Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 97-12-27
From: The Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada <grnewsca@sympatico.ca>
ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 1376), December 27, 1997
Greek Press & Information Office
Ottawa, Canada
E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca
CONTENTS
[01] Greece says Turkey not sticking to agreements
[02] Turkey reiterates claim of Greek-PKK link
[03] Investigators of Ukrainian airliner's crash report progress
[04] ... Minister seeks speeding up of radar installation
[05] Coast guard arrests illegal immigrants
[06] Intrasoft reports impressive profits
[07] European Commission to take action on Greek hotels
[08] Companies to buy own shares at stock exchange
[09] OTE signs cables contracts
[10] Roman tomb discovered in Drama
[01] Greece says Turkey not sticking to agreements
Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)
National Defense Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos said Thursday that
the infringements of Greek air space and the violations of
Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) regulations by Turkish
war planes on Christmas Day are unprecedented and unacceptable,
and t est the limits of Greek patience.
At 12:15 12 Turkish F-16 war planes violated the Athens FIR and
infringed Greek air space over the Aegean islands, Chios, Psara,
Lesvos and Skiros. At 15:40 another 14 Turkish F16 repeated the
earlier violations. Hellenic Air Force F-16, Mirage 2000 an d
F-4 war planes intercepted the Turkish war planes on both
occasions.
"Patience has its limits. We cannot tolerate the continuous
upsetting of calm and stability in the region," Mr.
Tsohatzopoulos said.
Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said that these new violations are contrary
to the principles of the 1988 Papoulias-Yilmaz agreement which
mandates that both Greece and Turkey refrain from any tension
building actions during national or religious holidays of either
of the two countries, betray an organized plan by Turkey, and
confirm Greece's position on the distance between Turkey and
Europe.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported from Ankara yesterday that Turkey
denied that its warplanes entered Greek airspace on Christmas
Day or broke any agreement barring military exercises on
holidays.
"Greece's claims that the accord was broken are completely
baseless. Turkey has always complied with the agreement," the
Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Turkish statement said four Turkish F-16 planes on a
training flight were "seriously and dangerously harassed" by 10
Greek planes outside Greek airspace.
Tension rose earlier this week when Ankara expelled a Greek
diplomat in Istanbul on charges of spying and aiding Kurdish
guerrillas and Athens responded by expelling a Turkish diplomat
based in Thessaloniki.
[02] Turkey reiterates claim of Greek-PKK link
Ankara, 27/12/1997 (ANA - A. Abatzis)
Referring to a report in the newspaper Milliyet and replying to
questions by the press on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Ministry
spokesman Nezati Utkan said "if the reports are true, this will
be additional proof of Greece's support for the Kurdistan
People's Party (PKK)."
Mr. Utkan was referring to the report published in Milliyet
concerning Esref Kilitr, a former PKK member. Kilitr had claimed
of coming to Greece in 1996 where he was allegedly trained in
explosives by Greek intelligence for acts of sabotage in Turkey.
The Turkish spokesman said "the essence of the report is
correct" but clarified that "there are no details on the issue."
Lastly, he called on Greece "to condemn terrorism by the PKK."
[03] Investigators of Ukrainian airliner's crash report progress
Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)
The head of a civil aviation committee investigating the causes
of the crash of a Ukrainian airliner southwest of Thessaloniki
last week said yesterday that although progress was being made,
the findings of the committee will be delayed for some time.
More than 70 people -the exact number has yet to be established-
died when the Yakovlev-42 plane, belonging to the Aerosweet
company, crashed on Pieria mountains after losing its
orientation and contact with ground control.
The members of the committee will begin in the next few days a
round of visits abroad that will take them to Russia, where the
plane was made, to Ukraine and Latvia, where the airline
managing companies are based, to Germany, where the flight data
recorders of the aircraft are being analyzed, and also to the
US, where tremendous progress has been made in ascertaining the
causes of air accidents since the loss of the TWA Boeing 747 off
Long Island, New York, the head of the committee, Mr. A.
Tsolakis said.
He added, nevertheless, that the investigation was proceeding at
a speedy pace, thanks mainly to the fact that at least 55 per
cent of the plane's key instruments had been recovered, and that
the committee was anxious not to sacrifice objectivity for t he
sake of speed.
"Our intention is to inform properly to that the conclusions we
reach may not be subject to disputation," he said.
He reiterated that the conversation between the pilot of the
lost aircraft and the control tower had taken place in English
and not in Greek, as alleged by a Ukrainian source, and in
accordance with international regulations. Meanwhile, the deputy
director of the Greek Aviation Authority, Mr. G. Souladakis, has
not ruled out the possibility of a certain problem in the
instruments of the plane, as there appears to be no other
explanation for the fact that it was flying west of the city
while the pilot was confirming his position north of it.
[04] ... Minister seeks speeding up of radar installation
Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)
Meanwhile, Transport and Communications Minister Tasos Mantelis
made an unscheduled visit to the offices of the Civil Aviation
Service on Tuesday and demanded the requisitioning of expanses
of land selected for the installation of radars in Peraia,
Thessaloniki and Irakleio.
Mr. Mantelis chaired a meeting with the Civil Aviation Service's
deputy governors (since the governor of the service is away in
Thessaloniki) on coordinating investigations being conducted to
locate the causes of the crash of the Ukrainian Aerosweet
company's Yakovlev 42 airliner on the Pieria mountains.
In a related development, the municipal council of Peraia has
decided to resort to law courts to prevent the requisitioning of
land for the installation of a radar for Thessaloniki airport.
The decision, announced on Wednesday, stressed that the
requisition of the area was illegal due to the threat of serious
harm to public health from the radar's radiation."
Meanwhile, main opposition New Democracy party Deputy from
Achaia and former Defense Minister Spilios Spiliotopoulos
testified before Patras prosecutor Ioannis Constantinopoulos on
Wednesday in connection with the crash.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Spiliotopoulos said responsibilities
exist both for those competent for air traffic at Thessaloniki
airport and the government.
"When the Ukrainian pilot requested assistance to land with the
use of radar, the control tower told him there was none.
However, the controller could have requested the assistance of
the radar used by military aircraft which exists in the area,"
he said.
Referring to the government, the former minister placed blame on
it over the fact that radars have not yet been installed at
important airports in the country.
[05] Coast guard arrests illegal immigrants
Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)
A group of 64 illegal immigrants of Kurdish origin found in a
small wooden boat drifting off the island of Lesvos were
arrested by the Greek coast guard yesterday.
Lesvos harbor authorities said the immigrants, 50 men, six women
and eight children, were found by a patrol boat 2.5 nautical
miles off Lesvos in the eastern Aegean after their boat "had
been drifting for more than three hours". The immigrants told t
he authorities that they paid 2,000 dollars each to Turkish
smugglers, who put them on the boat and abandoned them before
returning to the Turkish coast in a speedboat.
[06] Intrasoft reports impressive profits
Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)
The Intrasoft company had profits amounting to 1,389 million
drachmas in the first nine months of 1997 compared to 285
million drachmas in the corresponding period last year, meaning
an increase of over 380 per cent. Its turnover totaled 5.9
billion drachmas over the same period, as against 3.7 billion
drachmas, registering an increase of 60 per cent.
Over the entire year, turnover is expected to reach 12 billion
drachmas and profits 2.5 billion drachmas, while contracts the
company has not yet carried out amount to 30 billion drachmas.
From the beginning of the new year, the company will be in a
position to provide the Greek market with complete solutions in
computerization with the production of its Dell computers in
co-operation with the Pouliadis company.
The Intracom company also achieved an increase in its results
over the nine-month period, having a turnover of 35.3 billion
drachmas as against 29.6 billion drachmas over the corresponding
period last year, meaning an increase in the region of 20 per
cent. Profits totaled 6.9 billion drachmas compared to 6.5
billion drachmas, meaning an increase of 7 per cent.
The company will increase its share capital soon. The sale price
of the shares will be set in accordance with the climate
prevailing in the Stock Exchange at the time. The main sponsor
and coordinator of the issue will be the Salomon Brothers
company.
The new capital will be used to further expand Intracom's
activities and more specifically to buy out high technology
businesses on the other side of the Atlantic.
[07] European Commission to take action on Greek hotels
Brussels, 27/12/1997 (ANA - G. Daratos)
The European Commission has decided to resort to the European
Court against Greece due to terms and preconditions set by its
national legislation on access to administrative positions in
hotels.
Greek legislation, which does not recognize experience acquired
in this sector in any other European Union member-state, has not
been adjusted, in the Commission's view, to Directive 68/368.
The directive anticipates that access to certain professional
activities, including hotel professions, must be open to all
persons able to justify previous professional experience in this
sector in another EU member-state for two or three consecutive
years, either as self-employed professionals or at the post of
director of a business.
[08] Companies to buy own shares at stock exchange
Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)
A number of companies registered at the Stock Exchange will
proceed with buying their own shares at the Stock Exchange
following decisions taken recently by boards and extraordinary
assemblies.
The general assembly of the Papastratos AVES company has already
approved the purchase of 1,635,615 shares or a percentage of 10
per cent over the next 12 months, with the highest price being
7,200 drachmas per share.
The Viohalko company will purchase 2,867,512 shares by September
1, 1998, with the highest price being 6,350 drachmas. The
company expects revenues from participations amounting to 1,900
million drachmas in 1997.
ELVAL will purchase 2,766,127 shares by July 4, 1998 with the
highest price being 4,350 drachmas. During the first half of
1997, ELVAL had a turnover totaling 38,815.3 million compared to
34,488.7 million last year. Net profits amounted to 2,655
million drachmas.
ETEM completed the purchase of 324,775 shares. The company is
investing 385 million drachmas for the production of small
aluminium profiles and 500 million for the production of a
series of aluminium products. The cost of building ETEM's
factory in Bulgaria will ultimately reach 1.5 billion drachmas.
It will have a total production capacity of 6,000 tons in
aluminium profile products.
[09] OTE signs cables contracts
Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)
The Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, OTE, and the
FULGOR, ALCATEL and Siemens companies signed contracts on
Wednesday concerning completion of the Aegean's major submarine
axes with optical fiber cables.
The axes are Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Skyros-Lesvos,
Epidavros-Aigina-Voula and
Lavrio-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Santorini-Irakleio.
[10] Roman tomb discovered in Drama
Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)
A Roman family tomb was discovered by chance in the community of
Kallithea Dramas and at the location of "Vrysi." Its dimensions
are 2.5X3X1.2 meters. The walls are made of white marble and
have metal hooks at the sides. Archaeologists found bones and
artifacts inside the tomb.
End of English language section.
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