Antenna News in English 290596

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From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: [email protected]

News in English, of 29/05/1996

TITLES

• Turkey causes another incident in the Aegean.
• Police quash a protest of election fraud in Albania.
• And, getting bookish in Greece's largest port town.

IMIA

The Greek craft moved to prevent the Turkish boat from sailing further into Greek seas between the islands of Imia and Kalymnos. The Turkish boat suddenly changed course, hitting the Greek craft before sailing for the Turkish coast.

At the end of January, Turkey laid claim to the Greek isle of Imia, and has since said that it questions Greek sovereignty over a number of other small islands in the Aegean.

Following Tuesday's incident, Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas talked of a new Turkish provocation. He said Ankara is ruining efforts to improve Greek-Turkish relations. He added that the latest incident proves how insincere Turkish calls for dialogue and better bi-lateral communication are.

New Democracy said following the episode that Turkey's behaviour is getting more dangerous.

And Political Spring said the incident shows what Turkey means by dialogue.

GENEVA

Theodoros Pangalos is to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Emre Gkionensai in Berlin on June 2nd.

In Geneva, diplomats from the two countries met to prepare for that meeting.

The Greek delegation isn't particularly optimistic about the the outcome of the Geneva contacts. The Greek diplomats say Turkey's stubborn refusal to go to the international court with its claim to Imia, and the political instability in Turkey, make it difficult to make progress in Greek-Turkish relations.

In Geneva, both sides are expected to list the problems between the two countries they consider should be given priority in the Berlin discussion.

Since the Imia episode, Turkey has obliquely advanced its Aegean claims, saying that there are "grey zones" of questionable sovereignty in the Aegean. Greek diplomats say Turkey should take any territorial claims it wants to make on Greece to the international court.

ALBANIA

They want the election to be held again.

Dozens of protesters were injured, and hundreds arrested, as policemen wielding truncheons used force in their attempt to put an end to the Tirane rally.

Foreign election observers are throwing their hands up in the air. They witnessed irregularities in the first round of balloting on Sunday, and many are leaving Tirane before the second round gets under way.

Kastriot Islami of Albania's Socialist party, one of the groups protesting the election, said the fraud amounted to a coup d-etat by the ruling party. The police brutality in Tirane he called "the first day of violent dictatorship in Albania".

Greek and other foregin journalists were verbally abused by the authorities, and some had their cameras destroyed by plainclothes policemen during the rally.

PASOK

Vaso Papandreou spoke on an issue that Pasok has been talking about for weeks.

This summer, Pasok's congress will choose a party vice president, to assist party president Andreas Papandareou, sidelined by poor health. It is believed that whoever is chosen will effectively lead the party, and have an edge on other potential candidates when the party eventually chooses a new president.

The issue has split Pasok. Mr Simitis clearly wants to go for the vice presidency, to strengthen his government. But some, including his main rival within the party, Akis Tsochatzopoulos, say there's room at the top for two. Tsochatzopoulos says instead of one man at the top, there should be a collective leadership.

But Vaso Papandreou urged party members to put aside what she called small ambitions and place themselves at the service of party unity.

Clearly indicating that Mr Simitis should be the head of both Pasok and the government, she called for a "strong leader with a strong leading group within the party", and for "unified expression of the will of the party and the government".

Pasok MP Dimitris Bays was one of the party members who criticised Vaso Papandreou's speech, saying it was divisive.

Supporting her, MP Manolis Papastephanakis said, "I agree with her, we can't have two leadership poles in the party".

Both sides want unity, but both want unity on their own terms.

SIMITIS

Mr Simitis complained while Andreas Papandreou was premier, that Pasok's MPs had virtually no say in the government.

As prime minister, he's made a priority of including the parliamentary group in the business of government.

He met with the group's new secretariat Tuesday. Mr Simitis said, "I think things are going well. There are ideas, and the will to implement them, to create something new, something that will change our image".

The parliamentary group's newly-elected secretary said the prime minister promised to listen to any proposals the MPs have on governmental issues; his door will always be open to them.

BOOK

Opening the fair, culture minister Stavros Benos said the event is a cultural celebration.

Piraeus mayor Stelios Logothetis said the city's bookstores association has flowered into an excellent example for book merchants around the country to emulate. "I watered a small tree", he said, "and turned it into a big one bearing fruit".

The number of visitors to the fair grows every year.

© ANT1-Radio 1996

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