From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Thu, 7 Jul 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Greece asks Turks not to export home problems through Sipahioglu assassination ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 7/7/1994 (ANA): Greece yesterday called on Turkish officials "not to engage in their usual tactics" of trying to transfer Turkey's domestic problems abroad, following statements on the killing of a senior Turkish diplomat in Athens. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said the latest statements by Turkish officials and articles in the Turkish press "showed that Turkey was moving away from its initial cool-headed response" to the killing of Omer Sipahioglu on Monday. Greece, he said, will not follow this path and does not intend to respond to provocations of any sort. "We will not contribute to the climate of artificial tension," Mr. Venizelos said, describing charges of Greek responsibility for the attack as "unacceptable, naive and unsubstantiated". Sipahioglu was shot six times by a three-man hit squad belonging to the notorious November 17 terrorist group. A caller identifying himself as a member of the group told a Greek television and radio network that the diplomat had been killed because he was "responsible for ethnic extermination of the Cypriot and Kurdish peoples". Commenting indirectly on a statement Tuesday by Turkish Ambassador in Athens Huseyin Celin, the spokesman underlined that no one could question Greece's co-ordinated efforts at home and internationally to stamp out terrorism. Mr. Venizelos said that Greece was working in a systematic and responsible manner both at national and international level to combat terrorism and discover those responsible for such criminal action. Meanwhile, speaking to reporters after meeting with President Constantine Karamanlis, Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said that "the climate being created must not be one which tears down the effort being made for rapprochement between the two countries and the normalisation of bilateral relations." Mr. Papoulias described Monday's statement by the Turkish ambassador in Athens as "unacceptable". Main Opposition New Democracy party Vice President Ioannis Varvitsiotis said Ankara should request its Ambassador here to "give explanations" for his earlier statements on the shooting of Sipahioglu. A spokesman for the Political Spring (Pol.An) party, Manolis Kalamidas, said Mr. Celin's statements "revealed lack of cool-headedness." Mr. Kalamidas urged the government to lodge an official demarche with Ankara over earlier statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Hikmet Cetin and Ministry spokesman Ferhad Ataman, which, he added, induce "tension in bilateral relations." A KKE (Greek Communist Party) statement said last night that statements by certain Turkish officials and press reports corroborated a KKE assessment that various circles in both countries are trying to take advantage of the Turkish diplomat's assassination for domestic consumption and causing strain to relations between Turkey and Greece. An ANA dispatch from Istanbul said yesterday that Turkish Foreign Minister Hikmet Cetin, in an obituary at Sipahioglu's funeral referred to previous terrorist attacks against Turkish diplomats in Athens. He said the string of attacks created "big responsibilities for Greece which must drastically prevent (future) terrorist acts against Turkish delegations." He also said that Greek authorities should track down the culprits and bring them to justice. "It is not enough to denounce terrorist acts, express sorrow or pledge to take measures," Mr. Cetin added. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Ferhat Ataman earlier stated that "nobody could claim Greece was taking steps towards combating terrorism." He said that "the hostile attitude of certain circles in Greece against Turkey was encouraging the international terrorist organisation PKK (Kurdistan's Peoples Party) and its side organisations." The string of hot accusations against Greece continued in the Turkish press yesterday with such headlines as "Dirty Game" and "Ankara holds all evidence of co-operation between Greece and the PKK." Not long ago, Ankara accused Athens of arming and training Kurdish guerrillas. Athens strongly denied the accusations. The only sympathetic move towards Greece amidst the hail of charges in the Turkish press came from commentator Mehmet Ali Birand, quoted in "Sabah" as saying that "despite dislike for Turkey and the Turks, the Greek republic and its public opinion was seriously disturbed by the assassination of Sipahioglu." Turkish authorities yesterday stepped up security measures around the Greek delegations in Ankara and in Istanbul fearing retaliation attacks. The Turkish Diplomats' Wives Association protested the killing of Sipahioglu in a peaceful demonstration outside the Greek embassy in Ankara. Van der Stoel briefs Papoulias on Albania visit ----------------------------------------------- Athens, 7/7/1994 (ANA): Improvement of the living conditions of the Greek ethnic minority in Albania, the legislative settlement on the teaching of the Greek language all over the neighbouring country and the return of ecclesiastical property to Albania's Greek Orthodox Church was Greece's steadfast position, Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said yesterday. He was speaking to the press after talks with CSCE Minority Human Rights Commissioner Max Van der Stoel. Mr. Papoulias' talks with Mr. Van der Stoel followed the latter's recent visit to Albania. Mr. Papoulias said Mr. Van der Stoel briefed him on his contacts in Albania adding that the CSCE official "is well aware of the situation prevailing" in Albania as regards the Greek ethnic minority. Mr. Papoulias also rejected Albanian allegations that Greece's interest for the minority constituted interference in Albania's domestic affairs. Mr Van der Stoel said he had met with Albanian President Sali Berisha, political leaders, and members of the "Omonia" party and the Human Rights Group. He expressed the hope his efforts would prove fruitful, as both sides understood they were based on CSCE principles which they have accepted. Replying to questions, Mr Van der Stoel said the human rights issue was a very wide one, but declined to reveal his findings, saying "it may not be easy, but a commonly acceptable solution will in the end be found". He justified his optimism by saying during his meetings with Albanian officials he had detected a positive attitude, but commented no further. Mr. Van der Stoel said he would visit Albania again and then return to Greece to convey his new impressions. Fresh Greek-Albanian meeting on shooting incident fails ------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 7/7/1994 (ANA): A fresh meeting between Greek and Albanian Public Order Ministry expert groups took place in Albania yesterday, to consider possible new evidence shedding light on a border incident in which two Albanian conscripts were killed. The incident, which took place in April, caused tension to escalate between the two neighbouring countries, since Albania accused Greece of staging a cross-border attack killing two Albanian soldiers and wounding three others. Greece has repeatedly denied any part in the attack. A first meeting between the two expert groups in Ioannina found no evidence pointing to possible involvement by Greece. Yesterday's meeting, failed to show new evidence and resulted in the same conclusion, despite the fact the Albanian side continued its unfounded allegations of Greek responsibility in the incident. The allegations were rejected once more by the Greek delegation. Greek aid convoy reaches Sarajevo school ---------------------------------------- Belgrade, 7/7/1994 (ANA/Christina Korais): A Greek humanitarian aid convoy, carrying vaccines, medicines and books for 2,000 pupils of the "Radocka Lakic" school of Sarajevo arrived here late Tuesday night. The "Radocka Lakic" school, a multi-ethnic school of Serbs, Croats and Muslims very near the front-line of war in the Bosnian capital, has been heavily damaged, and is in bad need of repair and other essentials for its pupils. It was adopted two months a go by the so-called "caravan of solidarity with the children of former Yugoslavia", founded by Eurodeputies P. Avgerinos (PASOK), T. Lambrias (ND), and A. Alavanos (Synaspismos) two years ago. Before the departure of the caravan from Athens late Monday night, Mr Alavanos said the fact that it is supported by deputies from all parties "symbolises the solidarity of the whole of the Greek people with the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, irrespective of ethnic or religious differences". The caravan is also carrying an offer by the Union of Bank Employees (OTOE) and the Union of Insurance Companies to offer hospitality to 100 children from Bosnia in their summer camps in August. "Macedonia is Greek through and through"- German MP --------------------------------------------------- Athens, 7/7/1994 (ANA): "Macedonia is Greek through and through and it is ridiculous for questions to be raised about its symbols," Dr. Sigrid Skarpelis-Sperk, President of the Parliamentary Committee for German-Greek Friendship said yesterday. Ms. Sperk, who is in Greece at the head of a Committee delegation, was speaking to reporters after talks with Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis. While visiting Macedonia, Ms. Sperk said, "both my German parliamentarian colleagues and I had the opportunity to ascertain that the region has been inhabited by Greeks from most ancient times, as well as see the treasures of Vergina and the symbols of the Macedonian kings which are here in Greece." On the Cyprus issue, the German parliamentarian said that pressure should be exerted for progress towards a just settlement of the problem. Ms. Sperk said that steps should be taken towards establishing confidence-building measures proposed by UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. FYROM police discover illegal arm trafficking by Albanians ---------------------------------------------------------- Skopje, 7/7/1994 (ANA/Marina Vichou): The Interior Ministry of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia yesterday announced that a network of illegal arms trafficking was discovered on July 1. Arms found during a check on the Tetovo to Vranitsa road consisted of one machine gun, two automatic weapons, two pistols, one hand-grenade, 652 bullets, two wireless radios and faked police stamps. Police say the five arrested smugglers, who initially tried to get away, are two FYROM and three Yugoslav citizens of Albanian origin, whose aim was to arm paramilitary groups striving for the independence of the Serb province of Kosovo and the creation of a Greater Albania. Amnesty International report made public ---------------------------------------- Athens, 7/7/1994 (ANA): The 352-page Amnesty International (AI) report on the state of human rights world-wide in 1993, issued yesterday by the organisation' s Greek chapter, refers to violations in 151 countries. In particular, cases of torture were reported in 112 countries, while the official state murdered political opponents in 61 countries and carried out 2,000 death penalties in 33. Moreover, there were 100,000 political prisoners, held without charge in 53 countries, while another 63 countries held prisoners of conscience. The report calls on the UN organisation to complete - after 9 years of delay - drafting of the Declaration on protection of supporters of human rights. Greek chapter president Ms Lydia Tryfona said "after AI's 30-year long action in favour of persecuted individuals, it is now called upon to adjust to the new situation appearing with the spread of civil wars and (mainly in third world countries) and persecutions on the basis of racial motives (in Europe). With regard to Turkey, the report mentions that many unarmed civilians were executed without trial by security forces, mainly in the south-eastern provinces, in reprisals for armed activity by Kurdish autonomist guerrillas. An AI representative describes the reception by the Turkish army of members of the organisation in Diyarbakir, April 23-25: " We came under a rain of bullets, and 9 officials and members of the organisation were killed". President briefed by FM, Public Order Minister --------------------------------------------- Athens, 7/7/1994 (ANA): President of the Republic Constantine Karamanlis yesterday held separate meetings with Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and Public Order Minister Stelios Papathemelis. The focal point of the meetings was the ongoing investigation on the death of a senior Turkish diplomat assassinated in Athens on Monday, and the new round of the UN-brokered talks on the Skopje issue in New York. The talks are held separately between UN mediator Cyrus Vance and the Greek and FYROM delegations. A statement issued by the Presidency of the Republic after the meetings, said Mr. Papoulias briefed President Karamanlis on "the results of his recent string of contacts abroad and his upcoming meeting in New York with Mr. Vance." On the meeting between President Karamanlis and Mr. Papathemelis, the statement said it focused on the shooting of Turkish diplomat Omer Halil Sipahioglu and "the measures taken (by the authorities) to prevent terrorist acts." Speaking to the press after the meeting, Mr. Papoulias said he had briefed the President on the results of his contacts in Alexandria, where he represented Greece at a two-day Mediterranean Forum, and in Geneva where he attended a meeting of the contact group on Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Minister said the FYROM issue was also raised during the meeting with the President. He added that Greek-Turkish relations were not discussed in detail. NATO sentry planes can use Greek base for Bosnia monitoring only ---------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 7/7/1994 (ANA): NATO AWACs airplanes can use the Aktion base in Western Greece only if their missions fall within the framework of UN decisions for the supervision of the no-fly zone in Bosnia-Herzegovina, but cannot use the base for air attacks, a spokesman for Greece's National Defence General Staff told reporters yesterday. The spokesman was responding to reports that four to five sentry AWACs aircraft -- US-made air force planes used for early warning command, control and communications -- will arrive at Aktion base tomorrow to take part in supervising Bosnia-Herzegovina air space. Greece, Tunisia sign deportation, legal help agreement ------------------------------------------------------ Athens, 7/7/1994 (ANA): Greece and Tunisia signed a bilateral agreement yesterday "on deportation and legal assistance in criminal cases." The signing of the agreement followed talks in Athens between Greek Justice Minister George Kouvelakis and his Tunisian counterpart Sadek Sha'aban. Addressing the Tunisian Minister, Kouvelakis referred to the Greek European Union presidency saying it had strongly supported "the struggle against xenophobia and racism." "Tolerance and acceptance should be two of the main features of a human society," Mr. Kouvelakis added. "These principles constitute common beliefs in both our countries," he said. The Tunisian Minister said the agreement ensured "a common effort in the struggle against international crime and drug trafficking." Mr. Sha'aban said the agreement, together with an earlier one on "granting legal services in civil, commercial and arbitration court cases," signed in Tunis, would "effectively promote efforts by Greek and Tunisian authorities in administering sound and impartial justice." Pauline Green new European Socialist Party president ----------------------------------------------------- Brussels, 7/7/1994 (ANA/M.Savva): Pauline Green was yesterday unanimously elected President of the European Socialist Party. She succeeds Jean-Pierre Cot. A Eurodeputy since 1989 and head of the British Labour Party's group since June 1993, Ms. Green has placed emphasis on social matters and on the Cyprus issue as a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee of the European Union and Cyprus. Christos Papoutsis, head of the ruling socialist PASOK party's Parliamentary Group, made the following statement on Ms. Green's election: "Greeks and Cypriots have special reasons to be pleased with the election of Ms. Green to the presidency of our group. All know her struggles for the just causes of the Cypriot people, the positive position she has always observed with our national issues and her struggles for the rights of the working classes and protection of the environment."