Athens News Agency: News in English, 00-07-16

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] EU Commissioner - Turkey

[02] Illegal immigrants - arrests

[03] Wildfires - Greece

[01] EU Commissioner - Turkey

ISTANBUL (ANA A. Kourkoulas) The EU Commissioner responsible for expansion over the weekend called on Turkey to alter its stance on the Cyprus issue, among others, saying the countrys policies create problems in EU-Turkey relations.

Commissioner Guenter Verheugen, during a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit as part of his official visit to the country, requested a more ?conciliatory? stance by Turkey in regards to Cyprus and Greek-Turkish relations, particularly issues dealing with the Aegean.

[02] Illegal immigrants - arrests

The 222 illegal immigrants found on board a small fishing boat without a name or flag, which was spotted off the island of Kythera on Saturday, were being held at the Gythio football stadium on Sunday, while three were taken to hospital suffering from exhaustion. The boat's six-member crew was arrested and taken before the public prosecutor.

Meanwhile, in a related development, 38 Iraqi illegal immigrants were picked up by a border patrol on the Alexandroupolis-Komotini national highway, stowed away in a refrigerator truck driven by 49-year-old Michail E. Efstathiadis from Thessaloniki.

[03] Wildfires - Greece

Most of the wildfires that scorched the Greek countryside over the past week had died down by Sunday, while only two blazes were reported burning by the afternoon.

Authorities said both fires one in the western Peloponnese prefecture of Achaia and the other farther to the east in Corinth prefecture -- have been partially extinguished, while reinforcements, including fire-fighting planes, have been sent to the area.

Meanwhile, in a related development, the countrys public order minister was quoted by an Athens newspaper on Sunday as blaming last weeks conflagration on the eastern Aegean island of Samos on arsonists, among others.

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