NEWS IN DETAIL

Gov't determined to deter farmers from new protests

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas reiterated that the planned protest action was both inopportune and unjustified.

''It is being manifested at the wrong time and in the wrong way,'' he said.

Farmers' protests in December took the form of road and rail blokades which seriously disrupted traffic nationwide.

Reppas said that a dialogue was in progress and steps were gradually being taken to meet the farmers' demands when possible.

''Wherever there are problems,'' he added, ''they are being tackled and the farmers must show good faith''.

The government, he continued, was against giving handouts and provided assistance only in cases of real need.

Agriculture Minister Stephanos Tzoumakas has said that the government will not allow national roads to be blocked.

Justice Minister Evangelos Yannopoulos later launched a stinging attack against the organisers of tomorrow's protest rally in Karditsa, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and main opposition New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert.

''This isn't a farmers' protest but a grave insult to law and order and the prestige and force of the law,'' Yannopoulos told an unscheduled press conference, adding that the protest ''clearly originates from the KKE''.

''But it has an active ally in New Democracy and the tolerance and mandate of Mr. Evert,'' Yannopoulos charged.

Saying that the latest round of protests was doomed to failure, Yannopoulos stressed:

''The state will not pull its pants down.''

Earlier, Yannopoulos had a meeting with Supreme Court prosecutor Panagiotis Dimopoulos. According to informed sources, the meeting focused on ways of preventing offences being committed during the farmers' protests.

'Grey Wolves' threaten to settle occupied Cypriot town

The threats were made through a paid advertisement which appeared in Turkish Cypriot newspapers on Saturday, as three Turkish warships sailed on Saturday from Turkey to the port of Famagusta on the eastern coast of Cyprus, ostensibly for a "peaceful" vi sit.

The Grey Wolves' leader in the northern occupied part of Cyprus, Mehmet Aslan, who has been accused of murdering Greek-Cypriot Tassos Isaac during protests last summer, also repeated that a large march to Famagusta is being prepared and will take place next month.

He added that the events being organised by the 'Grey Wolves' to be held at the begining of February aim to bring the issue of the settling of Famagusta to the forefront.

A paid advertisement signed by Mehmet Aslan described as "unfortunate" the fact that the joint communique issued by Turkish President Suleyman Demirel and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash does not mention the settlement of Famagusta.

It added that the 'Grey Wolves' will ceaselessly campaign for the town's settlement.

Turkish warships visit Famagusta

The Turkish warships will remain in the occupied Famagusta port until Wednesday, January 29.

Turkish high ranking officials, including President Suleyman Demirel and Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller have recently expressed threats against Cyprus after the government concluded an agreement for the purchase of Russian anti-aircraft missiles S-300.

Turkey invaded the island in 1974 and still occupies 37 per cent of its territory.

Government spokesman on Ciller-narcotics claims

''Such phenomena illustrate the decay, lack of democracy and decline of that country,'' Reppas said, while underlining that Greece nevertheless desired good relations with Turkey based on equality.

The remarks by the French judge come just one week after similar allegations by a Frankfurt judge.

Greece promises support for EU-Malta cooperation

Mr. Pangalos, after talks with Foreign Minister George Vella, was referring to the new Maltese Labour government's decision to put on hold the island's application for EU membership and seek instead a special contractural agreement covering free trade and cooperation, including security.

Mr. Pangalos, who said Malta and Greece would now be holding regular meetings to discuss bilateral and other issues, added that Greece would do its utmost to help Malta to cooperate more closely with the EU.

He explained that the Maltese government's decision not to pursue the membership option in no way affected the candidacy of Cyprus, which Greece champions.

"There has never been a linkage between the two islands' applications," he stressed.

Questioned about the latest tension on Cyprus, Mr. Pangalos said it was up to the Cyprus government, which was recognised by all countries except Turkey, to react to Turkey's decision to send naval vessels into the northern Cypriot port of Famagusta.

Mr. Pangalos and Mr. Vella also discussed closer cooperation between the two countries against illegal traffic in arms, drugs and refugees.

Mr. Pangalos said Olympic Airways would be having talks with Air Malta, which already operates a regular service to Athens, to increase communications between the two countries.

Post office heist nets robbers 95 million drachmas

Three of the men, wearing masks and armed with rifles, broke into the post office by prising open the rear door with a metal bar.

After immobilising staff and customers, two of the robbers went to the basement where the money was kept, leaving the third man on the ground floor.

A fourth robber, armed with an automatic weapon and without a mask, stood guard at the main entrance to the post office.

As soon as they had gathered the money, the three masked robbers sped off in a van, while the fourth left on foot. The van was later found abandoned at a short distance from the post office.

The stolen money had been delivered to the post office shortly before the robbery and was to have been used to pay pensions in the area.

Proposals on radical education changes welcomed

Mr. Arsenis was speaking after a meeting with university rectors in Delphi on Saturday.

Under the changes, students will be allowed to follow a series of courses and gain the equivalent of a university degree on their completion. Those over the age of 25 taking these courses may have to pay tuition fees, while scholarships will be given to those under 25.

An open university is to open in September 1997 for any person who wishes to take courses. Tuition fees will probably have to be paid.

The most important change concerns the abolition of university entrance examinations, to come into effect in the year 2000. Students will enter universities and higher education institutions based on their grades from the last three years of senior high school, the results of an examination to be held on a regional or national basis and their grades of their national high-school leaving certificate. There will be no tuition fees in universities.

Mr. Arsenis has suggested that radical changes in high schools should come into effect as of September this year in order to prepare for the new system in 2000.

Teachers' strike continues

Primary school and kindergarten teachers will also go on strike as of February 3.

Illegal immigrants arrested, others deported

The illegal immigrants (30 men, seven women and five children) said that a Turk had transported them to the Greek islet in his speed boat for the sum of $1,500 each.

Greek army posts in the Dodecanese islands have also stepped up security measures, particularly following an incident last week in which a Greek soldier was slightly wounded when shots were traded between the Greek coast guard and Turkish illegal immigrant smugglers.

Meanwhile, 22 Indian illegal immigrants, detained in Greece after surviving a shipwreck off Malta last month, were put on an Olympic Airways flight for New Delhi.

The 22 had claimed to authorities that two boats carrying illegal immigrants had collided on Christmas Eve, resulting in the loss of 283 people.

Kidnapped girl found alive and well

Police, who had been watching the home of Kalliopi Kyriakaki, not far from Eleni's school, arrested her as she left the building late last night with the kidnapped child, allegedly in order to move her to another hiding place. Among the other four arrested was Alekos Diakakis, a former accountant at Ford, whom police believe to be the mastermind behind the kidnapping.

WEATHER

SPORTS

Standings:

Olympiakos 42 AEK 39 18 Panathinaikos 39 OFI 34 Pyrgos 27 Ionikos 27 Kavala 25 Veria 25 Kalamata 25 Panahaiki 24 PAOK 23

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(M.P.)

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