MPA NEWS IN ENGLISH (24/07/1996)

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@philippos.mpa.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, July 24, 1996

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] DEATH OF PATRIARCH PARTHENIOS MOURNED BY ORTHODOX GREEKS

The loss of Patriarch Parthenios of Alexandria and Africa has brought about the deep mourning of his congregation.

The President of the Council of Greeks Abroad (SAE) Africa- Asia Chapter Stephanos Tamvakis spoke to the Macedonian Press Agency yesterday and stated that Mr. Parthenios' loss was one of the biggest that could ever exist in Orthodoxy.

[02] GOVERNMENT EXPRESSES SORROW OVER DEATH OF PATRIARCH PARTHENIOS

Press and Media Minister Dimitris Reppas expressed the government's deep sorrow over the death of Alexandria's Patriarch Parthenios.

"He was a significant member of Orthodoxy who, with a high sense of duty, exercised his spiritual strength."

Main opposition party leader New Democracy President Miltiades Evert stated that he knew Mr. Parthenios personally and also expressed his deep condolences.

The flags will be at half mast throughout all public offices in the country until the Patriarch's funeral which will be held next Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt.

[03] GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION ON DEATH OF TERRORISM SUSPECT

The Minister of the Aegean Kosmas Sfyriou has ordered a full blown investigation concerning the death of Christophoros Marinos, a 29-year-old Greek who was suspected by the police, but never proven, of being involved in many terrorist actions in Greece after 1987.

C. Marinos was found dead in his cabin on F/B Pegassos while returning from vacation in one of the Cyclades islands. According to the police officers who found Marinos dead, he is said to have most likely committed suicide right after he saw the police waiting to arrest him because he had violated parole.

Mr. Sfyriou said that "we are interested in examining all details of the matter so that we achieve complete transparency and arrive at the whole truth."

[04] GOVERNMENT COMMENTS ON ARMED FORCES MEETING IN CYPRUS

If there is a meeting of the heads of the armed forces of the two sides in Cyprus it should be held between the heads of the National Guard and the turkish forces.

The statement was made by greek government spokesman, Dimitris Reppas responding to a question by a reporter, while he reiterated that the responsibility for the difficulties in this meeting come from the turkish and the turkish-cypriot side.

[05] EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER ON GREECE'S TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The issue of the interim five-year period that Greece has requested for the freeing of the telecommunications sectors will be examined by the appropriate offices in the European Union's Committee of Transportation, wrote Commissioner Van Mirt in a letter addressed to the Greek Minister of Transportation and Communication Haris Kastanides.

According to Mr. Mirt, an announcement will soon be published in the formal registers of the EU which will invite the interested parties to submit their comments over Greece's request.

[06] COMMUNIST PARTY DENOUNCES HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN TURKEY

The Greek Communist Party (KKE) has issued a statement to the Council of Europe (CoE) through which it denounces the numerous violations of human rights and democratic liberties in Turkey.

Specifically, KKE asks the CoE to get involved in the effort of reinstituting democratic values in Turkey, and to pressure the turkish government into accepting the justified claims made by the imprisoned hunger strikers.

KKE parliamentarian Stratis Korakas has sent a letter to the President of the CoE's Parliamentary Assembly Leni Fisher through which he asks that a CoE delegation visit the Turkish prisons.

Meanwhile, Turkish Motherland Party MP Mr. Gioulpinar, who is currently in Greece, expressed his hope that Turkey can overcome the problems it currently faces regarding human rights.

[07] POLITICAL PARTIES TO ATTEND PAN-MACEDONIAN CONFERENCE IN AUSTRALIA

Former Public Order Minister, Stelios Papathemelis will attend the Conference of the Pan-Macedonian Associations Federation in Australia that will be held in Melbourne in early August.

In the conference have also been invited Minister of Macedonia-Thrace, Philippos Petsalnikos, representatives from all the greek political parties, religious authorities and australian political parties.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[08] A THIRD HUNGER STRIKER DIED IN A TURKISH PRISON

A third hunger striker died early this morning in Constantinople's Bayrampasa Prison after a hunger strike that began 65 days ago while yesterday, another hunger striker died in the same prison. The main demand of the hunger strikers is the improvement of the living conditions in the turkish jails.

The deaths of the three political prisoners caused the mobilization of Turkey's democratic organizations and today their representatives together with famous turkish author, Yasar Kemal and music composer, Zulfi Livaneli will give a joint press conference aiming at stopping the "fast of death", as they call the hunger strikes in the turkish prisons.

Meanwhile, Health Minister, Yildirim Aktuna is determined to offer medical treatment to the hunger strikers who went into a coma and to bring the issue for discussion in today's cabinet meeting. In statements he has made maintains that the prisoners must be persuaded to stop the hunger strike.

Fire-bomb attacks against turkish targets continued in many german cities for a second day today and according to police, are possibly related to the continuing hunger strike of 215 political prisoners in 16 turkish prisons, as there is no evidence proving that the attacks are the work of neo-nazis or kurds.

[09] 17 KURDISH REBELS KILLED IN ARMED CLASH WITH TURKISH SECURITY FORCES

Twenty people, among them 17 kurdish rebels and 3 members of the turkish security forces were killed during armed clashes in the region of Hakiari in south-eastern Turkey, while two rebels were arrested in the region of Silopi in Sirnak.

Meanwhile, the state of emergency still in effect in certain regions of south-eastern Turkey is expected to be discussed in the turkish National Assembly this afternoon.

[10] BOEING 747 EXPLOSION STILL A MYSTERY, BLACK BOXES NOT FOUND YET

The two black boxes in TWA's Boeing 747 jet that crashed last Wednesday in the Atlantic Ocean near Long Island have not been found yet although investigations are continuing.

United States President Bill Clinton announced yesterday that the up to date results do not lead to any conclusions for the causes of the plane's explosion.

"Traces of chemicals were found," he stated, "although based on all the verbal and written reports that I get regularly it isn't possible to draw a safe conclusion on the causes of the plane's crash."

[11] CYPRIOT NATIONAL GUARD INVITED TO HOLD DIALOGUE WITH TURK- CYPRIOTS

The administration of the international peacekeeping forces in Cyprus is expected to issue invitations for dialogue today to the head of the Cypriot National Guard and his counterpart of the turkish-cypriot peacekeeping forces.

This invitation to dialogue was agreed upon following the vsit to Cyprus by the United States Ambassador to the UN Madleine Albright.

Turk-cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has reacted to this invitation since he is demanding that his side participate politically in the negotiations.

[12] HANNAY AND GHALI MEET IN NEW YORK AND DISCUSS CYPRUS ISSUE

United Nations Secretary-General Butros Ghali met in New York today with the British representative for the cypriot issue Sir David Hannay and held a discussion that focused on the achievement of an all-encompassing solution to the Cyprus problem during the following 18 months.

Sir Hannay briefed Mr. Ghali on the contacts he held in Nicosia with both sides of the divided island and for their resposnse in the various proposals he submitted.

It was agreed upon that the exisitng gap be reduced and that a common ground be found, thereby constituting these two aims as the main point of the approach to the Cypriot problem, with the aim to submit a complete package of a total agreement that will be based on a package of ideas.

The British representative will meet today with US representative to Cyprus Richard Beatty and will travel to Washington where he will meet with US State Department Undersecretary John Kornblum.

[13] A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE IRISH EU PRESIDENCY TO VISIT CYPRUS ON SUNDAY

The representative of the Irish EU Presidency for Cyprus is expected to arrive in the island on Sunday for contacts with the greek-cypriot and the turkish-cypriot side in order to have discussions on the Cyprus problem and the country's accession course into the European Union.

According to reliable information, the irish EU Presidency representative will be updated on the views and positions of both sides in Cyprus.

He will be received by Cypriot President Glafkos Kliridis and will meet with Foreign Minister Alekos Michailidis. He will also meet with turkish-cypriot leader Rauf Denktash in the turkish occupied northern part of the island.

[14] SOFIA WANTS AID FOR FOOT-MOUTH DISEASE, BUT EU WON'T GRANT ECU

The European Union has refused to oblige to Bulgaria's request after the country asked for aid in its effort to face the foot and mouth disease epidemic that has stricken the Balkan countries.

According to Bulgarian newspaper "Standard", the epidemic has not reached Bulgaria but the country does need 200MECU for innoculation shots.

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