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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 97-12-27

Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada <grnewsca@sympatico.ca>

ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 1376), December 27, 1997

Greek Press & Information Office
Ottawa, Canada
E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca


CONTENTS

  • [01] Greece says Turkey not sticking to agreements
  • [02] Turkey reiterates claim of Greek-PKK link
  • [03] Investigators of Ukrainian airliner's crash report progress
  • [04] ... Minister seeks speeding up of radar installation
  • [05] Coast guard arrests illegal immigrants
  • [06] Intrasoft reports impressive profits
  • [07] European Commission to take action on Greek hotels
  • [08] Companies to buy own shares at stock exchange
  • [09] OTE signs cables contracts
  • [10] Roman tomb discovered in Drama

  • [01] Greece says Turkey not sticking to agreements

    Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)

    National Defense Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos said Thursday that the infringements of Greek air space and the violations of Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) regulations by Turkish war planes on Christmas Day are unprecedented and unacceptable, and t est the limits of Greek patience.

    At 12:15 12 Turkish F-16 war planes violated the Athens FIR and infringed Greek air space over the Aegean islands, Chios, Psara, Lesvos and Skiros. At 15:40 another 14 Turkish F16 repeated the earlier violations. Hellenic Air Force F-16, Mirage 2000 an d F-4 war planes intercepted the Turkish war planes on both occasions.

    "Patience has its limits. We cannot tolerate the continuous upsetting of calm and stability in the region," Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said.

    Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said that these new violations are contrary to the principles of the 1988 Papoulias-Yilmaz agreement which mandates that both Greece and Turkey refrain from any tension building actions during national or religious holidays of either of the two countries, betray an organized plan by Turkey, and confirm Greece's position on the distance between Turkey and Europe.

    Meanwhile, Reuters reported from Ankara yesterday that Turkey denied that its warplanes entered Greek airspace on Christmas Day or broke any agreement barring military exercises on holidays.

    "Greece's claims that the accord was broken are completely baseless. Turkey has always complied with the agreement," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

    The Turkish statement said four Turkish F-16 planes on a training flight were "seriously and dangerously harassed" by 10 Greek planes outside Greek airspace.

    Tension rose earlier this week when Ankara expelled a Greek diplomat in Istanbul on charges of spying and aiding Kurdish guerrillas and Athens responded by expelling a Turkish diplomat based in Thessaloniki.

    [02] Turkey reiterates claim of Greek-PKK link

    Ankara, 27/12/1997 (ANA - A. Abatzis)

    Referring to a report in the newspaper Milliyet and replying to questions by the press on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Nezati Utkan said "if the reports are true, this will be additional proof of Greece's support for the Kurdistan People's Party (PKK)."

    Mr. Utkan was referring to the report published in Milliyet concerning Esref Kilitr, a former PKK member. Kilitr had claimed of coming to Greece in 1996 where he was allegedly trained in explosives by Greek intelligence for acts of sabotage in Turkey.

    The Turkish spokesman said "the essence of the report is correct" but clarified that "there are no details on the issue." Lastly, he called on Greece "to condemn terrorism by the PKK."

    [03] Investigators of Ukrainian airliner's crash report progress

    Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)

    The head of a civil aviation committee investigating the causes of the crash of a Ukrainian airliner southwest of Thessaloniki last week said yesterday that although progress was being made, the findings of the committee will be delayed for some time.

    More than 70 people -the exact number has yet to be established- died when the Yakovlev-42 plane, belonging to the Aerosweet company, crashed on Pieria mountains after losing its orientation and contact with ground control.

    The members of the committee will begin in the next few days a round of visits abroad that will take them to Russia, where the plane was made, to Ukraine and Latvia, where the airline managing companies are based, to Germany, where the flight data recorders of the aircraft are being analyzed, and also to the US, where tremendous progress has been made in ascertaining the causes of air accidents since the loss of the TWA Boeing 747 off Long Island, New York, the head of the committee, Mr. A. Tsolakis said.

    He added, nevertheless, that the investigation was proceeding at a speedy pace, thanks mainly to the fact that at least 55 per cent of the plane's key instruments had been recovered, and that the committee was anxious not to sacrifice objectivity for t he sake of speed.

    "Our intention is to inform properly to that the conclusions we reach may not be subject to disputation," he said.

    He reiterated that the conversation between the pilot of the lost aircraft and the control tower had taken place in English and not in Greek, as alleged by a Ukrainian source, and in accordance with international regulations. Meanwhile, the deputy director of the Greek Aviation Authority, Mr. G. Souladakis, has not ruled out the possibility of a certain problem in the instruments of the plane, as there appears to be no other explanation for the fact that it was flying west of the city while the pilot was confirming his position north of it.

    [04] ... Minister seeks speeding up of radar installation

    Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)

    Meanwhile, Transport and Communications Minister Tasos Mantelis made an unscheduled visit to the offices of the Civil Aviation Service on Tuesday and demanded the requisitioning of expanses of land selected for the installation of radars in Peraia, Thessaloniki and Irakleio.

    Mr. Mantelis chaired a meeting with the Civil Aviation Service's deputy governors (since the governor of the service is away in Thessaloniki) on coordinating investigations being conducted to locate the causes of the crash of the Ukrainian Aerosweet company's Yakovlev 42 airliner on the Pieria mountains.

    In a related development, the municipal council of Peraia has decided to resort to law courts to prevent the requisitioning of land for the installation of a radar for Thessaloniki airport.

    The decision, announced on Wednesday, stressed that the requisition of the area was illegal due to the threat of serious harm to public health from the radar's radiation."

    Meanwhile, main opposition New Democracy party Deputy from Achaia and former Defense Minister Spilios Spiliotopoulos testified before Patras prosecutor Ioannis Constantinopoulos on Wednesday in connection with the crash.

    Speaking to reporters, Mr. Spiliotopoulos said responsibilities exist both for those competent for air traffic at Thessaloniki airport and the government.

    "When the Ukrainian pilot requested assistance to land with the use of radar, the control tower told him there was none. However, the controller could have requested the assistance of the radar used by military aircraft which exists in the area," he said.

    Referring to the government, the former minister placed blame on it over the fact that radars have not yet been installed at important airports in the country.

    [05] Coast guard arrests illegal immigrants

    Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)

    A group of 64 illegal immigrants of Kurdish origin found in a small wooden boat drifting off the island of Lesvos were arrested by the Greek coast guard yesterday.

    Lesvos harbor authorities said the immigrants, 50 men, six women and eight children, were found by a patrol boat 2.5 nautical miles off Lesvos in the eastern Aegean after their boat "had been drifting for more than three hours". The immigrants told t he authorities that they paid 2,000 dollars each to Turkish smugglers, who put them on the boat and abandoned them before returning to the Turkish coast in a speedboat.

    [06] Intrasoft reports impressive profits

    Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)

    The Intrasoft company had profits amounting to 1,389 million drachmas in the first nine months of 1997 compared to 285 million drachmas in the corresponding period last year, meaning an increase of over 380 per cent. Its turnover totaled 5.9 billion drachmas over the same period, as against 3.7 billion drachmas, registering an increase of 60 per cent.

    Over the entire year, turnover is expected to reach 12 billion drachmas and profits 2.5 billion drachmas, while contracts the company has not yet carried out amount to 30 billion drachmas.

    From the beginning of the new year, the company will be in a position to provide the Greek market with complete solutions in computerization with the production of its Dell computers in co-operation with the Pouliadis company.

    The Intracom company also achieved an increase in its results over the nine-month period, having a turnover of 35.3 billion drachmas as against 29.6 billion drachmas over the corresponding period last year, meaning an increase in the region of 20 per cent. Profits totaled 6.9 billion drachmas compared to 6.5 billion drachmas, meaning an increase of 7 per cent.

    The company will increase its share capital soon. The sale price of the shares will be set in accordance with the climate prevailing in the Stock Exchange at the time. The main sponsor and coordinator of the issue will be the Salomon Brothers company.

    The new capital will be used to further expand Intracom's activities and more specifically to buy out high technology businesses on the other side of the Atlantic.

    [07] European Commission to take action on Greek hotels

    Brussels, 27/12/1997 (ANA - G. Daratos)

    The European Commission has decided to resort to the European Court against Greece due to terms and preconditions set by its national legislation on access to administrative positions in hotels.

    Greek legislation, which does not recognize experience acquired in this sector in any other European Union member-state, has not been adjusted, in the Commission's view, to Directive 68/368.

    The directive anticipates that access to certain professional activities, including hotel professions, must be open to all persons able to justify previous professional experience in this sector in another EU member-state for two or three consecutive years, either as self-employed professionals or at the post of director of a business.

    [08] Companies to buy own shares at stock exchange

    Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)

    A number of companies registered at the Stock Exchange will proceed with buying their own shares at the Stock Exchange following decisions taken recently by boards and extraordinary assemblies.

    The general assembly of the Papastratos AVES company has already approved the purchase of 1,635,615 shares or a percentage of 10 per cent over the next 12 months, with the highest price being 7,200 drachmas per share.

    The Viohalko company will purchase 2,867,512 shares by September 1, 1998, with the highest price being 6,350 drachmas. The company expects revenues from participations amounting to 1,900 million drachmas in 1997.

    ELVAL will purchase 2,766,127 shares by July 4, 1998 with the highest price being 4,350 drachmas. During the first half of 1997, ELVAL had a turnover totaling 38,815.3 million compared to 34,488.7 million last year. Net profits amounted to 2,655 million drachmas.

    ETEM completed the purchase of 324,775 shares. The company is investing 385 million drachmas for the production of small aluminium profiles and 500 million for the production of a series of aluminium products. The cost of building ETEM's factory in Bulgaria will ultimately reach 1.5 billion drachmas. It will have a total production capacity of 6,000 tons in aluminium profile products.

    [09] OTE signs cables contracts

    Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)

    The Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, OTE, and the FULGOR, ALCATEL and Siemens companies signed contracts on Wednesday concerning completion of the Aegean's major submarine axes with optical fiber cables.

    The axes are Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Skyros-Lesvos, Epidavros-Aigina-Voula and Lavrio-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Santorini-Irakleio.

    [10] Roman tomb discovered in Drama

    Athens, 27/12/1997 (ANA)

    A Roman family tomb was discovered by chance in the community of Kallithea Dramas and at the location of "Vrysi." Its dimensions are 2.5X3X1.2 meters. The walls are made of white marble and have metal hooks at the sides. Archaeologists found bones and artifacts inside the tomb.

    End of English language section.


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