Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-09-29

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, September 29, 1997

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH IS ON THE SECOND DAY OF HIS VISIT TO THESSALONIKI

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met in Thessaloniki this morning with the Ministers of National Defense and Macedonia- Thrace. His All Holiness visited today the Museum of Byzantine Culture and the Treasures of Mount Athos exhibition, while he also attended a special session of Thessaloniki’s City Council during which he received the golden key of the city.

After his meeting with the head of the Christian Orthodox Church, Minister of Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos confirmed the excellent relations between the Greek government and the Patriarchate and stressed that the issues between them should be left in the past.

The Minister of Defense also said that in the meeting the Ecumenical Patriarch will have on Wednesday with Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos any “shadow” over their relations will be formally clarified.

[02] GREEK GOVERNMENT REACTION TO THE REPORT PUBLISHED IN “THE OBSERVER”

Untrue, unfounded and Turkish propaganda fabrications are characterized by the Greek government the publications in the British newspaper “The Observer”, on the alleged training of Kurdish rebels in Greece and their links with the terrorist organization “17 November”.

The so-called revelations made by a Kurd, named Hazar, are included in a book published last year by the Turkish-Cypriot regime of Rauf Denktash and according to Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, they can not withstand serious criticism.

Mr.Reppas stated that Greece’s Ambassador to London will make all the necessary steps for legal action to be taken against the newspaper, while Greek Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis, who arrived in Brussels today stated that legal measures will be taken against the specific report.

Regarding the likelihood of a meeting between Prime Minister Kostas Simitis and his Turkish counterpart Mesut Yilmaz in the Inter-Balkan Summit in Crete, the Greek government spokesman stated that such a meeting will take place only if Turkey wants to hold discussions based on international law and treaties.

[03] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH IN OTHODOX MONASTERY IN THESSALONIKI

Ecumenical Patriarch Mr. Vartholomeos who has been on a five- day visit in Thessaloniki, went today to the monastery of Vlatades and the Patriarchal Institute of Paterical Studies.

Mr Vartholomeos stressed that the Monastery has offered a lot in the spiritual work of international range and that the studies by the monks make a spiritual welfare.

The creative activities and the spiritual contribution of the orthodox monks preserves the welfare so that it be transferred to the future generations.

[04] U2 BANNER STOLEN

The banner of the famous Irish rock-group U2 was stolen in Thessaloniki after their concert on Friday.

The fans of the group said that whoever stole it can not declare themselves “fans”.

The banner is considered as the communication code of the 7500 people who take part in the mailing list of the group in the Internet and had been set at all the copncerts the group gave all over the world.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[05] THERE ARE NO TRAINING CAMPS FOR KURDISH REBELS IN GREECE

Representative of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Zachulis Sarbast in a press conference today gave the assurance that there are no training camps for Kurdish rebels in Greece.

He said that the only camp is in Penteli, near Athens and the people who live there receive humanitarian aid. He also stated that those allegations constitute Turkish propaganda against Greece.

[06] A PKK MEMBER REJECTS THE “REVELATIONS” PUBLISHED IN “THE OBSERVER”

The allegations made by a Kurd, named Seydo Hazar and published in the British newspaper “The Observer” were rejected by jailed leading PKK member Kani Yilmaz, who said in an interview to the same newspaper, that they are part of a black propaganda effort organized by Turkey.

The jailed PKK member spoke from his prison cell in northern Germany and denied the accusations that his organization intends to poison food and vegetables in the markets of Turkish cities, within the framework of a terrorist campaign, saying that his colleagues are totally opposed to the use of chemical weapons.

He also said that the Kurds of PKK very often are the targets of such lies, adding that the information on Greece’s alleged involvement is coming directly from the Turkish secret service.

[07] THE CYPRIOT FOREIGN MINISTER CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO THE US

Cypriot Foreign Minister Yiannakis Kasoulides met in New York with US Secretary of State ms.Madeleine Albright and US Presidential envoy to Cyprus Richard Halbrooke.

In statements he made, mr.Kasoulides speculated that mr.Halbrooke will act drastically in March to bring a change in the positions of the Turkish side for the promotion of the solution of the Cyprus problem.

He pointed out that Turkey attempts to get the attention of the international community away from the essence of the Cyprus problem by causing a stir with threats against the installation of the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles in Cyprus.

Thomas Miller, US coordinator and associate of mr.Halbrooke, reiterated in New York the interest of the US side in the solution of the Cyprus problem and speculated that the improvement of the Greek-Turkish relations will have a positive effect on the Cyprus problem.

[08] THE CYPRUS ISSUE IS A PRIORITY FOR THE BRITISH LABOR GOVERNMENT

The Cyprus issue is a priority for the British Labor government stated deputy Prime Minister John Prescot in a speech he delivered in a reception of the Greek community in Britain.

Mr.Prescot stressed that there are certain issues of injustice concerning Cyprus which should be redressed.

Meanwhile, British Euro-deputy Pauline Green warned Turkey that its blackmailing tactic regarding Cyprus’s EU accession course can backfire.

Ms.Green stated that the Council of Ministers, the EU Commission and the European Parliament agree that Cyprus’ EU accession negotiations will start in March 1998.

[09] PROVOCATIVE STATEMENTS BY GLIGOROV AGAINST GREECE

New provocative statements were made by FYROM’s President Kiro Gligorov against Greece.

In an interview he gave after his return from New York he said, according to the Greek service of BBC, that Greece has the largest part of Macedonia. Mr.Gligorov also added that the economic cooperation is changing the climate between the two countries.

[10] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH WILL VISIT THE US FOR A MONTH

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will be received as a head of state during his visit to the United States that will last one month, from October 19 to November 17. In his visit to the United States, he will have separate meetings with US President Clinton and his wife and with Secretary of State ms.Madeleine Albright.

The Ecumenical Patriarch will be honored with the gold medal of the US Congress and he will visit the Greek and the Turkish Embassies in Washington. He will visit the Museum of the Holocaust to honor the hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Christians who died with the Jews in the Nazi concentration camps and will participate in the first Orthodox Christian- Muslim dialogue in the Catholic University of Georgetown, where he will receive a honorary diploma in recognition of his interest in the resumption of the dialogue with the West.

According to the newspaper “Washington Post”, the Ecumenical Patriarch’s visit has created great enthusiasm among the Orthodox Christians as His All Holiness is the spiritual leader of 250-300 million Orthodox Christians all over the world and of 1,5 million Greek Orthodox Christians in the United States.

[11] TURKEY WILL APPEAL TO THE HAGUE ONLY IF DIRECT TALKS WITH GREECE FAIL

Turkey will appeal to the International Court of Justice in the Hague over Imia only if direct talks with Greece fail, the first round of which will be held in Crete in November with the meeting of the Prime Ministers of Greece and Turkey.

The above are mentioned by Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz in an interview published in the German magazine “Focus”.

Mr.Yilmaz, who is on a visit to Bonn, adds in his interview that he hopes to discuss the Greek-Turkish relations as a whole during his meeting with Prime Minister Kostas Simitis. He also points out that the differences in the Aegean are being used by many Europeans as an obstacle to Turkey’s efforts to become an EU member.

Political analysts speculate that in tomorrow’s meeting between the Turkish Prime Minister and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl it will be underlined that Turkey will not be able to enter the EU for as long as the Kurdish issue, the Cyprus issue and its disputes with Greece remain unresolved.

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