Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-05-19

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

CONTENTS

[01] Olympiakos fans attacked in Istanbul; two hospitalised

[02] Remains of missing soldiers slain in Cyprus to return after 43 years

[03] Excessive speed blamed for fatal train crash in Adendro, according to report

[01] Olympiakos fans attacked in Istanbul; two hospitalised

According to sources, one of the victims was stabbed in the leg and the other was hit in the face while their condition does not give rise for concern.

Fifteen Olympiakos supporters that arrived for the Euroleague final four taking place in Istanbul later on Friday were attacked while taking a walk near Taxim square. Suddenly a Turkish fan lit a smoke canister and started shouting at them. A group of Turks then came out onto the street and attacked the Greeks, rhythmically chanting "Istanbul, Istanbul". Undercover police in plainclothes intervened and detained five Turks.

According to the Turkish police, the Turks arrested were Fenerbahce's fans who travelled to Istanbul from the city of Maltepe and the attack was not an action planned by Fenerbahce's organised supporters. Police also said that the bloody incident has nothing to do with Greek-Turkish affairs.

The video of the attack on the Greek fans was posted on the Fener Fanatics twitter feed with the comment "The speedy Greeks in Istanbul".

[02] Remains of missing soldiers slain in Cyprus to return after 43 years

The bones of Giorgos Zervomanolis and Vassilis Triantis, both of whom had been considered missing in action since the clashes between Greek and Turkish forces during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, were recently found, identified and are finally coming home.

Zervomanolis was 21 at the time of his death and fell defending the ELDYK army camp during the battle on 16 August 1974. He was buried by the Turkis in a mass grave found 1,200 metres north of the camp, next to a stream with another 11 people. The grave was dug up and 10 of the individuals buried there were identified via DNA testing.

His bones will be taken to the Hellenic Army General Staff in Athens on May 26 and transported to Lesvos for burial in a special ceremony on May 29.

The remains of Vassilis Triantis, which were found by a farmer in an area where he kept livestock near the former ELDYK camp, will be taken to Parga on May 27.

Talking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) on Friday, his brother Kostas said the family has lived with uncertainty since that fateful day when a delegation from the local militia came to their village with the news this his brother was missing in action.

"It was August 18. The Defence Militia Battalion came and told us that Vassilis was missing. That he was lost in action in the three days between 14-16 August. My father and mother collapsed. We did not want to believe the worst. Mother, right up to the time that she died 10 years ago, lived in the hope that she would see him again," he said.

Kostas Triantis also described how he went to Cyprus in search of his brother two years later but lost hope that he would be found alive, since all witnesses said that the Turks had encircled the ELDYK camp and left no one alive because they fought back.

An ELDYK soldier from Parga that survived and went back told the Trianti family that he had seen Vassilis wounded near the camp.

Costas Triantis noted that his brother, who had been 21 at the time of his death, had emigrated to Australia and then returned to serve his country. In November 1973, before he left for Cyprus, he had written home and asked to his brothers. "He seems to have had a premonition that he would not see us again," Costas added.

Vassilis Triantis' bones will arrive in the village of Ano Skafidoti near Parga on Saturday, May 27 and be placed in the village church, while the burial attended by a military honour guard will take place on Sunday.

[03] Excessive speed blamed for fatal train crash in Adendro, according to report

According to the findings of the committee investigating the incident, the train had a speed of 144.3 km/h when it derailed and crashed into a house in Adendro on May 13, killing three people and injuring several others.

"The committee, taking into account the available information and subject to any additional information that may arise, as to the extent and magnitude of the damage, estimates that the cause of the derailment of passenger train [number] 58 on 13/5/2017 is its speed," the report says.

"On the basis of the official analysis of the data of the tachograph (Teloc) done by TRAINOSE at the time of the derailment, its speed was 144.3 km/h, while the permitted speed of on the 1st line (secondary line) in the area of Adedro was 60 km/h. The brake does not appear to have been pressed," it adds.

On questions related to the sturdiness of the rail tracks, the report says they will be answered after the laboratory test conducted on a rail sample from a certified University laboratory, adding that authorities need to also examine measures that would prevent or reduce dramatically the ability to exceed the speed limit.

The final report on the accident will be delivered in the coming days. Crews working to restore the railway network in Adendro will finish removing the destroyed train carriages on Saturday and services are expected to be restored in the next ten days, the Infrastructure ministry said.

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