MPA NEWS IN BRIEF (05/06/1996)

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

Macedonian Press Agency Brief News in English Directory

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, June 5, 1996

TITLES

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] EU, NATO OFFICIALS SEE TURKISH STATEMENTS ABOUT GAVDOS AS "ABSURD", TURKEY VIEWS ISSUE AS A TECHNICAL ONE WITHOUT POLITICAL CONTENT

European Union and NATO officials were reportedly flabbergasted upon hearing that Turkey has characterized as a "grey zone" the Aegean Sea region that lies just south of Crete, and mainly the greek island of Gavdos.

Such was the impression conveyed today by Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos to journalists, following a meeting he held with his Cypriot counterpart Alekos Michaelides.

According to Mr. Pangalos, the reactions he noted from his EU and NATO allies illustrate the need for Turkey to realize at which level of seriousness its views are being taken.

In the case of Gavdos, Mr. Pangalos stated, "we are not dealing with a barren rock island or an islet, but rather with an inhabited greek island that has an organized community, and has no relation to the Lauzanne Treaty."

When asked what were the reactions to the Gavdos issue by the foreign officials in Berlin at the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting, Mr. Pangalos stated that the issue was considered absurd.

Meanwhile in Ankara, the culprit of the issue appears to be the turkish army representative in the NATO Staff in Napoli, Husein Ciftci, the official who gave to his Alliance partners a handwritten statement through which he claimed that the Gavdos island has a disputed status.

Turkish Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Omer Akbel has characterized Ciftci's act as one that was merely technical and bears no political content.

According to Mr. Akbel, at this time Turkey is not discusssing the island's sovereignty, but rather aims to clarify its legal status.

[02] GREEK PRIME MINISTER TO BE IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW AND FRIDAY

Greek Premier Kostas Simitis will conduct a two-day visit to Thessaloniki tomorrow and Friday, June 6 and 7, where he will hold various meetings with city officials and will be briefed on the city's development.

Scheduled to arrive in Thessaloniki on Thursday evening, Mr. Simitis will be greeted by local dignitaries in a formal welcoming ceremony at the "Macedonia" airport and will then move on to the Thessaloniki International Fair Conference Center where he will give a speech on regional developent and decentralization.

On Friday morning, the Prime Minister will meet with Macedonia-Thrace Minister Philippos Petsalnikos and in the afternoon will meet with officials from the Thessaloniki European Cultural Capital Organization.

The Premier will be accompanied by the Ministers of Public Administration and Decentralization Akis Tsohatzopoulos, National Economy Yiannos Papantoniou, Environment, City Planning and Public Works Kostas Laliotis, Agriculture Stefanos Tzoumakas, Health and Welfare Anastasios Peponis, Justice, Evangelos Venizelos, Culture, Stavros Benos, Transportations Haris Kastanides.

Also accompanying the Prime Minister will be the under- Secretaries of National Economy Christos Pachtas, Development Michalis Chrysochoides, Health, Franklinos Papadelis and Education George Paschalides.

[03] INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT DAY CELEBRATED IN THESSALONIKI

The urgent need to safeguard Macedonia's and Thrace's natural resources and beauty is being emphasized by the numerous ecological organizations of Northern Greece, as well as Thessaloniki's Geotechnical Chamber and Technical Training Institute, in light of today's celebration of International Environment Day.

Thessaloniki's Ecological Movement is the local environmentalist organization that avidly supports the return of the cable cars to town, as being the most efficient way to combat the ever-increasing traffic jams and congestion in the city's streets.

The organization will organize a concert in Thessaloniki today, featuring some of the most lyrical names in greek songwriting, such as Stavros Kouyioumtzis and Vasilis Lekkas, both of whom are locals.

Also quite popular proved to be the press conference given yesterday by representatives of the Municipal and Prefectural Movement of Citizens for "Ecology-Solidarity" who spoke on the issue of developing the mountain region surrounding Thessaloniki.

Tackling the problem of cleaning up the shores of Keramote in Kavala, in cooperation with the local port authorities, the community and the local school, wil be the Greek Association of Protecting Nature and Ecological Development. The Association also participated in the recent campaign to protect the Nestos River waters.

Central Macedonia's Geotechnical Chamber states that the most significant precondition for preventing and addressing environmental problems is to create an institutional framework that will reflect the State's will to create a development model aimed at "providing the citizen with a high level of information, sensitivity and consciousness."

Lastly, according to recent data gathered by Thessaloniki's Technological and Training Isntitute (TEI), the majority Thessaloniki residents consider the pollution of the Thermaicos Peninsula to be the burning environmental problem in the region, followed by traffic congestion, smog, and industrial waste.

TEI Professor Fokion Bosniakos, who is also the vice- president of the international Organization for Protection of the Mediterranean, has conducted studies that show 106 local industries dumping their wastes into the peninsula.

Highly polluted are considered to be the Aliakmonas River and the Sindos ditch, both located in the western part of town which is Thessaloniki's industrial area.

[04] CYPRIOT GUARDSMAN'S KILLING WAS A SET UP, ACCORDING TO CYPRUS NATIONAL GUARD

The 19-year-old Cypriot guardsman who was killed on Monday at the island's demarcation line -an area that was included in the disengagement agreement between the two sides- was a planned attack by the Turks, according to data collected so far by the Cyprus National Guard.

According to investigations and witness examinations, the killed soldier -Stellios Panagis-Kalis- approached the turkish guardhouse to greet the turkish soldier with whom, according to reports, he had recently been on friendly terms.

Reliable sources state that the young man was shot by a turkish soldier who was stationed in a guardhouse constructed last year in violation of the disengagement agreement.

This turkish guardhouse had been the subject of a demarche forwarded to the United Nations by the Cypriot Foreign Ministry, without any outcome.

[05] TURKEY WILL NOT PROVIDE SECURITY TO CYPRIOT MINISTER IN CONSTANTINOPLE

Cyprus is determined to participate at Constantinople's international conference Habitat II, in spite of the turkish threats that a driver and security guard will not be made available to the Cypriot minister.

Cyprus' Minister of the Interior Dinos Michaelides, who will participate at the conference, stated that he has no other choice but to travel to Constantinople since it is a decision made by the Ministerial Council.

Turkish daily newspaper "Hurriyet" published an article in which it states that Turkey was obliged to accept the Greek- Cypriot delegation's participation even though it considers it to be non-existent, since Ankara does not officially recognize the Republic of Cyprus.

[06] UN SECRETARY GENERAL IS ILL, CANCELS MEETING WITH RAUF DENKTASH

United Nations Secretary-General Butros Ghali has postponed his meeting with Turk-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash due to an illness, according to a UN spokesperson.

The meeting between the two men was planned to take place today in Constantinople where Mr. Ghali is currently at in order to attend the Habitat II international conference.

According to the turkish press, the UN Secretary-General and his wife suffered a case of food poisoning.

[07] UN SPECIAL ENVOY TO CYPRUS WILL MEET WITH GREEK, TURKISH AND CYPRIOT REPRESENTATIVES IN NEW YORK

Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Cyprus Han Sung Ju is currently in New York where he will hold briefing sessions with the Permanent Representatives of Greece, Turkey and Cyprus as well as the United States Presidential Envoy Richard Beatty.

[08] GREECE-ROMANIA TO SIGN DEFENSE PROTOCOL IN BUCHAREST TODAY

Greece and Romania will sign a cooperation protocol today between the National Defense Ministry's Military Geographical Service and the Romanian Defense Ministry's Military Topographical Department.

Under the cooperation agreement both sides will inform one another on technical developments and new means in drawing topographical maps, and will exchange experiences regarding their practical uses.

Representing Greece is Major General Dimitrios Georgantas, while on the Romanian side is Brigadier General Marian Rotaru.

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