Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 99-08-02

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr>

NEWS IN ENGLISH

ATHENS, GREECE, 02/08/1999 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• 'Good climate' noted in initial Greek-Turkish round of talks
• Moslem minority issue
• Papandreou: "simple truths, without taboo"
• Opposition reaction to Papandreou
• 'Only action, not words' necessary to stabilise Balkans
• Cypriot people will struggle for entire island's liberation
• WEATHER
• FOREIGN EXCHANGE

NEWS IN DETAIL

Foreign Minister George Papandreou on Saturday received the members of the Turkish delegation which participated in bilateral talks last week during the first round of talks on "low-key" political issues.

During talks in Athens on Thursday and Friday, the two sides exchanged views on combatting organised crime, illegal immigration and drug trafficking, as well as securing citizens' security.

Earlier in the week, similar talks were held in Ankara. The next round of talks on the same issues will take place in September following a review of ideas and proposals put forth by each side.

Speaking to reporters after the courtesy call on Saturday, Mr. Papandreou referred to his meeting on Friday with his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem on the sidelines of a Balkan stability pact summit in Sarajevo.

He said both he and Mr. Cem had noted that the climate in which last week's talks were held had been "good and constructive".

Mr. Papandreou said the next round of talks would begin on Sept. 9 and the aim would be to bring about the greater involvement of other ministries connected with the issues up for discussion.

He added that the process would be a long one and that it was too early to make any assessment of the dialogue to date, while stressing that the fact the process had reached the point it had was in itself an achievement.

According to Greek diplomatic sources, the discussions between Greek and Turkish foreign ministry officials took place "in a very good climate with respect to all the issues under review".

The same sources said "sensitive" issues were not raised by either side during the talks, which the Greek and Turkish foreign ministers agreed to hold during a meeting in New York in late June.

At the end of the first round of talks, a joint communique issued by the two delegations noted that the high-level official meetings between the foreign ministries of Greece and Turkey held on July 26 and 27 in Ankara and on July 29 and 30 in Athens ove r issues related to tourism, the environment, culture, trade and economic cooperation, regional development, illegal immigration as well as measures to combat narcotics trafficking and terrorism.

"Both sides agreed on the target of closer cooperation in the fields under discussion. To that end they exchanged views and reviewed the possibilities for furthering that cooperation in a specific manner. Each side presented a series of proposals and id eas which will be reviewed in order to identify possibilities for cooperation in these fields. Both sides agreed to proceed to the next round of talks on the same issues in September, " the communique read.

Moslem minority issue

Turning to the issue of the Moslem minority in Thrace, Mr. Papandreou said Athens' position and the relevant legal framework was "crystal clear".

Earlier this week, Mr. Papandreou was severely criticised by members of his own ruling PASOK party and the opposition when he made statements concerning the Moslem minority.

Mr. Papandreou was quoted as saying in an interview published last week in an Athens monthly magazine that "nobody doubts that there are a lot of Moslems of Turkish origin" in western Thrace. He added, however, that "at times the minority issue is raise d with territorial claims. If existing borders are not questioned, I don't really care if somebody calls himself a Moslem, Turk, Bulgarian or Pomack."

On Friday, the government said its position on the issue of the Moslem minority was "clear, known and unchanged", namely, that such a minority existed and is only a religious one.

Mr. Papandreou told reporters on Saturday that it was sometimes necessary "to call a spade a spade". This, he continued, did not indicate a change in position but rather the stating of a simple, self-evident truth.

Papandreou: "simple truths, without taboo"

In an interview to the "Sunday Eleftherotypia", published yesterday, the Greek FM insisted that the positions he expressed over the Moslem minority in Thrace "are correct", adding that he spoke "simple truths, without taboo."

"We say things with their nameIthe legal framework of international treaties remains stable," he said. "I believe that this is our greatest force as a country and we have nothing to fear."

"We have the Moslem minority according to the Treaty of Lausanne. The Treaty of Lausanne must be respected by all. My statements do not lead to its overturning, as some people interpreted, either by mistake or on purposeIThere is, however, the ethnic o rigin of the different groups within the Moslem minority. This ethnic origin was never questioned, namely, the existence of gypsies, Pomacks and some of Turkish origin," he stressed.

Mr. Papandreou said "there are international agreements which give the right to a person to define himself as he wishes. If someone feels he is of Turkish origin, I will not stop him from feeling this wayIThe Moslem population of Thrace are about 1 per cent of the Greek population and those of Turkish origin are about 0.3 per cent of the total population. Let us not create issues where there are none," he said.

The Greek FM added that "when I accept the conscience of others, that they are of Turkish origin and I accept that, this action nullifies the problem to a great extent. This acceptance at the same time disarms a neighbouring country from trying to lead by the hand all of the Moslem minority or to characterise all of them (as Turks), or to attempt to change the borders using the minority as a pretext, as it happened by Turkey in Cyprus," he said.

Opposition reaction to Papandreou

Reacting to Mr. Papandreou's interview, main opposition New Democracy (ND) spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos stressed that "Greece's stance on the Moslem minority of western Thrace is defined by the Treaty of Lausanne."

"The insistence, presented in today's (yesterday's) interview, of the foreign minister on unclear and simplistic opinions on the issue of the Moslem minorityIis at the least nationally dangerous.

"It is the obligation of the prime minister to end his silence and make clear that the opinions of Mr. Papandreou over the specific subject do not constitute government policy," he concluded.

Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) leader Dimitris Tsovolas, on his part, said that the foreign minister's statements "are unacceptable and damaging to the national interests," adding that "they are said at the demand and under the pressure of the Unite d States."

'Only action, not words' necessary to stabilise Balkans

National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos stressed in Tirana on Saturday that the European Union should understand that "only action, and not words" will eradicate the danger of Balkan destabilisation.

Mr. Tsohatzopoulos, on a two-day visit to the Albanian capital, warned that the danger of destabilisation in the Balkans will indirectly destabilise security and peace in Europe.

Speaking to Greek reporters after talks with Albania's leadership, the Greek defence minister said that following a Balkan stability pact summit in Sarajevo last Friday, the aim was now to formulate a joint effort by European countries and the United Stat es in order to immediately forge ahead with "projects and real work".

Referring to the need for efforts aimed at the development of Balkan countries as well as their future inclusion in the EU, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos stated:

"This needs to be done because there is concern in the region that now that the war in Kosovo is over, the great words uttered during the last few months will not be immediately implemented by specific actions."

He added that Greece and Italy were the EU member-states who maintained a "reserved stance" vis-a-vis the "violent intervention by the international community" towards ending the Kosovo crisis. Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said both countries frequently requested a political solution to resolving the crisis.

Cypriot people will struggle for entire island's liberation

Cypriot House of Representatives President Spyros Kyprianou on Saturday declared what he called the Cypriot people's decisiveness to continue the struggle for the liberation of all of the island republic.

Mr. Kyprianou, accompanied by Paphos Metropolitan Chrysostomos, and a 30- member delegation arrived in Crete for events the honoring Cretans who fought and died in action during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.

Mr. Kyprianou referred to the difficult times Cyprus has endured, while he appeared optimistic of the realisation of values humanity believes in, following the Second World War and based on the so-called "New Order of Things."

Referring to Greek-Turkish dialogue, he stressed that Turkey will probalby want to "take and not to give".

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Monday's rates (buying)
U.S. dollar          301.449
Pound sterling       488.758
Japanese yen (100)   261.828
French franc          49.165
German mark          164.891
Italian lira (100)    16.656
Irish Punt           409.490
Belgian franc          7.995
Finnish mark          54.241
Dutch guilder        146.344
Danish kr.            43.301
Austrian sch.         23.437
Spanish peseta         1.938
Swedish kr.           36.845
Norwegian kr.         38.720
Swiss franc          201.808
Port. Escudo           1.609
Can. dollar          200.186
Aus. dollar          196.237
Cyprus pound         558.496
Euro                 322.499

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