Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-04-25

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

News in English, 25/04/97

TITLES

• Greece urges Turkey to strike a more amicable pose.
• More Greek aid goes to Albania.
• And, the red cross brings easter cheer to the hospital.

TURKEY

The EU has told Turkey that if it wants closer relations with Europe, it should undertake to cease threatening Greece with violence to get its way, and take any claims it wants to make against Greece to the international court.

Last year, Turkey provoked anger when it staged a military landing on the Greek isle of Imia, claiming it as its own.

It has since made a number of other claims on the Aegean.

The EU wants Turkey to conform to the norms of international law.

But Turkey's rejection of the EU's request that it renounce violence as a way of getting what it wants, and promise to resolve differences in accordance with international law, means the chill is likely to continue in Greek-Turkish relations.

It also means Turkey's move toward Europe is likely to continue to be difficult.

And the EU-Turkey Association council scheduled for April 29th is likely to be tense and unsuccessful.

Turkish association with the EU would mean it getting EU funds.

But the Greek government spokesman says that if Turkey refuses to commit itself to being a good neighbour to Greece, to refrain from threats of violence, recognise the legal status quo in the Aegean and take its claims on Greece to the international court, then GREECE will NOT lift its veto over EU funds.

Turkey has gone even further. It now threatens to send a low-ranking representative to the council if the Greek veto isn't lifted before the meeting. It is also demanding that the EU make Turkey admission into the EU a priority, and that Greece commit itself to NOT exercising its internationally-recognised right to extend its maritime borders in the Aegean to 10 miles.

Turkey's truculence may also put a dampener on plans to set up groups of Greek and Turkish experts to explore procedural matters that could facilitate a future Greek-Turkish dialogue on issues of substance.

Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos says Greece wants to keep the EU issues and the expert groups separate, but Turkey has refused to even take a clear position on those groups.

The negative climate was there in Brussels too. The chairmen of the Greek and Turkish joint chiefs of staff met on the sidelines of a Nato meeting Wednesday night.

They discussed the possibility of a flight moratorium over the Aegean during the summer months, and about ways of preventing future incidents in and over the Aegean during military exercises.

But Greek deputy foreign minister Yiannos Kranidiotis says Turkey disagrees with Greece on certain issues, like what exactly constitutes a military exercise. It also disagrees over the time period the moratorium should cover.

Turkey appeared bent on maintaining the chill in its relations with Greece and Europe Thursday.

Diplomatic sources said that Turkey is likely to reject the EU's conditions for closer ties with the EU. The matter will be discussed at the EU- Turkey Association Council slated for April 29th, where Turkey will presented with the EU demands in writing.

The Greek government spokesman says that if Turkey refuses to commit itself to being a good neighbour to Greece, to refrain from threats of violence, recognise the legal status quo in the Aegean and take its claims on Greece to the international court, then GREECE will NOT lift its veto over EU funds for Turkey.

Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos says regardless of Turkey's stance at the EU council meeting, it's possible that a group of Greek and Turkish expert could still be set up. The group would examine procedural matters that could facilitate a future Greek-Turkish dialogue on issues of substance.

The chairmen of the Greek and Turkish joint chiefs of staff met on the sidelines of a Nato meeting in Brussels Wednesday night.

Sources say they discussed the possibility of a flight moratorium over the Aegean during the summer months, and about ways of preventing future incidents in and over the Aegean during military exercises.

But even there, there are snags. Greek deputy foreign minister Yiannos Kranidiotis says Turkey disagrees with Greece on certain issues, like what exactly constitutes a military exercise.

SIMITIS

Arriving in Bonn, Germany, the Greek prime minister was met by the German chancellor.

Helmut Kohl gave Simitis a military welcome, and the two men discussed issues of interest to their two countries.

After meeting with Kohl, Simitis said he had repeated Greece's reasons for vetoing EU funds for Turkey. He added that he thinks Kohl understood Greece's concerns.

But some sources say Germany is intent on making sure the EU-Turkey association council is a success, and that Germany will put pressure on Greece to lift its veto over EU funding of Turkey.

ALBANIA

Greece's thoughts are with its peacekeepers, and with the Albanian people suffering from economic hardship and political strife.

As Angeliki Malatesta tells us, Greece has sent more food aid to Albania.

Twenty-three tonnes of food and medicine landed in Triane Thursday morning, from Greece to the Albanian people.

The shipment was given to the Orthodox Church in Albani, and distributed to the needy Thursday afternoon.

Greek deputy foreign minister Giannos Kranidiotis says more help has been sent. Another 52 tonnes of food has been sent to Albania by air, one part to Tirane, the other to the southern city of Argyrokastro.

And three truckloads of food and medicine left Thessaloniki for the southern Albanian town of Korytsa.

Individuals are also chipping in. 42-year-old American citizen Mark Nyber is offering his services to an orphanage in the port city of Vlore. Most of the kids were abandoned by their parents.

Greek troops at the Isberis and Vassiar camps continued their efforts to repair and restore their barracks and the other buildings at the camps. After Easter, they'll begin their mission of protecting and delivering humanitarian aid.

Things have been relatively calm in the capital. Residents report some gunfire, but Wednesday night was one of the quietest since the peacekeepers arrived.

PATRIARCHATE

The latest incident has cast a shadow over the orthodox Easter.

Fundamentalists allegedly dug a tunnel from a mosque to the nearby Holy Sepulchre, the tomb of Jesus Christ, the most important Christian shrine in the world.

Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodoros is reported by an Athens daily as saying that two clerics discovered a hole in the floor of the crypt.

They followed the underlying tunnel, which stretched out in the direction of the mosque.

This isn't the first recent affront. Earlier this month, muslim fundamentalists built toilets near the church of the resurrection. And, just a week ago, they knocked down the walls between a mosque and the orthodox patriarchate, on the pretext that they were doing restoration work.

Diodoros asked for the Israeli and Palestinian authorities to intervene following the tunnel incident.

KARAMANLIS

Kostas Karamanlis met with the leaders of the Confederation of Greek Industry Thursday.

Karamanlis believes public spending and the public deficit need to be drastically reduced, and that great strides forward in the privatisation of state industries are needed.

Otherwise, it will be difficult for Greece to achieve convergence with the European Unio's stronger economies.

The chairman of the Greek Industrialists says two major problems that need to be addressed immediately are lack of competitiveness and low productivity.

RED CROSS

With smiles and tears, the patients welcomed their visitors.

"During the holidays, feelings of loneliness become aggravated, especially if you're lying in a hospital bed", said one Red Cross worker.

The patients were pleased.

One man said, "It makes you happy to know someone is thinking of you, someone you don't even know".

One woman said the visit made her happy too.

A visit which did its part in making for a "kalo Pascha". That's "happy Easter".

© ANT1 Radio 1997

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