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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English (AM), 99-03-01
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
Today's ERA News Online
Monday March 1st 1999
CONTENTS
[01] Prime minister comments on statements by Dilan Kilic
[02] Similar stand adopted by other PASOK members
[03] Opposition leader again calls for government's resignation
[04] Concert in support of Kurds in Athens today
[05] Fresh statements against Greece by Turkish president
[06] Prime minister in Milan for European socialist meeting
[07] Greek EU campaign for Cyprus solution
[08] Cypriot president comments on State Department report
[09] PASOK elects delegates to party congress
[10] Elections in Greek Bar Associations
[01] Prime minister comments on statements by Dilan Kilic
While voting yesterday in Piraeus for delegates to the PASOK 5th congress
scheduled for March 18-21, prime minister Kostas Simitis elaborated on the
prospects of a Greece equal to the other EU members during the process for
European unification, with a role in the Balkans and a voice in the world.
The prime minister used strong language to comment on the statements to the
press issued by Kurdish Workers' Party leader Abdullah Ocalan's female aide,
Dilan Kilic, and he spoke of an attempt to defame Greece by people who
received every possible humanitarian aid.
He also said that it would be tragic to reduce Greek-Turkish relations to
the Kurdish issue and that Greece was helping hundreds of Kurds and
thousands of Albanians, to an extent much greater than that of other EU
members countries which have a comparatively much greater capacity.
The government, Mr Simitis stressed, will not be drawn into the schemes of
those who seek to implicate Greece in damaging conflicts and influence the
country's progress negatively.
[02] Similar stand adopted by other PASOK members
Similar in tone were the statements made by speaker of parliament Apostolos
Kaklamanis, PASOK secretary Kostas Skandalidis, education minister
Gerasimos Arsenis and development minister Evangelos Venizelos, as well as
other members of the ruling PASOK party.
Furthermore, Mr Simitis has sent a letter to speaker of parliament
Apostolos Kaklamanis requesting the expulsion of deputy Kostas Badouvas
from the parliamentary group of PASOK due to his stand in the Ocalan affair,
which was detrimental to Greece's national interests.
[03] Opposition leader again calls for government's resignation
Meanwhile, in a speech in Crete yesterday, opposition New democracy party
leader Kostas Karamanlis again called for the resignation of the government,
saying that the prime minister and cabinet ministers had not been equal to
the occasion and accusing the prime minister of guilty silence.
In reply to Mr Karamanlis, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said the
New Democracy leader was attacking the prime minister and the government on
the basis of unsubstantiated and inadmissible allegations made by Ms Kilic.
He added these allegations were an insult not only to the government but
also to the country.
[04] Concert in support of Kurds in Athens today
Finally, in Syntagma square in Athens, a concert and rally in support of
the Kurdish people will go on as planned today. World-acclaimed Greek
composer Mikis Theodorakis will not take party in the concert following
statements critical of Ms Kilic and her accusations he made on Saturday.
[05] Fresh statements against Greece by Turkish president
Turkish president Suleyman Demirel yesterday reiterated his country's
propaganda, claiming that Greece supported terrorism and trained PKK
terrorists. Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas described the statements
as defamatory and groundless, designed to perpetrate a climate of tension
in Greek-Turkish relations.
[06] Prime minister in Milan for European socialist meeting
Prime minister Kostas Simitis left for Milan yesterday to take part in
today's meeting of European Socialists. Mr Simitis is heading a 15-member
delegation of the ruling PASOK party. The main items on the meeting's
agenda are the adoption of a manifesto in view of the Euro-elections, the
election of a new presidium and issues of development and employment on
which Mr Simitis will submit a series of proposals.
[07] Greek EU campaign for Cyprus solution
The Greek government is organising a campaign in the EU aimed at a
substantive European political initiative to resolve the Cyprus problem.
Deputy foreign minister Yannos Kranidiotis said yesterday that the
Amsterdam new treaty provides the institutional framework for such a
European initiative. Mr Kranidiotis is planning a visit to Cyprus soon, at
the head of a ministerial committee which will examine the steps necessary
for the island's conformity with European standards.
[08] Cypriot president comments on State Department report
Commenting on the State Department's annual report on human rights,
president of the Cyprus republic Glafkos Kliridis has categorically
rejected claims that there was an effort under way by other countries to
equate the unilaterally proclaimed self-styled Turkish Cypriot state with
the Cyprus republic. He said that assurances from all sides were that no
country would recognize the pseudo-state.
[09] PASOK elects delegates to party congress
An election was held yesterday in the ruling PASOK party to elect the 5,500
delegates to the party's 5th congress to be held from March 18 to 21 at the
Olympic Stadium in Athens.
[10] Elections in Greek Bar Associations
The second round of elections are being held today in Greek Bar
Associations to elect new boards.
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