From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Tue, 5 Jul 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Nov. 17 kills Turkish diplomat, President, PM abhor "horrendous" act ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 5/7/1994 (ANA): The Greek government and the political leadership yesterday strongly condemned the assassination of a senior Turkish diplomat in Athens by the November 17 terrorist group. Turkish embassy Counsellor Omer Halil Sipahioglu was assassinated yesterday morning by three gunmen of the leftist November 17 guerrillas group who shot him dead outside his home in an Athens suburb. A caller to a Greek television and radio network later claimed responsibility for the attack on behalf of the November 17 terrorist guerrilla group. The caller said Sipahioglu had been killed because he was "responsible for ethnic extermination of the Cypriot and Kurdish people." He said he belonged to a commando named after Theofilos Georgiades, president of the Cyprus Committee of Solidarity with Kurdistan, killed in Cyprus in March this year by unknown gunmen. A three-man guerrilla hit-squad ambushed Sipahioglu as he was leaving home in the seaside suburb of Paleo Faliro for work in central Athens. He sat alone in the car when a front side-window was blown out in a hail of bullets. The gunmen used the same semi-automatic 45 calibre as the November 17 terrorist organisation had in previous attacks to drive six bullets in to his chest and abdomen. The attackers fled the scene in heavy traffic. They rode a jeep with a licence plate number YE 7113 which they later abandoned 700 meters from the scene. According to the police, the car used in yesterday's attack had been stolen at the Athens suburb of Kypseli on the night of June 9. Sipahioglu, 55, survived the attack but died in hospital an hour and 20 minutes later. A hospital spokesman said he had undergone surgery but had lost too much blood to be saved. Sipahioglu's last words spoken to the doctors were simply: "I'm dying." The Turkish diplomat was second under-secretary in charge of protocol issues. A married man, with two children, he had been posted to the Athens embassy last year. Police sources later said the victim was being overshadowed by the gunmen. They added he left home yesterday without his usual security escort. "Today (yesterday) for the first time he drove alone," sources said. Sipahioglu's car bore a Greek licence plate No. YBM 3829, instead of diplomatic one. Greece itself is target of terrorism, says Premier -------------------------------------------------- Athens, 5/7/1994 (ANA): President Constantine Karamanlis expressed profound grief over the "tragic death", in a cable to his Turkish counterpart Suleyman Demirel. "This horrendous act of terrorism is condemned by the entire Greek people," Mr. Karamanlis said. Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou also expressed abhorrence over the killing of the Turkish diplomat, stressing Greece itself was a target of terrorism. In a telegram to his Turkish counterpart Tansu Ciller, Mr. Papandreou expressed condolences for "the abhorrent murder" of Sipahioglu. Mr. Papandreou requested Ms. Ciller to convey the government and Greek people' profound regret to the Sipahioglu family together with an assurance that every effort would be made to discover the assassins. "Greece, itself a target of terrorism, condemns with indignation such criminal acts," Mr. Papandreou said in the telegram. Other Greek leaders sent messages of regret to Turkey and Sipahioglu's family. The ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) condemned the murder of Sipahioglu, saying that such acts "aim at creating problems in the country's foreign relations." Main opposition New Democracy party expressed grief and denounced the assassination of the Turkish diplomat. It said that the act aimed at creating a "climate of tension with Turkey which our country has showed that it does not desire." The Political Spring (Pol.An.) party expressed abhorrence over the slaying of Sipahioglu, and called on the government to "spare no effort for the immediate discovery of the culprits." The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) condemned the murder of the diplomat stressing that "such acts enhance destabilisation trends in the region." The Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) expressed "abhorrence and concern. In Istanbul the Ecumenical Patriarchate issued an announcement expressing "deep concern". Political analysts said yesterday's attack could aggravate relations between Greece and Turkey, which have been strained in recent months by a series of disputes. Government spokesman -------------------- Athens, 5/7/1994 (ANA): But government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that, apart from representations dictated by diplomatic practice, there had been no reaction by Turkey which might cause displeasure. Asked whether or not the government was concerned the killing may have repercussions in view of the resumption of Greek-Turkish dialogue, Mr. Venizelos replied "there is no concern". Mr. Venizelos said Turkish diplomats in Greece were "fully protected" by the Greek authorities which, he added, immediately satisfy all Turkish embassy requests for police protection. In the area where Sipahioglu lived, the spokesman continued, there are "many possible targets being guarded and the area is under close surveillance". Mr. Venizelos confirmed that the Turkish diplomat usually used a Turkish embassy armour-plated car "which unfortunately he did not use today (yesterday)." The gun used by the assassins yesterday was the same as the one used to murder CIA station chief Richard Wells in December 1975 and former governor of the National Bank Michalis Vranopoulos in January this year. The same gun was used in the murders of Greek parliamentarian Pavlos Bakoyiannis in 1989 and police officers Evangelos Malios and Pantelis Petrou in 1976 and 1980 respectively. A Turkish press attachi, Getin Gorgu, was assassinated in almost identical circumstances in October 1991, and a Turkish consul was injured in a bomb blast in October the same year. Responsibility was claimed by the November 17 terrorist group, no members of which have ever been arrested since it was founded in 1975. November 17 said it carried out the attacks because of Turkey's "expansionist policies" and efforts to permanently divide Cyprus. The terrorist organisation has been in operation since 1975, and has claimed responsibility for killing 20 Greeks, Americans and Turks. Med countries end meeting in Alexandria --------------------------------------- Alexandria, 5/7/1994 (ANA/K.Christodoulou): Foreign ministers from ten Mediterranean countries yesterday ended a two-day informal meeting in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. The meeting was termed "positive and encouraging." Participating countries included Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal and Turkey. Greece was represented by Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias. The Egyptian government attached special importance to the meeting and, in this context, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak flew to Alexandria for a 30-minute meeting with the foreign ministers yesterday. The conference opened Sunday night with a dinner hosted by Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa. It focused on laying the foundation for further flexible co-operation between Mediterranean countries. The concept of co-operation among Mediterranean countries at economic, political and cultural level and on environmental protection was launched in 1988 at the initiative of France, Italy and Spain, but only concerned the western Mediterranean region, leaving out Greece. Greece sought enlargement of the initiative and, in 1991, President Mubarak responded with an invitation to Greece, supported by France. Preparatory meetings were held on June 21 in Cairo by senior Foreign Ministry officials who declared Greece wanted participation of all Mediterranean countries. The forum agreed to setting up work groups to convene a "new round of discussions" in Portugal in coming months. Senior Foreign Ministry officials will attend a meeting in France in the first quarter of 1995. Greek sources said the European Union Council in Corfu had announced the possibility of a meeting between the EU and Mediterranean countries. Referring to enlargement, Greece said that Cyprus should be included in the Mediterranean Forum. Papoulias distressed, hopes killing last of its kind --------------------------------------------------- Athens, 5/7/1994 (ANA) Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias, from Alexandria, Egypt where he attended a Foreign Ministers Mediterranean Forum yesterday, expressed his grief to the family of the Turkish diplomat saying "I hope that he is the last victim of terrorism." An ANA dispatch from Alexandria said Mr. Papoulias expressed profound condolences to his Turkish counterpart Hikmet Cetin also attending the forum. Mr. Cetin condemned the attack. Both men stressed the need for closer co-operation among Mediterranean countries in combating terrorism. Greece, Mr. Papoulias said, "is, unfortunately, one of the countries in Europe suffering from the scourge of terrorism." He said that "despite co-ordinated efforts by Greek police and their co-operation with police authorities in Europe and the US unfortunately we have been unable to wipe out terrorism." Since 1974, Mr. Papoulias said, "we have mourned many victims -- Greeks, Turks, Americans and others -- from terrorist activity." Asked whether or not the assassination marred the Forum, Mr. Papoulias said that the incident had come "at a time when all the Forum members had underlined the need for co-operation among the Mediterranean countries and the countries participating in the Forum, co-operation to combat terrorism". When asked if the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) had opened an office in Greece and was training guerrillas there, Mr. Papoulias described the question as "slanderous against Greece and the Greek government". He said that he "categorically" rejected such allegations "both as a Greek citizen and as foreign minister, whose colleagues have fallen victim to terrorism". Replying to a question on whether or not the incident would create tension in relations with Turkey, Mr. Papoulias he wished the incident had never happened. "There is an on-going rapprochement and normalisation process in Greek-Turkish relations," Mr. Papoulias said, adding that it was possible the gunmen aimed at "suspending this process." Foreign ministers of 10 Mediterranean countries, ended a two day meeting in Alexandria yesterday with a condemnation of the shooting of Sipahioglu. "The meeting condemned the crime and we all presented condolences to the Turkish Minister," Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa told a news conference after the meeting. Greek ambassador summoned ------------------------- Athens, 5/7/1994 (ANA): An ANA dispatch from Istanbul later said that Greek Ambassador to Ankara Alexandros Filonas was summoned yesterday by Turkish Foreign Under-secretary Ozdem Sanberk. The Turkish official told Mr. Filonas that "Greece is responsible for the security of the diplomats." He added that "we expect the Greek government to take all necessary measures for the security of the diplomats." Kurds stage German embassy brief protest seizure, evacuate quietly ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 5/7/1994 (ANA): A group of 50 Kurdish protesters occupied the German embassy in Athens for three hours yesterday, to protest the killing of a Kurdish teenager by German police in Hanover. Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) activists stormed the first floor of the German Embassy building where the consulate is housed, and occupied a waiting room. Spraying the PKK initials on the walls and unrolling banners, they shouted slogans condemning what they see as Germany's support for Turkish repression, and pressed demands for independence. After negotiations with the police, the demonstrators evacuated the building peacefully and briefly demonstrated outside the Turkish embassy before dispersing without further incident. A 16-year-old Kurdish teenager, Ayhan Eser, was killed last week in Hanover, as he was sticking up posters. German police said the youth struggled to resist questioning. They said an officer's gun went off accidentally in the struggle fatally wounding the youth. The teenager's death sparked a spate of attacks by militant Kurds mostly against police stations in Germany. Ethnic Kurds hurled firebombs and stones at police stations in at least seven German towns. Police arrested at least seven Turkish citizens, many of them ethnic Kurds, in connection with the incidents. Further incidents, including the smashing of a Turkish mosque's windows in Hanover, appeared to be related to feuding between Turks and ethnic Kurds. Kurdish activists in Germany have several times launched attacks against Turkish property to press their claim for an end to human rights abuses, and independence for their homeland in Southeast Turkey. Since 1984, when the PKK began its armed struggle for a separate state, Kurdish activists launched a number of attacks against Turkish property around the world. One such incident involved an attempt to blow up the Turkish Consulate in Athens two years ago, during a visit by former US President George Bush. Four Kurds, said to be members of the "Dev Sol" terrorist group, were arrested in relation to the attempt and charged by an Athens court prosecutor. The PKK is fighting the Turkish government in a bid to set up a separate homeland in Turkey. More than 12,000 guerrillas, soldiers, and civilians have been killed in Turkey since 1984. Greek delegation flies to Vienna CSCE meeting --------------------------------------------- Vienna, 5/7/1994 (ANA/D.Dimitrakoudis): A five-member Greek parliamentary delegation, headed by PASOK deputy Theodoros Stathis, is taking part in the Annual Parliamentary Assembly of the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE), opening today. Main items on the agenda are the new structures of security in Europe, the setting up of an international court to try war crimes in the former Yugoslavia, the economic situation in Central Europe and the former Soviet Union, refugees and human rights. Preliminary discussions yesterday indicated there will also be extensive reference to the state of human rights in Turkey, arrests, imprisonment, and trials of members of parliament in Turkey. The CSCE Assembly may also examine the situation of the Greek minority in Albania, and the protracted Cyprus problem, which Cypriot parliament president Alexis Galanos is expected to raise. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) is expected to raise again the issue of its admission as full member to the Conference, as it has done in the past two years. Mr Stathis told ANA yesterday the Greek delegation is braced to defend Greek interests. Clerical, Lay Assembly opens in Chicago --------------------------------------- Chicago, 5/7/1994 (ANA/G.Kolokotronis): The 32nd Clerical and Lay Assembly began here yesterday, with delegations from communities of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America participating. The Clerical and Lay Assembly is the highest legislative body of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America. It includes representatives, clerics and laymen, of the Greek Orthodox communities in the United States, Canada, Central and South America. Premier Andreas Papandreou sent a message stressing: "The role played by our Church and its institutions in conserving the identity of the Nation and, in particular, of overseas Greeks who have always been an integral part of it, is unquestionably unique," Mr. Papandreou said. Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos also sent greetings to the assembly. President sends wishes on US Independence Day, urges 'close co-operation' ------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 5/7/1994 (ANA): President Constantine Karamanlis said yesterday that close co-operation between Greece and the US could make a "decisive contribution" to security and stability in the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean. In a congratulatory message to President Clinton on the occasion of Independence Day, President Karamanlis said he was convinced "that in the new international environment, characterised by uncertainty and insecurity, close co-operation between the United States and Greece, in all sectors, based on the traditional and close friendship between our peoples, can successfully meet the challenges of the times and contribute decisively to the establishment of security and stability in our region". Vance to resume FM Skopje meetings "on his own initiative" ---------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 5/7/1994 (ANA): Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday mediator Cyrus Vance will meet Greek and FYROM representatives on his own initiative. Mr. Venizelos was replying to a press question on a possible cancellation of meetings scheduled to be held in New York after July 15, as suggested in a statement by FYROM Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovsky. Mr. Venizelos said what is evident is dissatisfaction on the part of the (FYROM President Kiro) Gligorov administration over the European Court's decision rejecting the European Commission's appeal for temporary measures against Greece for its economic and trade embargo against FYROM. The problem, Mr. Venizelos said, is a political one and is being handled in a political manner. He added that all should realise that the problem is not the retortion measures against FYROM. The measures, he added, are the consequence of the problem created by the neighbouring state's historical provocation which has a destabilising effect in the region. Solidarity caravan on way to Bosnia ----------------------------------- Athens, 5/7/1994 (ANA): A "solidarity caravan" left for Bosnia yesterday, carrying medicines, vaccines for children and text-books for a large school campus in Sarajevo. Organisers of the aid mission, Eurodeputies Paraskevas Avgerinos, Panayiotis Lambrias and Alecos Alavanos said the "solidarity caravan" was also meant to convey wishes of the Greek people for a speedy end to the war and solidarity to children. EU Monetary Committee examines fiscal deficits ---------------------------------------------- Brussels, 5/7/1994 (ANA/F.Stangos): A European Commission spokesman stated yesterday that the Monetary Committee began Tuesday discussion on the procedures envisaged by the Maastricht Treaty for excessive fiscal deficits of member-states, shown mainly by Greece, Belgium, Italy and Ireland. The spokesman declined to comment on a "Financial Times "report, according to which, at the Monetary Committee session, Commission officials proposed that Ireland be exempted from the procedure, on the grounds that fiscal deficits in that country present a steady and satisfactory tendency to decline. The Treaty of Maastricht states that preconditions for a country to participate in the third - and final - stage of Economic and Monetary Union are that public debt should not exceed 60% of GDP and the budget deficit should be lower than 3% of GDP. According to the latest available data, the only member-state nearly fulfilling these two conditions at the moment is Luxembourg, while Germany (due to the costs of unification), France, the Netherlands, Britain, Denmark, Spain and Portugal present only temporary and small deviations from the targets. By contrast, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, and Greece are still at a distance from attaining the targets, but only Ireland shows an adequate rate of reduction, moving towards targets at a satisfactory pace.