Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou said yesterday he was not yet ready to step down as president of the ruling PASOK party, but that when the time comes, he would guarantee democratic procedures for his succession.
"The moment of succession has not yet come. When it does come, I shall guarantee the genuine and democratic expression of our members," Mr. Papandreou told delegates at PASOK's national conference which opened yesterday.
Mr. Papandreou said the issue of his succession would be settled at "an open and democratic conference" and underlined the need for unity within PASOK so that modernisation of the party could proceed. "There are ambitions which, although legitimate, are nevertheless inopportune and exacerbate personal differences as well as raise walls within the party and divert attention from serious problems," the premier said.
Mr. Papandreou outlined PASOK's "national identity," saying it was "a patriotic movement, in the sense that Greece belongs to Greeks and that we neither claim nor concede anything." Reviewing PASOK's 20-year history, Mr. Papandreou acknowledged that "mistakes were made which, however, brought new experiences."
"Greece's and PASOK's European orientation were a given fact," he said, adding that a united Europe should proceed to a "federal Europe of equal partners."
He expressed certainty that Greece would march toward the year 2000 with PASOK "at the helm." PASOK Secretary Akis Tsohatzopoulos said the conference would result in the adoption of important decisions despite the fact that some members underestimate its significance.
Former minister Dimitris Tsovolas, on his part, strongly criticised the government saying some of its members served personal interests with the support of forces "inside and outside Greece". He also attacked PASOK's economic policy saying that "statistics prosper while people suffer."
Main opposition New Democracy party spokesman Vassilis Manginas, commenting on the premier's speech, said Mr. Papandreou once again proved he was "out of touch with reality and the large problems faced by the people and the country."
In another announcement, the Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) party said Mr. Papandreou's speech was "proof that the ruling PASOK party is incapable of giving answers, hopes and prospects to the country's problems."
Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Chairman and president of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat arrived in Athens yesterday and met in the evening with President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.
Mr. Arafat will also hold talks today with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias. According to Foreign Ministry Spokesman Constantinos Bikas, Mr. Arafat will brief the Greek leadership on progress in negotiations with Israel over West Bank autonomy.
Informed sources said the PLO leader would ask for Greece's support in seeking financial aid from the European Union for the Palestinian self-rule territories. Officially, Mr. Arafat is here on a 24-hour visit to congratulate President Stephanopoulos on the assumption of his duties.
He arrived in Athens from Geneva under draconian security measures. The exact times of his arrival and meetings were not disclosed for security reasons, but government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said Mr. Arafat will meet this morning with Mr. Papoulias and later with Mr. Papandreou before his departure.
In airport statements, Mr. Arafat said he came to Greece to discuss "with friends, developments on the Palestinian issue." He expressed his gratitude to Premier Papandreou and the Greek people for their "solidarity to the Palestinian people during the difficult times they are going through."
The Palestinian leader will also have meetings with main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert, Political Spring (Pol.An) party leader Antonis Samaras, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Secretary-General Aleka Papariga and Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) party leader Nikos Constantopoulos.
Visiting Spanish Foreign Minister Javier Solana, whose country has assumed the rotating European Union presidency, said he met with Mr. Arafat and also talked on the telephone with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.
Speaking to the press after talks with his Greek counterpart, Mr. Solana said: "It is the desire of all that the (Israeli-PLO) accord (expanding Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank) is completed before July 25 to pave the way for (the Palestinian) elections and continue the peace process."
Alternate Foreign Minister George Alexander Mangakis and Parliament Vice-President Nikitas Venizelos will participate in a Greek delegation to an Israeli-Palestinian meeting planned to be held on Rhodes Sunday.
The Greek Parliament will be represented by New Democracy deputy Aristotelis Pavlides. The meeting, held under the auspices of the Council of Europe, will tackle issues related to establishment of peace in the Middle East.
Issues under discussion include consolidation of democratic procedures in the region, the assumption of entrepreneurial initiatives and co-operation in other sectors (culture, economy, tourism etc.). The meeting will be attended by CoE president Miguel Angel Martinez and will close with a press conference Tuesday. All sessions will be behind closed doors.
Spanish Foreign Minister Javier Solana arrived in Athens yesterday as part of a tour of EU member-states concerning priorities of his country's EU presidency. Mr. Solana met with Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and his alternate George Alexander Mangakis, as well as other officials at the foreign ministry.
Replying to questions after the meeting, Mr. Solana said Turkish PM Tansu Ciller would be invited to Spain on a bilateral basis at some point during the first months of the presidency, however, a date has not been fixed.
Mr. Papoulias said the Spanish presidency would give a special tone to Mediterranean affairs and wished it good luck. Concerning Cyprus' pre-admission dialogue with the EU, Mr. Mangakis noted the importance of Spain's intention to put to a vote at the first foreign ministers' meeting July 17 a decision for activation of the accession procedure.
The Spanish presidency will concentrate its efforts on ensuring the success of the Euromediterranean Conference in Barcelona Nov. 27-28; preparations for the Intergovernmental Conference in 1996 (with the convening of a special European Council meeting on Sept. 22-23), and clarification of mechanisms which will lead to the third stage of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU).
The Euromediterranean Conference is expected to provide a start to a new EU strategy regarding Mediterranean nations, with specific political commitments. In view of the Intergovernmental Conference, Spain has already formulated a position in favour of better integration and cohesion involving the "Second and Third Pillars," especially in regards to the Common External Policy. It will also support inclusion in the EU Treaty of a "Charter for Citizens' Rights."
Regarding EMU, Spain will prepare the transition to its third phase and will decide on the name of the common currency. It will also promote proposals for the strengthening of European identity, the creation of an area of freedom and security for the development of the Third Pillar and the free movement of citizens as well as enlargement of the Schengen Treaty.
The Greek government yesterday described American fears of a terrorist strike against the US Embassy in Athens by the Islamic fundamentalist group Hezbollah as "insignificant."
Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said such reports were not uncommon, adding that all necessary security measures had been taken at the embassy. He also said no travel advisory regarding Greece had been issued by the United States. Mr. Venizelos was referring to a State Department announcement that the CIA feared a terrorist strike on the American Embassy in Athens by the terrorist group.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Constantine Bikas said the matter had been discussed Wednesday during a meeting between Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and the US Ambassador to Greece Thomas Niles. Mr. Bikas said the American side clarified that the State Department had not issued a travel advisory but simply an announcement, "which is obligatory when there is information of an imminent strike against an American target." Mr. Bikas said Mr. Papoulias and Mr. Niles examined developments in the Balkans during their meeting.
The EU Commissioner for institutional issues, Marcelino Oreja, yesterday said territorial and security issues between Turkey and Greece fall under the jurisdiction of NATO and that the EU would only support Greece on issues emanating from EU treaties.
At a press conference with reporters from all EU member-states held via satellite, Mr. Oreja said every EU member-state, including Greece, agreed to ratification of an EU-Turkey customs union. Turning to the Intergovernmental Conference scheduled to begin in 1996, Mr. Oreja said it may be postponed, adding that "the bottom line is the end result."
During the recent Cannes Summit, Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou strongly reacted to French President Jacques Chirac's double swipe at Greece, when the French president stated first that the EU should invite Turkey to its next summit - a move supported by the current EU presidency of Spain - and secondly that Greece should lift trade sanctions on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).
Athens said its treatment by some of its EU partners at the summit was "crude, blatant and cynical." Mr. Papandreou said pressure put on Greece over Turkey's relations with the EU and the Skopje issue during the two-day EU summit had been orchestrated and was part of a wider strategy to sacrifice national interests of smaller EU states in order to promote interests of the major powers.
In a draft resolution on the results of the Cannes Summit, to be submitted shortly, the Socialist group in the European Parliament expressed surprise at the intention of the European Council to pursue "closer relations between the Union and Turkey."
The resolution will reiterate the resolve of European socialists not to consent to Turkey's customs union with the EU as long as there is no progress in respect of human rights and democratisation in that country.
Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias called the attention of the United States to provocative statements against Greece by Turkish Premier Tansu Ciller and other Turkish officials.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Constantine Bikas said Mr. Papoulias briefed the US Ambassador in Athens Thomas Niles on Turkish provocations at a meeting Wednesday, during which the two men examined general developments in the Balkans.
"Our country believes that this (Turkish statements) is an exportation of Turkey's internal problems," Mr. Bikas said, adding that "the situation prevailing in the neighbouring country is clearly described by Amnesty International," a clear reference to the London-based organisation's 1994 report on human rights which severely criticises Turkey.
"Greece desires good relations with Turkey, but faces Turkish occupation of Cyprus and aggressiveness in the Aegean, while recently there is also a guided hysteria on the part of the Turkish press and incendiary statements by Turkish officials," Mr. Bikas said. Such an attitude "does not contribute to the existence of a good climate between the two countries," he added.
"Turkey must realise it cannot possibly threaten war on Greece when our country expresses its intention to exercise its legal rights, such as expansion of territorial waters to 12 nautical miles," he said.
The Turkish National Assembly recently ratified a resolution empowering the Ankara government to take all necessary steps, including military measures, to "protect" that nation's interests. The resolution followed a Greek Parliament ratification of the International Law of the Sea Convention, which gives Greece the right to expand its territorial waters another six nautical miles.
Greece said it reserved the right but would exercise it when it deemed necessary. Ankara has threatened that expansion of Greek territorial waters would be a cause for war between the two neighbours.
In another development yesterday, main opposition New Democracy party spokesman Vassilis Manginas called on the government to launch a harsh demarche to the Turkish Ambassador in Athens protesting the "unacceptable statements and accusations" against Greece by the Turkish political leadership.
"Twice in the past two days the Turkish political leadership has provoked and offended our country and the Greek people. But the Papandreou government has and continues to remain silent," he said.
Ms. Ciller accused Greece of "making shrouds for Turkey," by supposedly aiding Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters. Greece strongly rejected the accusations with Government Spokesman Evangelos Venizelos pointing out that it "was indeed strange and provocative that Ms. Ciller should claim Greece is a threat. Greece has a security problem of which the international community is aware," the spokesman said.
Turkish officials have also complained in the last week about a visit by six Greek Parliament members to the hideout of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. Mr. Venizelos said the Greek government did not know what deputies do independently, adding he could not understand why Turkey had not threatened the Netherlands, which hosts the Kurdish parliament-in-exile.
State Department spokesman Nick Burns yesterday refused to be drawn into Greek-Turkish differences, stressing that the United States has a long-term interest in good relations between the two countries.
"I would like to note that the United States, first and foremost, has long-term and continuous interests in good relations between Greece and Turkey. They are both NATO members," he told a Turkish reporter.
He denied reports alleging that an American mediatory initiative concerning Greek-Turkish tension in the Aegean was currently in progress. Mr. Burns also refused to comment on Turkish Premier Tansu Ciller's statements alleging Greek support to fighters of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK).
"I cannot comment on charges the Greek government is involved in activities of support to the PKK. Some of the charges I have seen do not refer to activities of the Greek government, but of individual Greeks. And I can't confirm the truth of these reports," he said.