Antenna: News in English, 97-01-08

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

News in English, 08/01/97

TITLES

• Greece stands by Cyrpus's decision to strengthen its defences***.
• New Democracy leaders work toward common ground in the run-up to a decisive party congress***.
• And, epiphany in Greece***.

CYPRUS

The US and Britain are urging Cyprus to reconsider the deal, but Greece says Turkish aggression must be held in check.

Facing growing Turkish belligerence, the Cypriot government has decided to purchase S-300 anti- aircraft missiles from Russia.

The missiles, with theri 100-mile range, will strengthen Free Cyprus's air shield against a possible Turkish attack.

Turkish-Cypriot leader Raouf Denktash sees the arms purchase as part of a Greek plan, involving Russia and Syria, to occupy the whole of Cyprus. The Turkish foreign ministry warns that it will what is necessary to quote guarantee the security of Turkish-occupied Cyprus.

But that 22-year-long occupation has never been legitimised in the eyes of the international community. The UN has called on Turkey to get its troops out, and world opinion was shocked last year by the brutal murder of 3 unarmed Greek- Cypriots by Turks.

Greece also knows about Turkish aggression. It was alarmed by Turkey's attempt to take the Greek island of Imia in the Aegean last year by landing troops on it.

Cypriot president Glavcos Clirides and Greek defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos say that Cyprus has a right to defend itself against the ongoing Turkish threat.

Facing that common threat, Greece and Cyprus have entered into a joint defence agreement last year. Tsochatzopoulos says that Greece will stand by Cyprus and guarantee its freedom, and that any attack by the Turks in Cyprus would mean war with Greece.

Tsochatzopoulos told an Athens daily, "Since 1995, the Turkish military's goal has been aiming at changing the borders in the Aegean at Greece's expense". Ankara, he added, has been creating what he calls "controlled crises" in the Aegan in an effort to dispute Greek sovereign rights.

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of violations of Greek seas by Turkish naval vessels, which sometimes sail within a stone's throw of Greek Aegean islands.

Oceanographers are also vilating Greek waters more frequently. Last Friday, the Piri Race was out in the Aegean. The Greek navey is wathcing the Turkish moves.

The United States and Britain would prefer Cyprus to cancel its 400- million dollar Russian missile deal. The US state department believes the Russian decision to sell the weapons will fuel the arms race in a volatile region and complicate efforts to solve the Cyprus problem.

But Russia counters that the missile sale does not violate any international laws or treaties, and will go ahead.

US deputy secretary of state John Cornbloom says both Greece and Cyprus will be responsible for extending the deadlock on the Cyprus issue if the missiles are installed.

But deadlock is a burden Greek-Cypriots know all about after 22 years of Turkish military occupation of the north.

And Cypriot government spokesman Yiannakis Kassoulides criticises both the US and Britain for not reacting more strongly to the Turkish occupation.

Turkey has hinted that it will resort to more bullying if Cyprus moves to improve its defences with the missiles. Cyprus's response in the face of those threats has been to take extra security measures at potential sensitive targets of Turkish aggression.

MEETING

That congress was originally intended to come at the end of February, but has now been set for the end of March.

The current party leader and his main challenger smoothed out some of their differences over how the congress should be conducted.

Commenting on his meeting with party leader Miltiades Evert and MP Giorgos Souflias, Evert's main leadership challenger, New Democracy vice president Iannis Varvitsiotis said "We've reached a good point".

The three men reached agreement on a number of issues that had been creating tension in the party, on how the congress should be organised. One main issue they still differ on is perhaps the biggest of all: how the additional voting-delegates to the congress will be selected. Souflias wants them elected by the party rank-and-file, but Evert disagrees. However, Evert has moved away from his initial position.

And he, Souflias, and Varvitsiotis have agreed to the date of the congress: the 27th, 28th, and 29th of March.

Feuding has often been raw within New Democracy since Pasok sent it down to election defeat in September. But Souflias said after his meeting with Evert, "The congress will take place, despite the predictions of the Cassandras".

And another Evert Opponent, Dora Bakoyianni, says the latest meeting is positive.

But the crisis at the top of the party has many MPs concerned. 22 parliamentarians have sent a letter to Evert, Souflias, and Varvitsiotis, asking them to come to a full agreement on how the all- important congress is to be handled. Otherwise, the warn, not only the congress, but the party's future, will be placed in jeopardy.

MP Levteris Papageorgopoulos says that New Democracy's stands between a split and an unworkable compromise. What it needs to get out of the crisis is a quote "creative explosion, a real revolution, a change in structure, mindset, politics; something that will override the wills of those battling at the top. He says the quarrelling leaders have no right to decide for the whole party.

SIMITIS

Simitis was released from the hospital in good health on Sunday afternoon.

The prime minister made light of his visit. "It was an easy operation in a warm environment", he said, adding that he hopes to be back on the job by Thursday.

EPIPHANY

Hundreds of people gathered at Greece's largest port, Piraeus, for the blessing of waters.

The Greek president and other political leaders attended holiday commemorations.

The cross was taken to the Church of Agia Triada to be thrown into the sea in the traditional blessing ceremony, a reminder of Christ's baptism.

President Stefanopoulos wished everybody a healthy and happy new year; president of parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis said he hopes that 1997 will be is which all Greeks display wisdom and a sense of responsibility.

In fashionable Kolonaki, Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos and other political and military leaders attended the traditional water-blessing cermemony.

New Democracy MP Dora Bakoyianni called it a day of joy, expressing her hope that God will help everyone to do their best in the future.

In the town of Kastoria, in northern Greece, the blessing of the water is followed by the "koutsAria", a tradition dating back to the ancient feasts of the god Dionysos. People dance and sing their way through the town streets, some parading in costume.

In many places around Greece, people dived in to retrieve the traditional crucifix after it was thrwon into the chilly water.

In the contest at Lake Yiannena, there was a threepeat: this young man has come up with the cross three times.

In coastal Thessaloniki, eight people dived into the ThermaikOs bay waters. 35-year-old surgeon Vassilis Zervas retrieved the cross. "I'm very happy", he enthused. Wishing all a happy and healthy new year, he said he hopes he sees a lot fewer people in the hospital next year.

In the northern town of KaterIni, a 25-year-old Serb retrieved the cross. Metropolitan bishop AgathOnikos gave him a silver Byzantine cross. "I'm very happy", said Milan EdElovits, the first Serb ever to win the contest. "I've only been living here for four years, but I already feel Greek. I'm married and have a child".

In a village near Kavala, in north-eastern Greece, tradition was also the order of the day. After a mass in the local church, the faithful, led by their priest, father Vassilios, walked the two kilometres to the cold lake in VriOs.

Father Vassilios threw the cross into the water. Several brave young men followed it in for what is one of the most difficult of searches. The muddy waters are hard to see through, and it often takes several hours for the cross to be retrieved. This year, the lucky diver found it on his second dive. Afterwards, the crucifix was placed on a plate decorated with flowers, and paraded past all the homes in the village.

The cermemony was repeated in the port city of Volos. And in Patra, where hundreds of people gathered to watch the divers attempting to retrieve the cross.

RESISTANCE

The ceremony was organised by the "Friends of the Panhellenic Fighting Youth Association".

Its secretary, Stathis Tournakis, explained that they're trying to keep alive the memory of Greek heroes and their achievements.

Yiannis KatevAtis, Dimitris Lois, Ioulia BIpa and DionYsis Papadopoulos were executed by the German occupation forces on January 7th, 1943 in retaliation for the blowing up of a building being used by the Germans.

Antonis MytilinEos, who had fought against the Nazis with the executed heroes, said, "Today we're paying a debt of honour to our co-fighters".

Family members of the four heroes laid wreathes at the monument. Representatives of the political parties and the city of Athens also attended the ceremony.

DOCKWORKERS

The workers have announced a two-day strike for January 13th and 14th, following an unsatisfactory meeting with government ministers.

Teachers are holding a one-day strike on January 20th, over pay. And farmers who shut down the country's road system in December are considering renewing their roadblocks.

© ANT1-Radio 1996

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