MPA NEWS IN BRIEF (10/07/1996)

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, July 10, 1996

TITLES

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] GREEK GOVERNMENT REACTS TO US PROTEST OVER CYPRUS DRILL

Greece is determined to continue its policy of defending its national rights, stated the Minister of Press and Media and government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas.

Mr. Reppas referred to the United States Embassy's issuance of a demarche to the Greek Foreign Ministry regarding the Cyprus fly-over by Greek fighter jets twenty days ago and characrterized it as "unjustified."

The Press Minister stated that Greece does not comprehend the base of the demarche, which was issued by the US Embassy's in Athens second- in-command Secretary, and as such the American position was declined and the demarche was not accepted.

Moreover, Mr. Reppas emphasized that the Greek fighter jets flew over Cyprus with a permission granted by the legitimate Cypriot government and, after clarifying that no third party can interfere with Cyprus' interior affairs, stated that the Joint Defense Doctrine remains a basic element of Greece's defense policy.

National Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis stated that Ankara has infringed the agreement between Greece and Turkey on abstaining from military exercises in and above the Aegean Sea.

[02] REPEATED VIOLATIONS OF GREEK FIR BY TURKEY, TOLD BY DEFENSE MINISTER

Turkish aircraft have proceeded to repeated violations of Greece's airspace during the past few days, stated the Minister of National Defense Gerasimos Arsenis during the Pentagon briefing held yesterday.

"In an effort to de-escalate the tension, we made known our intention not to carry out any military exercises during the months of July and August in the greater Aegean Sea Region," Mr. Arsenis stated.

"Yet, the spirit of this action has been denounced en masse, through the repeated violations of Greece's air space by Turkish fighter jets," he added.

The Defense Minister conveyed his protest to the President of NATO's military commission Gen. Noeman, currently in Greece, and to the Alliance's Secretary-General Javier Solana.

[03] US AMBASSADOR TO THE UN TO VISIT GREECE, CYPRUS AND TURKEY

Madeleine Albright, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, will visit Greece, Cyprus and Turkey next week, accompanied by the US special emissary for Cyprus Richard Beatty.

Ms. Albright's first stop will be Athens where on July 16 and 17 she will have contacts with Greek government officials and, aside from the Cyprus issue, she intends to discuss Bosnia and other regional issues.

On July 17, the US ambassador will travel to Nicosia in order to examine the "effectiveness of the UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus" and discuss potential opportunities for a comprehensive agreement.

Following Nicosia, Ms. Albright will travel to Ankara on July 18 and 19 where she will meet with officials of the newly-formed Turkish government and, aside from bilateral issues, she will discuss Cyprus and Iraq.

[04] EC PRESSURES GREECE AND OTHER MEMBERS ON VOTING RIGHTS LAW

The European Commission has threatened to take seven European Union member-states to ocurt over failing to implement a law allowing EU nationals to vote in municipal elections the country where they live.

Greece, Belgium, Germany, Spain, France the Netherlands and Portugal have received letters from the EU giving them 40 days to advise that the law has been put into national statute books.

[05] EU PREPARES FOR MONETARY UNION, REVIEWS PROGRESS MADE

European Union finance ministers met this week, for the first time under the Ireland-held EU presidency, to discuss progress made in the task of controlling public deficits in light of the monetary union of 1999.

The ministerial gathering reviewed each member-state's deficit, finding 12 out of the bloc's 15 counmries not in compliance with the Maastricht Treaty, by running deficits above three percent of the total output.

Only Luxemburg, Ireland and Denmark are considered to have their public finances under control, which includes a level of public debt aproaching 60 per cent of GDP.

In order to qualify for economic and monetary union (EMU) in 1999, the applicants must bring their finances in line with the Treaty's criteria in 1997, the year they will be judged for fitness.

[06] GREEK CASH RATES END FLAT

According to market dealers, Greek cash rates ended flat with shorts seen firming on Wednesday when liquidity is expected to tighten on settlement of an FRN tender this week.

A state bank trader said that trade was very light with a bit of activity in swaps, whose offers were down about 10 points with bids steady.

[07] RAUF DENKTASH STILL INSTRANSIGENT ON CYPRUS PROBLEM

Turk-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash appears more intransigent than ever regarding the Cyprus problem, since both of his meeting with Britain's special representative Sir David Hannay have not produced any results.

According to reports, Mr. Denktash sets forth various conditions for solving the cypriot issue, which are termed as "unacceptable" by the Greek-Cypriot side since the Turks call for a co- federated solution to the divided island.

[08] EUROPE, US ADOPT WAIT-AND-SEE STANCE TOWARDS NEW TURKISH GOVERNMENT

With the initial shock having subsided after the Islamists gained power for the first time ever in Turkey's history, the United States and Europe have adopted a wait-and-see stance and have come to terms with the fact that henceforth they will have to cooperate with the Erbacan- Ciller duet.

US President Bill Clinton has congratulated the new government, while State Department spokesperson Nicholas Burns stated that the US will cooperate with the Erbacan government, provided that it will ensure the viable American interests, especially regarding defense issues.

The President of the European Commission wrote to Mr. Erbacan that "the EC considers its relations with Turkey to be of utmost significance and I personally foresee our cooperation for the further development in he relations between the European Union and Turkey in the future."

German Chancellor Helmut Khol has made his displeasure over Tansu Ciller's coalition with the islamists known, and has adopted a wait-and- see stance hoping that Turkey will act within the framework of the Customs Union agreement.

[09] ERBACAN-CILLER GOVERNMENT' S FIRST MEASURES

The new Turkish government, through Justice Minister Sevket Kazan, proceeded today to announcing the first measures regarding the prison system, since the hunger strike of 2,500 inmates in the Turkish prisons has reached the 51st day and their health condition is considered to be extremely critical.

According to Mr. Kazan's new regulations, the prisons must not be distanced from the courts and cannot be located in far away regions of the country. As a result, no more prisoners will be sent to the infamous Buja prisons and the new Justice Ministry will re-instate the prisoners' "complaint box" which brings to mind the Middle Ages. Moreover, the prisoners will be entitled to one visiting day per month, as opposed to the visitation rights that were limited to holidays up to now.

Also, the new turkish government proceeded to a second measure today by announcing a 50 per cent increae in salaries, a promise made by the islamist Premier Necmettin Erbacan. It should be noted that Turkey's inflation rate has reached the 85 per cent mark.

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