NEWS IN DETAIL

Tsohatzopoulos accuses Turkey of plans for the Aegean

In an exclusive interview with the Athens daily ''Ta Nea'', Tsohatzopoulos also revealed that the Turkish armed forces since 1995 ''established as a national interest the change of borders in the Aegean and have been preparing militarily in this direction''.

Tsohatzopoulos stressed that if Greek sovereignty were disputed, ''there will be an immediate response which will be far more effective than Ankara can imagine''.

In the present phase, he added, Greece has the right and obligation ''to condemn Turkey's behaviour as a destabilising force in the region...''.

Tsohatzopoulos calls on Greece's allies in the European Union and NATO to intensify their efforts in the direction of Turkey ''if they want stability to be safeguarded in the region''.

On the issue of armaments, Tsohatzopoulos expresses in the interview his preference for qualitative supremacy as opposed to quantitative competition with Turkey.

He said nothing could be ruled out with respect to the purchase of defence material and confirmed that the first major procurements in Greece's defence programme would take place in 1997.

Asked to comment on the interview, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said that the government shared the defence minister's views.

''Turkey's moves are aggressive, challenge our sovereign rights and undermine our national interests,'' the spokesman said.

Replying to a question on the nature of Greece's response to any escalation in Turkish aggressiveness, Reppas said that ''anyone can conjecture about the response, however it will not be to extend the hand of friendship to Turkey''.

Athens reiterates support for Cyprus over arms purchase

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said that the decision had been dictated by the ''idiosyncratic conditions'' prevailing on the island, namely the occupation and presence of foreign (Turkish) troops.

The multi-million dollar arms deal was signed in Moscow on Saturday.

Turkish troops, currently estimated at 35,000 men, have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal.

Asked to comment on the reaction to the deal from several countries, including the United States, which fear an escalation of armaments programmes in the region, Reppas replied:

''They who are concerned about armaments should bring their pressure to bear on Turkey, in order for it to accepts the proposal of the Cyprus government and withdraw its army of occupation from the island.''

Reppas said the Greek government would undertake initiatives to brief the international community on Cyprus' decision to upgrade its defence capability and Athens' support for this effort.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that ''Cyprus, as an indpendent state, has every right to implement programmes of defensive preparation''.

''This is particularly true when the Turkish occupation of 37 per cent of the island and the presence of 35,000 well-armed Turkish troops continues, '' the ministry statement added.

In statements yesterday from Thessaloniki, National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos countered a charge by his Turkish counterpart Turhan Tayan, who on Sunday said that the Cypriot government is mounting an arms build up. The Greek minister reiterated that the island republic "is a victim of invasion and has the elementary right of defence against the aggressor."

Mr. Tsohatzopoulos stressed that Greece, as a guarantor power of Cypriot independence, stands in solidarity and guarantees the island republic's freedom and protection.

Cyprus cites right to defence

Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides told a private television network that the sophisticated weapons system will be delivered at a later date, without revealing details. The multi-million dollar arms deal has generated reservations from Washington and European capitals and vehement protests from Ankara.

"The missiles will boost our defence capability and are not in any way an act of aggression," he added, noting that President Glafcos Clerides' proposal for the demilitarisation of Cyprus was still on the table.

Mr. Michaelides wondered why no representations were made over the continuing illegal presence of some 35,000 Turkish troops in occupied Cyprus, when the UN chief himself has confirmed this massive military presence, and the repeated violations of the island republic's air space by Turkish warplanes.

In an interview with the BBC World Service, Mr. Michaelides said that there had been "no move in the past 22 years and no pressure exercised on Turkey to withdraw its 35,000 occupation troops from the island."

He noted that Turkish fighters often fly over Cyprus and added "a few months ago Turkish reconnaisance planes photographed the whole of the island."

President Glafcos Clerides told the press at Larnaca airport yesterday that the Republic of Cyprus maintained the right to arm itself as long as the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus continued.

Russian exporter: missile deal will not 'disrupt balance'

Valery Pogrebenkov, a spokesman for the state-controlled company, which has a near monopoly on arms exports from Russia, told Reuters that the company hoped more deals with Cyprus would follow the contract, which was concluded on Saturday.

Mr. Pogrebenkov said that "after their installation, Cyprus will have the most reliable anti-aircraft defence system in the region."

Moscow sees the S-300 as its equivalent of the US-made Patriot, effectively used during the Gulf War. The chief difference, the Russians claim, is that the S-300 is quicker and more effective.

Nikolai Bezborodov, the deputy head of the defence committee in Russia's lower house of parliament, the state Duma, also defended the contract, which he said corresponded to Russian national interests.

"Each country has the right to chose its allies and partners," Mr. Bezborodov told the Itar-Tass news agency.

The US State Department yesterday also reacted to the Cyprus-Russia arms deal by saying that the presence of the S-300 missiles was a destabilising factor that undermined peace efforts.

"The United States expresses regret over this step...It will complicate efforts of achieving permanent peace in Cyprus and will constitute a new and destabilising factor on this island," State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns told reporters.

Simitis back to work on Thursday following minor surgery

Reppas said the premier would chair a government meeting on national issues on Thursday morning, adding however that it was not yet known who would be attending.

On Friday morning, Simitis will participate in and address the Agricultural Policy Council, while later in the day the premier will receive the leader of the Cypriot socialist EDEK party, Vasso Lyssarides.

Reppas also announced that the ruling PASOK party's parliamentary group would meet next Wednesday instead of Monday as originally planned.

Seamen call strike for next week, local gov't workers start today

The new strike was called after a fruitless meeting was held on Saturday between PNO's administration and Finance Undersecretary George Drys, who refused to commit himself on preserving the special method of taxation for seamen.

Commenting on the undersecretary's negative stance, PNO President Yiannis Halas said the new strike will probably have the form of continuing strike actions.

Meanwhile, local government workers began a 48-hour strike this morning to press their demands for improved financial and pension-related benefits.

The demands include a doubling of the lump sum payment given on retirement, the hiring of more workers throughout the country, retirement at the age of 55 and the conversion of seasonal employment contracts to contracts of indefinite duration.

The President of the Panhellenic Federation of Local Government Organisation Employees, Zafeiris Pierros, told the ANA that if the government failed to resolve the problems, the strike would become of indefinite term.

Drug seizure figures at Greek-Turkish border

Specifically, during the 1990-96 period, 78 drug-related arrests were recorded, while 697 kilos of heroin, 2,918 kilos of hashish and nine kilos of opium were confiscated.

Customs officials at the Kipoi border post were honoured in 1992 as "United Europe's Best Border Post in Terms of Drug Interdiction."

According to customs officials, a significant contribution to the more effective search of vehicles and cargos entering Greece through Kipoi has been the implementation, some two and half years ago, of the "Nark Control" electronic narcotics detection system.

Officials noted that increased security and vigilance on Greek borders has been responsible for a shift of smugglers' routes elsewhere, namely, along a Turkey-Bulgarian-Romania road axis, and a "Mediterranean" route, using ferry boats from Turkey to Italy.

Tremor registered near Crete

The epicentre of the quake was near the Bay of Messara.

''It was not an unusual tremor for a region with high seismic activity like the southern section of the Aegean arc,'' seismologist Manolis Skordilis told the ANA.

Low December turnover prompts early start to sales

The sales will run through February 28.

A merchants' representative said retail turnover in December was down by 15- 25 per cent, an added incentive to begin the seasonal sales early.

There was a marked increase in shopping traffic in the city centre today as shoppers competed for bargains in clothing and footwear. The clothing sector has marked the biggest discounts -- up to 60 per cent -- while footwear discounts are in the region of 25-40 per cent.

Discounts in the region of 10-15 per cent are the norm for kitchen appliances and electrical goods.

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