Antenna: News in English (PM), 97-10-17

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

CONTENTS

[01] Turkey - Provocations

[02] Pangalos

[03] Stefanopoulos

[04] Albania

[05] Constantine - CNN

[06] Medical - Diabetes

[07] Children

[08] 1943 - Aegean

[09] Basketball

[10] Soccer

[11] Barcelona

(Updated: 17/10/1997, 11:30)

[01] Turkey - Provocations

Since Sunday, they had been making the violations in waves, trying to disrupt Greek and Cypriot military exercises.

As we hear in this report, the target of Thursday's incursions was the Greek defence minister's plane.

Turkey continued to play with fire Thursday. Turkish F-16s harassed the C- 130 taking Greek defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos and his wife Goudroun from Cyprus to Crete. The aircraft were intercepted by Greek F-16 escorts, and driven away.

It was the second time in three days that the minister's plane was set upon by the Turks. They also harassed him on his flight to Cyprus.

Turkey denies the episode Thursday, but the camera aboard the C-130 captured it all on film.

The C-130 was an hour-and-a-half into its morning flight when four Turkish F-16s approached it. On a number of occasions they tried to cut across the C-130's flight path - a dangerous manoeuvre that could've resulted in tragedy. The C-130 pilot informed four Greek F-16s flying in the region, and they flew to help the escort fighters drive the Turks away.

The Turkish and Greek planes were engaged for just over a mile. Even after the Greek fighters had the Turks in their sites, the invaders persisted in their truculence.

Arriving in Chania, Crete, Tsochatzopoulos was unruffled. "I think that Turkey's military and political leadership has a policy of sending us honorary escorts", he joked. Turning serious, he added, "I would like to think that we'll see no more of this. If Turkey keeps up this kind of thing, it risks slipping into behaviour patterns redolent of the Cold War".

Goudroun Tsochatzopoulos was also unfluttered by the episode. She says no one on the plane was afraid when the Turks approached.

There were other provocations by Turkey Thursday. Dozens of its fighters were chased out of Greek air space between the Aegean islands of Mitilene and Chios.

[02] Pangalos

The Greek defence department says the harassment of the minister adds a new element to Greek-Turkish relations.

Theodoros Pangalos says "It's obvious Turkey is following a thought-out policy". The Greek foreign minister adds that the new form of harassment can't be separated from past forms of behaviour. "This policy of Turkey's should be taken seriously into account by the international community", says Pangalos.

Such flagrant inflammatory behaviour is not just a Greek-Turkish issue he added, it's between Turkey and all of Europe, between Turkey and all the civilised world. No one has the right to act like that, and no one can do so without there being consequences, warned Pangalos.

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said the Turkish provocations reveal Turkey's sense of insecurity, and also say a lot about the role Turkey is playing in the region.

[03] Stefanopoulos

The Greek president wrapped up a three-day visit to Mount Athos Wednesday. Kostis Stephanopoulos was warmly received at all the monasteries he visited.

The monastics were impressed by the president, whom they said had made a pilgrimage, and not simply an official visit.

Stephanopoulos spent part of his last day at the monastery of Dionisios, where he heard religious hymns.

After his visit to Dionisios, the president went to the Xiropotamos monastery.

It was his last stop on his tour of the sacred region of Athos.

While he was in the religious area, Stephanopoulos also visited the spectacular Russian monastery of Panteleimonas, which boasts the largest bell in use in the world - its bell weighs 14 tonnes.

[04] Albania

The newspaper 'Zeri i Popullit', which backs the opposition Democratic Party, is impressed by Simitis's promise of a 73-million dollar loan, which it says will be made on easy terms.

'Koha Jone' says on its front page that bi-lateral problems, like illegal immigration into Greece and the plight of the Greek minority, were dealt with during Simitis's visit.

'Gazete Skipptare' writes that Simitis won assurances from prime minister Fatos Nano, that Greece will be Albania's main partner.

The same paper opines that the substance of Simitis's visit appears to have been the attempt to build a strong Balkan, led by Greece.

[05] Constantine - CNN

Constantine was on CNN's "Larry King Live Show", Wednesday evening.

Constantine's throne was abolished by a referendum in 1974, after the fall of Greece's military government.

But he told Larry King on CNN that the monarchy is not necessarily obsolescent.

"Monarchs have an enormous influence if they have the love and the respect of the people. In the old days, the kings, and to a certain extent the queens, in different countries protected the people from the landlords and abuse. Today, the sovereign, the king or the queen, is there to look after the people through influence, through advice, and protect them from things like plutocracy or oligarchy or monopoly of power".

Asked about the difficulties a monarch faces, Constantine said that a modern king or queen isn't as free as a prime minister or president of a country when talking to the press.

And, as for the institution of the constitutional monarchy:

"the important thing is to find a way of keeping the respect and the love of the people, but at the

same time to keep above political fighting".

When asked about the role of the monarchy in protecting democracy, he cited king Juan Carlos of Spain as an example for emulaton. Constantine added it was unfortunate HE couldn't do the same for Greece in the case of the junta.

"I tried to overthrow them but didn't succeed. But at least I tried with several officers to do it.

At least the king, or the queen, stands for freedom, for liberty. A king or a sovereign co- existing with a dictatorship is an oxymoron, it doesn't work, it only works if the people want it and are free to have it".

Referring to the virtues of a modern monarch, Constantine said that they must be patient and tolerant. And most important of all, place the people above everything else.

[06] Medical - Diabetes

In the past, diabetics feared pregnancy, which could end in a miscarriage or the child being born with genetic defects.

But now doctors say that close monitoring of a woman's glucose level three months before and three months after conception is the key to a diabetic's successful pregnancy.

Doctors at the "Diabetes in Pregnancy" symposium in Thessaloniki explained that by monitoring glucose levels, they are able to prescribe the appropriate nutritional program and medical care the woman needs. That ensures that any complications to the mother or the unborn foetus can be avoided.

Obstetrician Dimitris Roussos says complications are most likely in premature babies. Meaning premature births must be avoided at all costs.

In some cases, women actually become diabetics during pregnancy.

Gynacologist Michalis MamO-poulos says one sign that diabetes is present is when babies are born weighing over four kilos. The optimal weight is 3 and a half kilos.

[07] Children

Speaking at a three-day conference on clinical oncology, doctor Maria Kal- pantEE said that the number of cancers in children that are now completely curable, is on the rise, thanks especially to transplants of blood-clotting cells.

The doctor explained that the transplants have been especially effective on leukemia and lymphomas, and are effective against adult cancers too: noteably, against breast cancer and brain tumours.

Children's cancer has become like many other serious childhood diseases, adds Kalpanti, in that 60 to 70 per cent of all cases are totally curable.

[08] 1943 - Aegean

Old warriors who had taken part in the 1943 campaign to free the Aegean islands from the grip of the Germans, held a service at the monument to their comrades who lost their lives in the attempt.

Nikolaos Magathosis, Society president, "Those of us who survived are here to honour them".

1200 volunteer officers and patriots took part in the September 1943 Aegean campaign.

Alexandros Kontos, the society's general secretary says 1943 carries a message for today. "Its up to us younger commandos to respect the legacy they left. Our duty is to keep the Aegean free, as they left it".

The Holy Brigade was founded in 1942.

[09] Basketball

The European and NBA champions got a FIRST-round bye in the three-day showcase event.

Olympiakos is matched up against Atena de Cordoba of Argentina in Friday's semi-final.

Atena de Cordoba won the right to play Olympiakos by knocking off Benetton of Trevizo Italy in the first round. The score in that contest was 87-78.

If Olympiakos makes it to the final, it'll most likely have Michael Jordan and the rest of the Chicago Bulls - minus Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman - as its opponent in Saturday's final.

Not surprisingly, His Airness and company have stolen all the limelight in the City of Light, as fans hang around the team bus hoping to catch a glimpse of Jordan, arguably the best-known athlete in the world.

[10] Soccer

He recently visited his homeland for the first time in three months. Antenna's Nikos Grammatikas caught up with him at Athens airport on his return. And found that behind the headlines, is an unassuming young man.

All the lights are on Oforikoue, who has a contract that runs until the year 2002. But the budding superstar says he felt a little overwhelmed at first when he joined Olympiakos and the big time.

Now, he feels at home. He says the fans are a great boost to the club, and he's excited to be a part of what he calls Greece's best and most popular side.

[11] Barcelona

Last night Antenna's Edo Dall'ara reported from Barcelona, site of the 1992 Games. In the second part of that report, he tells us how the Spanish city is still turning the Olympics to profit five years later.

Those involved in the staging of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 all say that the city was smart in setting up a private company to oversee the myriad tasks that go into the games. It struck a balance between the various groups involved in the games: national and local government, sponsors, and banks.

City planner Narcissa Salvador says the private company was set up to keep an eye on everything, from the building of roads to the building of athletic facilities. But she also believes that while there's room for private initiative, commerce and profits need to be checked. There should be no exploitation of the Games.

Raymon Martinez Fraile, Barcelona's tourism director, adds that they wanted a flexible organisatin that all the construction firms could workd with. In preparation for the games, you need to work fast and efficiently, he explains.

One of the lasting benefits to Barcelona from the 1992 Games is the Olympic Foundation, set up with profits from the Olympics.

In the exhibition centre at the Olympic stadium, visitors can find memorabilia and information from not just the Barcelona Olympics, but from previous games.

Barcelona organisers say other cities, including Athens, should set up a similar centre. They say Athens could build a centre for Mediterranean civilisation and culture that would attract people long after the 2004 games are over.

The organisers tell Antenna that the 1992 Games were a great chance for the city to take the great leap forward in infrastructure that it so badly needed.

They also recommend that a hotel infrasturcutre be built that can deal not just with the crowds for the games, but for a long-term increase in tourism.

And lastly, they say that the secret to staging a successful Olympiade is making sure everyone, government, business, and the people of the country are united behind the project.

Last Updated: Friday, 17-Oct-97 13:35:01

(c) ANT1 Radio 1997

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