08] U.S. DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN OCALAN'S APPREHENSION, TRANSFER

Washington, February 17 (MPA)

In the regular briefing session yesterday, Mr. Foley stated that while the United States has designated the PKK as a terrorist organization, it "did not apprehend or transfer Ocalan or transport him to Turkey."

He added that Mr. Ocalan should be brought to justice in a manner consistent with international standards of due process for the terrorist crimes of which he is accused. A.F.

[09] OCALAN IS IN ISOLATION OUTSIDE IZMIR, ACCORDING TO REPORTS

Ankara, February 17 (MPA)

Meanwhile, United Nations officials have expressed fears that Mr. Ocalan will be subject to torture. A.F.

[10] OCALAN'S TRANSFER WAS CONDUCTED BY KENYA, ACCORDING TO U.S.

Washington, February 17 (MPA)

On a similar note, Turkey's Bulent Ecevit stated that Greece had no involvement whatsoever in the transfer operation. A.F.

[11] OCALAN ISSUE: OPPOSITION CRITICAL OF GOVERNMENT'S HANDLING

Thessaloniki, February 17 (MPA)

Mr. Karamanlis stated that the government could have acknowledged the presence of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in Greece and to handle the matter publicly and within the venues of the European Union.

The secretary-general of the Communist Party of Greece accused the government of "handing over" Mr. Ocalan, the President of the Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) Nikos Konstantopoulos said that the "dramatic developments constitute a disgrace for Europe and Greece," while the President of the Democratic Social Movement Dimitris Tsovolas accused the government of collaborating with the United States.

Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos responded that the Kenyan government is responsible for whatever happened to Mr. Ocalan after his departure from the Greek ambassador's residence in Nairobi and added that the Greek government acted within its powers to protect the PKK leader's life and the country's interests. A.F.

[12] DUTCH FINANCE MINISTER TO ARRIVE IN ATHENS TOMORROW

Athens, February 17 (MPA)

The Royal Netherlands embassy in Athens, in cooperation with the Hellenic-Dutch Association of Commerce and Industry, will host a business meeting tomorrow evening at the Athens Hilton. A.F.

[13] US CONGRESSMEN TO VISIT GREECE TOMORROW

Washington, February 17 (MPA)

The delegation, led by Nebraska Republican Douglas Bereuter, is on a six-day tour of the region and, in addition to Greece, will also visit Belgium, France, Cyprus and Turkey.

The Athens talks are expected to focus on the security situation in the eastern Mediterranean, relations between Greece and Turkey and prospects for a resolution of the Cyprus issue. A.F.

[14] HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH APPEALS FOR A FAIR TRIAL OF OCALAN

Ankara, February 17 (MPA)

According to the French news agency AFP, HRW has forwarded a letter to Turkish Premier Bulent Ecevit wherein it supports that Mr. Ocalan should be tried on the charges brought against him, but the trial should adhere to due process and abide by international standards.

Moreover, the HRW announced that it intends to dispatch an observer at the trial and has expressed its concern over the death penalty faced by Ocalan in Turkey. A.F.

[15] GREECE'S ALTERNATE FM THANKS AUSTRIAN AUTHORITIES

Vienna, February 17 (MPA)

Mr. Stephanopoulos is returning to Athens today, having canceled a non-official portion of his stay in Austria.

Meanwhile the Kurdish protesters abandoned the embassy after midnight last night, following negotiations carried out with the Austrian police authorities. They were unarmed and caused no damages.

President Stephanopoulos appealed to his Austrian counterpart Thomas Klestil, as well as Austria's Minister of Justice, that the Kurds not be brought to trial in case they departed from the Ministry and freed the hostages, which they did. A.F.

[16] GREECE'S AGRICULTURE MINISTER IN BRUSSELS

Brussels, February 17 (MPA)

Mr. Anomeritis will meet with the European Commissioner for Agriculture and his German counterpart.

The Greek state aims at minimizing consequences borne by Agenda 2000 on Greece's agricultural economy. A.F.

[17] ALBANIA: SECURITY PUMPED UP AT GREEK, TURKISH EMBASSIES

Tirana, February 17 (MPA)

Also, according to police sources, added security measures have also been taken at the Greek consulates of Koritsa and Gjirocaster. A.F.

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