Antenna News in English 161096

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From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.gr

News in English, of 16/10/1996

TITLES

• Tears and outrage, as Cyprus buries a man gunned down by Turkish troops.
• The European-Union's lead-free gas move: will it work in Greece?

CYPRUS

58-year-old Petros Kakkoulis, the second of those victims to be shot dead by Turkish troops, was buried in the village of Avgorou where he was born. He was accompanied on his final journey by family, friends, and the thoughts of all Hellenism.

On Sunday, the uncalled-for bullets ended once again in blood and unquenchable tears.

Kakkoulis was shot twice by Turkish soldiers just inside Turkish-occupied territory near the British base in Ammochostou, as he was collecting snails.

His son-in-law gave an eyewitness account of the murder. Kakkoulis raised his hands in the air when he noticed the soldiers, but they shot him twice. Approaching him, they put another bullet into him, to make sure he was dead.

That account was confirmed by a coroner who examined Kakkoulis. His report confirms that Kakoulis received three bullets, two to the chest that proved fatal, and a third to the neck.

The coroner's report puts paid to the Turkish claim that the soldiers fired three warning shots before shooting Kakkouli just once.

But it hasn't put an end to Turkey callous and unrepentant treatment of Kakoulis's death. One Turkish-Cypriot minister tried to justify the murder, claiming Kakoulis was working for the Cypriot Special Forces, had a knife in his hand when he was shot, and a length of wire he intended to strangle Turkish soldiers with.

That claim is insupportable. The 58-year-old Kakkoulis had retired from the fire department shortly before his murder, after suffering a heart attack.

Georgos Layzas, a close relative of the Turks' latest victim says, "The Turks are just trying to cover up their crime. Petros was a quiet man. He was a 58-year-old with heart trouble and diabetes. He couldn't undertake any kind of military mission. He was out collecting snails".

Kakkoulis's family will live with the cruel memory of the Sunday when he never came home.

For Cyprus, his murder is another outrage. Solomos Solomou was shot dead by Turkish troops in August for protesting the Turkish occupation of the island.

Before Kakoulis's funeral Tuesday, schoolchildren protested the latest shooting on the line dividing Turkish-held from free Cyprus. The young people said they wanted to express their exasperation at the continuing murders, and say they won't forget what the Turks have done.

FYROM

Negotiators say there has been a little progress in talks to work out what the permanent name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or Fyrom, is to be.

Fyorm wants to be recognised as "Macedonia". Greece objects, saying that is a Greek name rooted in ancient history, and that Fyrom's use of it opens the way to expansionist claims on the Greek province of Macedonia, which borders on Fyrom.

UN mediator Cyrus Vance discussed the issue with the Greek and Fryom negotiators in Geneva Monday night.

Greek UN ambassador Christos Zacharakis suggested after the meeting - the eigth in this round of talks - that things are moving forward.

Vance said there have been steps forward, but nothing tangible has been achieved so far.

The negotiators will meet again in New York in two weeks.

One possible solution is three names for Fyrom: one for use by Greece, one for use by Fyrom, and one to be used by third countries.

Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos says Greece will never accept the name "Macedonia" for Fyrom.

BUDGET

And deputy national economy minister Alexandros Baltas says bondholders can rest easy for 1997 too, that Pasok isn't thinking of taxing bond interest next year.

But if the prime minister does tax the interest at a rate of 10 per cent, it would mean an estimated 1.2 billion dollars in additional revenue for the government next year.

CARS

The EU wants to cut auto exhaust fume emissions in Europe by 70 per cent, and so is considering banning fuels containing lead from the gas pump.

If the European Commission accepts the ecology- minded plan on the table in Brussels, there could be only non-lead burning cars on the roads of Europe by the year 2002.

Greek car dealer Giorgos Kolokotronis told Antenna that reducing fumes is fine, but that in Greece, the plan will only be practical if the government reduces the sales tax on cars. Kolokotronis says that high taxes make buying new cars prohibitive for many Greeks.

KOUVELAS

Kouvelas, formerly an MP elected in Thessaloniki, failed to retain his seat in the last election, after party leader Miltiades Evert decided to take the last available seat there himself.

A presidential order allows party leaders to be elected to parliament without being on the ballot in the city they choose to represent.

Kouvelas says that's unconstitutional. Anyway, he adds, Evert chose the THessaloniki seat after he had resigned as party leader. Evert resigned after New Democracy lost the election, but was re-elected party leader two weeks later. He chose the Thessaloniki seat just days after the election.

EDUCATION

And the new education minister is re-thinking some of his predecessor's innovations.

After meeting with the prime minister, new education minister Gerasimos Arsenis said he is reconsidering a plan to raise university and technical school enrolments in 1997. That plan had been put forward by Arsenis's, Giorgos Papandreou.

Arsenis is also rethinking another Papandreou idea: the open university, which would've allowed people to attend university on a part-time basis.

MELISSANIDES

Staying with athletes, but away from the heat of competition, Olympic gold medalist Giannis Melissanides won the hearts of some very special young people in New York.

© ANT1-Radio 1996

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