From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Wed, 26 Oct 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, October 26, 1994 --------------------------------------------- * Greece refuses to play Turkish game of 'artificial tension in relations' * Soysal statements * Kranidiotis: Ankara needs more constructive approach * Turkish press * Papoulias leaves to attend Jordan-Israel peace pact signing * Arsenis to visit Egypt * Evert: Sunday's results 'positive' for ND * No cabinet reshuffles planned, Venizelos says * Italian president due in Athens * Karditsa area in state of emergence after flooding * ETBA assistance * EU ready to help Greek farmers hurt by floods Greece refuses to play Turkish game of 'artificial tension in relations' ------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 26/10/1994 (ANA): Greece reiterated yesterday that it would not be party to efforts by Turkey to "create a climate of artificial tension in bilateral relations". Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos called statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Mumtaz Soysal again threatening Greece with war if it extended its territorial waters from six to twelve miles and accusing it of violating the Treaty of Lausanne, "repetitive and surprising, since nothing has changed in Greece's position and stance." "I cannot see the reason why Turkey's foreign minister, together with some of his colleagues, return to this issue over and over again," Mr. Venizelos said. Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias, in statements at the airport before leaving for Jordan yesterday, said it was Greece's right to extend its territorial waters. He also termed as "verbiage" a statement by Mr. Soysal in which he called for the disarming of the Aegean islands and the conclusion of a bilateral agreement on a six-mile limit basis. "If Mr. Soysal wants to say what he wants for reasons of domestic consumption, Greece has replied to him that our positions are well-known. Extending territorial waters to 12 miles is our country's right, which it will exercise whenever it wishes," Mr. Papoulias said. Commenting on the same issue, Foreign Ministry spokesman Constantine Bikas said: "Greece will not follow Turkey in its methods, which is trying to satisfy its domestic needs by creating a climate of tension." National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis also replied to Mr. Soysal's statement. "Mr. Soysal talks a lot and whoever talks a lot is delirious," Mr. Arsenis said. Mr. Arsenis arrived yesterday at Macedonia airport in Thessaloniki to represent Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou at three-day events marking the October 28 national holiday. Soysal statements ----------------- Istanbul, 26/10/1994 (ANA/A. Kourkoulas): Turkish Foreign Minister Mumtaz Soysal on Monday called on Greece to remove Exocet missile batteries from Greece's Aegean islands "as a first step" in a package of measures to resolve problems in the Aegean. In an interview with the TV programme "32nd Day", Mr. Soysal reiterated Turkish positions on the extension of Greek territorial waters, but said that Ankara "wants an easing in tension between the two countries". "I think that something can happen on November 16. All preparations are aimed at preventing such a possibility," Mr. Soysal said, referring to the day an international convention on sea rights will be implemented and which permits countries to extend their territorial waters from six to 12 miles. "We don't want a reckoning. We know who will win if there is one. We can whip Greece," Mr. Soysal said. He referred to a "proposal" he made to his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias according to which territorial waters in the Aegean will remain at the six-mile limit and "negotiations" will begin on other issues, including the continental shelf and air space. "If agreement is reached on one issue then the next one will be raised. However, the first condition for this package of proposals is the dismantling of Exocet missiles deployed on islands in the Aegean," he said, letting it be understood, however, that his "proposal" which, he added, still stands, was rejected outright by Greece. Kranidiotis: Ankara needs more constructive approach ---------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, in an interview with the same "32nd Day" programme, Greek Foreign Under-Secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis said threats from Ankara "escalate tension instead of benefiting Greek-Turkish relations." "I think a different approach would be much more constructive," Mr. Kranidiotis said, adding that Greece has the right to extend its territorial waters to 12 miles in accordance with international conventions. "However, we will set the time and the way in which this decision will be taken, while this will take place after a series of contacts with our friends and neighbours. We will take no one by surprise," he added. Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert told the programme that "Turkey is following an aggressive policy in the Balkans. For example, it is sending troops to Bosnia and is providing military and training aid to Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)." Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras said that "Turkey, like all Balkan states, should help peace to prevail in the region, particularly at present, when unrest is continuing in the Balkans. Turkey, which is trying to join the European Union, must contribute to the prevalence of stability. Turkey is doing exactly the opposite." Turkish press ------------- The Turkish press, meanwhile, also came out in criticism of Mr. Soysal's tactics. A report by Mehmet Ali Birant in yesterday's edition of the Turkish daily "Sabah" asked whether Turkey was losing its sense of proportion in its effort to send messages to Greece. Mr. Birant warned that "a miscalculated step can lead to disaster." A report in another newspaper said "if Ankara wanted to draw Athens' attention to the '12-mile issue' it would clearly choose different methods." "If Turkey wants to resolve the issue without war it is obliged to open the door to a 'specious withdrawal'," Gungor Mengi wrote, adding that " if indeed Soysal does not want war, he must know that what he is doing is inciting a war." "The foreign minister of a country not wanting war never says 'we will defeat our opponents' but creates alliances which will discourage Greece," the writer said. Papoulias leaves to attend Jordan-Israel peace pact signing ----------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 26/10/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias yesterday left for Jordan to attend the signing of the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, at the invitation of both governments. "It is a historic event, marking the one but last stage of a process which has gone through many difficult stages that have been overcome," Mr. Papoulias said, shortly before boarding his flight. The historic agreement, ending a 46-year state of war between the neighbouring states, will be signed at Arava, a check-post on the Jordanian-Israeli border. US President Bill Clinton will also attend the ceremony. A draft treaty was initialled last week by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and his Jordanian counterpart Abdul-Salam Al-Majali. The treaty includes 30 articles, with five principal annexes dealing with issues ranging from water to land arrangements. The deal has been unanimously approved by the Jordanian and Israeli cabinets. Egypt is the only other Arab country to have made peace with Israel. Mr. Papoulias told a questioner a new date would be set shortly for Premier Andreas Papandreou's visit to Syria, to have begun Monday, but postponed owing to floods caused by torrential rains last Friday. Arsenis to visit Egypt ---------------------- Athens, 26/10/1994 (ANA): National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis will pay an official visit to Egypt November 1 through 4 at the invitation of the Egyptian government, press reports said yesterday. The same sources said that Mr. Arsenis would also visit Israel in early December, while the date of his visit to Germany would soon be finalised. Evert: Sunday's results 'positive' for ND ----------------------------------------- Athens, 26/10/1994 (ANA): Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert yesterday chaired Executive Committee and Political Council meetings to evaluate the results of last Sunday's municipal and prefectural elections. The Political Council viewed the results as "positive" for ND and ascertained "the party's dynamic upward trend and the downward trend of (ruling party) PASOK." According to reports, the Executive Committee ascertained that ND currently commands 41.5-42 per cent of the country's electorate while the Political Spring party has lost about one third of its following. Mr. Evert reiterated his position that, taking into consideration PASOK's parliamentary majority, it would be meaningless for the party to request early elections. He also expressed reservations on whether early elections will be held in spring at the end of President Constantine Karamanlis' tenure. Mr. Evert believes the possibility of elections depends on the intentions of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, which are not yet clear, and on the positions of the smaller parties of Political Spring and the Communist Party of Greece on the issue of the president's election. No cabinet reshuffles planned, Venizelos says --------------------------------------------- Athens, 26/10/1994 (ANA): Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday that there was no question of a cabinet reshuffle and reiterated that an eventual return of failed Athens mayoral candidate Theodoros Pangalos to a government post remained open. Mr. Venizelos did not rule out that there may be changes to the government which would include appointing a replacement for Foreign Affairs Under-Secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis in case he took up his Eurodeputy duties. Mr. Kranidiotis is to replace Christos Papoutsis in the PASOK group of Eurodeputies, when Mr. Papoutsis assumes his duties as European Commissioner. In reply to questions, Mr. Venizelos stated that there would be no amendments to the electoral law. Italian president due in Athens ------------------------------- Rome, 26/10/1994 (AFP): Italy's President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro will pay a two-day official visit to Greece on November 4, at the invitation of President Constantine Karamanlis, a presidency statement said in Rome yesterday. Karditsa area in state of emergence after flooding -------------------------------------------------- Athens, 26/10/1994 (ANA): Many areas of the country remained flooded yesterday with a state of emergency being declared in the worst-hit regions of Karditsa in central Greece, several of the Dodecannese islands, including Rhodes, and parts of the Athens basin. Two villages in the Karditsa area, where inhabitants had to be evacuated by boat, are literally sunk in mud, while the damage sustained by agricultural production and livestock is inestimable. A first estimate of damage on the islands of Kasos and Karpathos puts the toll at around 3 billion drachmas. Power and telephone lines are out of order, while water supply networks, crops and many buildings have been completely destroyed. Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, on a ten-day visit to the Dodecannese, yesterday visited Karpathos. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos yesterday outlined the relief measures which the government, in a special inter-ministerial meeting, has decided to adopt for flood stricken families and businesses. Grants to families may total 2 million drachmas, depending on actual damage suffered and the number of members. For businesses, 30 per cent of losses will be covered in the form of grants, while owners will be able to receive loans with a 10 per cent subsidy on rates. Tax relief is also envisaged, and there will be compensation for the loss of household items and cars. Referring to the problems in Karditsa, Mr. Venizelos said losses in agricultural production and livestock would be recorded and compensated for. Mr. Venizelos acknowledged the state's responsibility for the causes of the disaster, which, as he said, rested on all governments over the last forty years, that did nothing to change the present state of town planning in the Athens basin. Environment Minister Costas Laliotis visited the stricken suburbs of Nea Ionia and Kalogreza and said that 50 families living along the Podoniftis gorge which overflowed on Friday will be resettled. He attributed responsibility to the previous New Democracy government for doing very little in the way of anti-flood protection. A New Democracy party statement yesterday said compensation for victims should amount to 70 percent of losses, or they will become overdebted to banks. It also pointed out that without government guarantees, they will not be able to receive loans. Finally, it called for the drawing up of a programme for the execution of infrastructure projects within a specific time schedule and for an immediate start to work to restore damaged areas. The Political Spring party called for an extraordinary debate in parliament on the compensation of victims and for the reform of plans for dealing with emergency situations. Coalition of the Left and Progress president Nikos Constantopoulos, after touring the Athens suburbs hit by the disaster, stressed the need for the state to compensate victims and take all measures necessary to eliminate its causes. He also proposed the setting up of an inter-party committee that will look into the immediate appropriation of necessary funds. ETBA assistance --------------- Athens, 26/10/1994 (ANA): Governor of the Hellenic Industrial Development Bank (ETBA) Theodoros Gamaletsos yesterday announced the provision of technical aid to the stricken areas, and favourable terms for loans and settlement of debts due. Meanwhile, the European Commission has announced the granting of 750,000 ECU (220 million drachmas) to Greece as emergency aid for the victims of the disaster. The sum is described as a "symbolic gesture" of Community solidarity. A message of support to the victims of the disaster was yesterday received by the ANA from the "Orthodox Harmony" organisation of Serbia, offering voluntary work to "our eternal Greek friends". EU ready to help Greek farmers hurt by floods --------------------------------------------- Luxembourg, 26/10/1994 (ANA/C. Verros): The European Union Farm Ministers Council yesterday expressed its sympathy to the victims of the recent flood disaster in Greece, while the German presidency stressed that the Union would deal with the problem in solidarity and effectively. Greek Agriculture Minister Giorgos Moraitis, speaking after the end of the agenda discussion, said that as soon as the total damage has been appraised and there is a full picture of the situation, the government will propose specific measures and inform the Union's competent organs for the granting of assistance. Meanwhile, the issue of the protection of animals during transportation, on which the German presidency tabled an amendment to the compromise proposal submitted by the Greek presidency last June, was deferred to the next Council meeting. On the issue of the compulsory cessation of cultivation, the 12 arrived at a political decision, reducing the percentage from 15 to 12, instead of 13 as originally envisaged by the Commission.