Antenna: News in English (PM), 98-02-18

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

Last Updated: Wednesday, 18-Feb-98 16:49:25

CONTENTS

[01] Yaltsin Kiouchïuk: "Denktash for me is a butcher"...

[02] Farmers

[03] New Democracy

[04] Cyprus Attillas

[05] Weight-lifting Federation

[06] Olympiakos

[07] Carnival Moschato

[01] Yaltsin Kiouchïuk "Denktash for me is a butcher"...

Now 60 years old, Yialtsin Kouchouk took part in the 1974 attack on Cyprus as an army lieutenant.

He recently spoke to Sophia Iordanidou in Paris, where he has lived in self- exile since 1993.

As a lieutenant in the Turkish army in 1974, Yialtsin Kouchouk took part in the second invasion of northern Cyprus launched by Ankara that year.

The left-wing intellectual and professor had previously aroused the mistrust of his superiors. Shortly before the invasion, he was removed from the Turkish pentagon, for fear that he would give military secrets to the Greeks.

In his interview with Sophia Iordanidou in Paris, where he lives in self- exile, Kouchouk describes Turkish-Cypriot leader Raouf Denktash as a murderer.

Yialtsin Kouchouk, a professor of economics and political science and author of forty books, is one of the leading lights of the Turkish left.

Though he lives in exile in Paris, thoughts of authoritarian Turkey, and what it did in Cyprus, are with him always.

As a Turkish policy planner from 1960 to 1966, Kouchouk has known key Turkish politicians well: Bulent Ecevit, today the nation's vice president; and Denis Baykal and Hikmet Cetin, both former foreign ministers. He also appears to have been well acquainted with Turkish-Cypriot leader Raouf Denktash.

As a lieutenant in the army in 1974, Kouchouk was sent to take part in the invasion of Cyprus, he would be left with painful memories of barbarism and atrocity.

Sofia Iordanidou:"Did you see any killings?

Yialtsin Kouchouk: "I saw a wealthy village home.... I was a Turkish".

Kioutsouk was asked if he saw any mass graves, as another former Turkish soldier reported he'd seen in Cyprus.

Y.K.: "I know massive death. I don't know about massive graves....I don't know how many".

Kouchouk also recalls how the bodies of dead Greek-Cypriot civilians were left to lie in the afternoon sun - testimony to the horror of the invasion and its aftermath.

During his 1974 stay in Cyprus, Yialtsin Kouchouk met Raouf Denktash, who to this day runs Turkish- occupied northern Cyprus.

When Sophia Iordanidou asked him for his opinion of Denktash, his response was unequivocal.

Y.K.: "Denktash for me is a butcher".

Kouchouk says he made a point of expressing his abhorrence of Denktash to the Turks, but the occupation authorities had no time for his opinions. Ankara had a different agenda.

Y.K.: "As long as RD stays there there couldn't be any solution to the Cyprus problem. They told me they will change Denktash, but they kept him, because he is leader of the old exploitation, the gangs, the killers. I tell this in Turkey... not good for Turks, for Greek people there.

He's a fascist".

Denktash is a murderous underworld figure, a gang leader, says Kouchouk, and the generals in Turkey know it.

During his tour of duty in Cyprus, Kouchouk says many Turkish officers complained to him about Denktash, saying he was no good for Turkey.

The commander of the invasion forces became enraged with Denktash, Kouchouk claims, when one Greek-Cypriot church was pillaged six times.

Iordanidou asked Kouchouk about an issue gnawing at the hearts of many Greek-Cypriots who were related to or knew one of 1690 people missing since the 1974 invasion.

S.I.: "Turkish papers back then wrote that there were a lot of soldiers transferred to Adana prisons... hear of that?"

Y.K.: "I heard about this. I'm not sure they transferred them. But this is not the way the Turkish soldier does his mission. This is my impression. If they are died, they died in a week or 10 days or in the war. I don't think anybody should be alive after that...it's not possible. On the other hand, we are leftists, we know our prisons. They have shot away".

Asked if he has any message of encouragement to those awaiting the return of their loved ones, Kouchouk said,

Y.K.: "What message except deep sorry. In Turkey people killed because leftist...think they will come one day, I'm deeply sorry".

During the invasion, many Greek-Cypriots were robbed of their personal belongings. According to Kouchouk, 1974 was a grotesque orgy during which some Turks enriched themselves.

Y.K.: "In Turkey in 1974, many believed some people got rich off Cyprus. All my friends, relatives, wives thought I was a fool. I was the only one who came back as he went there".

For women, invasion brought the nightmare of rape. 650 Greek-Cypriots had abortions in the nine months following the war. Kouchouk says it doesn't surprise him. He even suspects that many Turkish-Cypriot had abortions after being raped by Turkish troops too.

[02] Farmers

After protest leaders decided to suspend roadblocks of main roads, farmers who want tax breaks, better pensions, assistance with bank debts, and higher penions, rolled in convoy back to their villages.

700 farm vehicles drove away from Larisa after another unsuccessful meeting with government representatives.

For the past two weeks, they'd staged a number of roadblocks lasting a few hours each along the Athens to Thessaloniki highway, demanding the government help them out.

But Pasok says meeting their demands would cost the nation 3.5 billion dollars.

The farmers may have called off the roadblock threat for the time being, but the protesters' leaders will meet on March 15th at Kileler, when the anniversary of an historic farmers' protest at the same site the will be marked.

The government's refusal to accede to any of the farmers' demands has left many protesters exasperated. As the tractors went home Tuesday, many of their number said it would be better to go ahead with the roadblocks.

[03] New Democracy

Vassilis Kontogiannopoulos is the one they want to speak for them at the parliament chairmen's conference, which deals with parliamentary itineraries and procedure.

Giorgos Souflias, one of the MPs thrown out of the party, was careful to stress that the choice of Kontoyiannopoulos does not mean the six MPs are forming a distinct political group in parliament, though they do intend to work together toward common goals.

There are three other independent MPs in parliament. They were all thrown out of Pasok in December, for refusing to vote in favour of parts of the 1998 budget.

Those three didn't take part in Tuesday's selection process, in which the six former New Democracy MPs voted in favour of Kontogiannopoulos to represent the independents.

That means parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis will make the final decision on who will be the rep.

[04] Cyprus Attillas

The left-wing intellectual and professor had previously aroused the mistrust of his superiors. Shortly before the invasion, he was removed from the Turkish pentagon, for fear that he would give military secrets to the Greeks.

In the second part of his interview with Sophia Iordanidou in Paris, where he lives in self- exile, Kouchouk describes Turkish-Cypriot leader Raouf Denktash as a murderer.

During his 1974 stay in Cyprus, Yialtsin Kouchouk met Raouf Denktash, who to this day runs Turkish- occupied northern Cyprus.

When Sophia Iordanidou asked him for his opinion of Denktash, his response was unequivocal.

"Denktash for me is a butcher".

Kouchouk says he made a point of expressing his abhorrence of Denktash to the Turks, but the occupation authorities had no time for his opinions. Ankara had a different agenda.

"As long as RD stays there there couldn't be any

solution to the Cyprus problem. They told me they will change Denktash, but they kept him, because he is leader of the old exploitation, the gangs, the killers. I tell this in Turkey... not good for Turks, for Greek people there.

He's a fascist".

Denktash is a murderous underworld figure, a gang leader, says Kouchouk, and the generals in Turkey know it.

During his tour of duty in Cyprus, Kouchouk says many Turkish officers complained to him about Denktash, saying he was no good for Turkey.

The commander of the invasion forces became enraged with Denktash, Kouchouk claims, when one Greek-Cypriot church was pillaged six times.

Iordanidou asked Kouchouk about an issue gnawing at the hearts of many Greek-Cypriots who were related to or knew one of 1690 people missing since the 1974 invasion.

"Turkish papers back then wrote that there were a lot of soldiers transferred to Adana prisons... hear of that?"

"I heard about this. I'm not sure they transferred them. But this is not the way the Turkish soldier does his mission. This is my impression. If they are died, they died in a week or 10 days or in the war. I don't think anybody should be alive after that...it's not possible. On the other hand, we are leftists, we know our prisons. They have shot away".

Asked if he has any message of encouragement to those awaiting the return of their loved ones, Kouchouk said,

"What message except deep sorry. In Turkey people killed because leftist...think they will come one day, I'm deeply sorry".

During the invasion, many Greek-Cypriots were robbed of their personal belongings. According to

Kouchouk, 1974 was a grotesque orgy during which some Turks enriched themselves.

"In Turkey in 1974, many believed some people got rich off Cyprus. All my friends, relatives, wives thought I was a fool. I was the only one who came back as he went there".

For women, invasion brought the nightmare of rape. 650 Greek-Cypriots had abortions in the nine months following the war. Kouchouk says it doesn't surprise him. He even suspects that many Turkish-Cypriot had abortions after being raped by Turkish troops too.

[05] Weight-lifting Federation

As weight-lifting categories have been changed, the federation is re- evaluating its goals for 1998.

Greek federation chairman Nikos Skiadas notes that the Patra competition will be more difficult precisely because the categories have changed. That means athletes have to rethink their strategies, to meet new requirements.

Olympic gold medalists Pyrros Dimas and Kaki Kakiashvilli, and Olympic silver medal winner Leonidas Kokkas will be in Patra.

In an effort to promote its activities, the Greek federation has created a web site. Net surfers will find information on the 1999 World Weightlifting Championships in Athens.

[06] Olympiakos

Giorgos Louvaris, Olympiakos managing director, said, "It exciting for us to be in the presence of those who created the Olympiakos legend."

Veteran soccer player Babis Kotridis added, "This gives us the chance to see old teammates and walk down memory lane, thinking about the good old days".

Picking up her award, Antenna public relations director Lola Daifa, who worked for the team for years, said, "Olympiakos has a heart, it has feelings. Tt's my second family. I spent the best years of my life with them, and they have honoured me with numerous distinctions".

[07] Carnival Moschato

Last Sunday there was a carnival bash, featuring some people who may know more about the pre-lent party season than anyone else.

Six Brazilian dancers got the crowd in a festive mood with samba.

Moschato's carnival events are being co-sponsored by Greeks in Latin America, Norway, and Egypt.

And of course, by all those who show up for a good time.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

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