From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Sat, 6 Aug 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin --------------------------- * Cyprus issue not bilateral, Turkish occupation violates international law * Clerides recalls pseudo-state recognised by Turkey only * ERT to be reorganised, Venizelos announces plan * Pol.An disagrees * US policy in Albania failing AHEPA cautions * KKE warns Bosnia developments bring war hazards much closer * Greek General Staff not notified about NATO air strikes * Corfu City Council takes over royal residence * Pol.An. endorses ND Piraeus candidate * ND breakaway MP joins Pol.An * Inflation 11.2% end July * Bank of Greece abolished investment loan minimum rate Cyprus issue not bilateral, Turkish occupation violates international law ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 06/08/94 (ANA): The Cyprus problem is not a Greek-Turkish bilateral problem, but one of violation of international law, invasion and occupation by Turkey of a substantial part of the island-republic, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday. Commenting on a statement made by the new Turkish Foreign Minister Mumtaz Soysal on Thursday, the spokesman said that the Cyprus problem was an "international crime which has been going on for 20 years now." "Any side which fails to understand this and displays intransigence bears sole responsibility for the situation which is not accepted by the international community, as demonstrated by numerous UN resolutions," Mr. Venizelos said. Mr. Soysal said that the pseudo-state in Turkish occupied northern Cyprus was "the core of Ankara's eye." Receiving the illegal Turkish Cypriot "ambassador", Mr. Soysal also said Turkey would defend the interests and existence of the pseudo-state, which had been set up in the occupied northern part of the island-republic in 1983, and was recognised only by Ankara. Mr. Venizelos made special reference to the most recent UN Security Council Resolution 939 condemning the present status quo as "unacceptable". Mr. Venizelos added that no new element had emerged in Turkish foreign policy following the recent appointment of Mr. Soysal. "Greece," he added, "will not indulge in induced reflexes to make responses or comments each time a Turkish foreign minister states his views. We have had many manifestations of intransigence and shilly-shallying." The spokesman said that Greece was not interested in personal views but rather the fixed positions of the Turkish side. Replying to questions, Mr. Venizelos said that the continuous arming of Turkish troops on Cyprus with weapons systems provided by the US and Germany was "an international crime". Commenting on a statement by Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Ferhat Ataman concerning the fortification of Greek islands in the Aegean, Mr. Venizelos said that "the entire issue has a NATO dimension, since the defence plans and weapons programmes of Greece are programmes linked to the defence planning of NATO and this should not be overlooked by Turkey." Clerides recalls pseudo-state recognised by Turkey only ------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 06/08/94 (ANA): Meanwhile, Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides, reacting to the Turkish foreign minister's remarks, said that the pseudo-state might mean "anything to Turkey but, internationally, it (the pseudo-state) is not recognised." President Clerides was addressing the press at the port of Heraklion, Crete, where he made a few hours' stopover while on a cruise of Greek islands. "What the Turkish minister will have to realise sooner or later, is that the international community is not disposed to accept the present status quo as a solution to the Cyprus problem and, moreover, it will not recognise the Turkish Cypriot pseudo-state, while soon Cyprus will be accepted in the European Union," Mr. Clerides said. "The Turkish foreign minister will very soon come face to face with reality," he added. Commenting on an another statement by Mr. Soysal who said that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots could resolve their differences by themselves, Mr. Clerides said: "I would comment in a positive manner on the statement, provided only that the Turkish army withdrew from Cyprus." President Clerides visited the archaeological museum and the Minoan city of Knossos. He left the island early last night. ERT to be reorganised, Venizelos announces plan ----------------------------------------------- Athens, 06/08/94 (ANA): Press Minister Evangelos Venizelos, president of the Greek Radio Television organisation (ERT) Evgenios Yiannakopoulos, and members of the Radio-Television Council yesterday presented ERT's reorganisation plan. "The plan, is also an infrastructure project", said Mr Venizelos, "and clarified the objectives of ERT, which will not function competitively but, as a model instead, while also seeking to increase its ratings". Mr Yiannakopoulos presented an outline of reorganised ERT, including three channels, two regional stations, four of national and two of international range respectively and 21 local stations. Staff will comprise 3,666 permanent employees and 1,204 on temporary contract. The plan envisages a reduction of the deficit in the 1994-95 budget to 8.1 billion dr. from 15.6 billion, the annual deficit of the accumulated debt. This will be achieved through a reduction in operational expenses and an increase in the public charge from 500 dr. to 750 dr. Pol.An disagrees ----------------- Athens, 06/08/94 (ANA): Political Spring party (Pol.An) spokesman Dimitris Mathiopoulos stated his party's opposition to the 50% increase in the public charge for ERT, describing it as an additional burden on the Greek people. US policy in Albania failing AHEPA cautions --------------------------------------------- New York, 06/08/94 (ANA/Mirella Georgiadou): President of the American Hellenic Educational and Progressive Association (AHEPA) John Economou has described Albania's bringing to trial six ethnic Greeks on charges of treason and espionage - capital offences - as a "profound step backward for Albania and a clear indication that US policy and counselling there is failing". In a press release Thursday, AHEPA described the action as "the latest in a systematic campaign against the ethnic Greek minority", which the United States government estimates to number 264,000, or 8% of Albania's population. The six are all members of the ethnic Greek party 'Omonia' and were arrested in April as part of a crackdown on the ethnic Greek minority which included widespread warrantless searches, arrests and harassment by the Albanian Internal Intelligence Service (SHIK). The release points out that five of the Omonia six, including an American citizen, Theodoros Bezhanis, are charged under Articles 27 and 13 of the Albanian criminal code, introduced and used extensively by former Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha against his political opponents. The trial opens August 15. It is also pointed out that Amnesty International has raised an issue over the conditions of arrest and detention of the six. The release also refers to a statement by President of the Panepitoric Federation of America Nicholas Gage mentioning that "there is no justice and little tolerance in Albania under Sali Berisha. Ethnic tensions he is arousing undermine stability in the southern Balkans and threaten conflict that would affect vital US interests in the region". KKE warns Bosnia developments bring war hazards much closer ----------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 06/08/94 (ANA): The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) said yesterday developments in Bosnia-Herzegovina "bring much closer the danger of a general conflagration in the Balkans." The KKE statement also criticised the government noting it "bears special responsibility, since it continues to follow the policy of NATO, the US and the European Union in the region." The KKE also calls on the government to "abstain from any action that might embroil it further in (foreign) intervention in Bosnia." "Possibilities of a viable solution lie in a withdrawal of NATO and EU forces, and the lifting of the UN embargo against Serbia," the statement said. Greek General Staff not notified about NATO air strikes ------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 06/08/94 (ANA): The National Defence General Staff said yesterday it had not been informed in advance of the NATO air strikes in Bosnia against Bosnian Serb targets. In a statement issued last night, the GEETHA said it had been notified in time about the seizure of a tank and other heavy weapons from a UN storage site inside Sarajevo's UN-mandate weapons exclusion zone by Bosnian Serbs. The seizure, the statement said, constituted a violation of the terms of establishment of the exclusion zones. No AWACS aircraft stationed at Aktion air-base in western Greece participated in the operation, the statement concluded. Corfu City Council takes over royal residence ---------------------------------------------- Athens, 06/08/94 (ANA): "In a public and festive manner", Corfu Mayor Chrysanthos Sarlis yesterday removed the seals at the former summer royal residence of Mon Repos in the Palaiopolis district, carrying out a decision by the local City Council. "The picture we faced", said Alekos Avlonitis, member of the six-strong supervisory committee, "was one of complete abandonment and misery. All furniture and objects of art had disappeared and there were only some small objects of no value". The City Council, said Mr Sarlis, is appealing to the government, asking it to make all necessary decisions concerning the maintenance, administration, and operation of the former royal palace, as well as the broader Palaiopolis area, which includes important archaeological finds, such as the temple of Akraia Hera. The Council, he added, proposes that the palace be used as an archaeological museum, and the Tito building, named after the late Yugoslav leader who once stayed there, as an exhibition area and gallery. The caretaker of the palace, claimed the unsealing of the palace was unlawful, and that the ex-king's representative Marios Stavridis had filed a suit against Corfu City Council. Pol.An. endorses ND Piraeus candidate ------------------------------------- Athens, 06/08/94 (ANA): Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras yesterday announced his party's support for the candidacy of Charalambos Kefalas for the Piraeus mayorship in the October elections. Mr. Kefalas, who is the President of the Piraeus Traders' Association, is main opposition New Democracy party's candidate. ND breakaway MP joins Pol.An --------------------------- Athens, 06/08/94 (ANA): Member of Parliament for Serres Christos Kalaitzidis, who broke away from the New Democracy party in April, yesterday announced his adherence to the Political Spring party (Pol.An). In a statement, he declared Pol.An was "the only party with genuine political boldness to look ahead". Pol.An leader Antonios Samaras lauded Mr Kalaitzidis' decision, describing it as an act of "consistency and decisiveness". Inflation 11.2% end July ------------------------- Athens, 06/08/94 (ANA): Annual inflation was running at 11.2 percent at the end of July, compared with 10.9 per cent at the end of June, according to figures released yesterday by the National Statistics Service (NSS). According to the same figures, the Consumer Price Index rose by 1.6 percent in July, compared with an increase of 1.9 per cent in the same month last year. The rise was mainly due to increases in rents, electricity, taxi fares, urban and inter-city bus fares, fish, milk, coffee, soft drinks and restaurant meals. The NSS said that the increase would have been even greater had the prices of fruit and vegetables not fallen, along with the prices of other goods in the summer sales such as clothing and footwear, furniture and household appliances. Bank of Greece abolished investment loan minimum rate ----------------------------------------------------- Athens, 06/08/94 (ANA): Governor of the Bank of Greece Ioannis Boutos yesterday announced the abolition of the minimum bank rate on loans for financing fixed capital investments (17%), and the minimum discount rate on Treasury bills, varying from two to four percentage units above the nominal rate of the bills.