• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=2/16/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-245570
TITLE=OCALAN / GREECE (L-ONLY)  CQ
BYLINE=ANTHEE CARASSAVA
DATELINE=ATHENS
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  GREECE HAS ISSUED AN ULTIMATUM TO THE KURDISTAN WORKERS 
PARTY, ORDERING ITS EXTREMIST SUPPORTERS TO RELEASE A HOST OF 
GREEK NATIONALS TAKEN HOSTAGE IN AT LEAST 10 GREEK EMBASSIES AND 
CONSULATES THROUGHOUT EUROPE TUESDAY.  ANTHEE CARASSAVA REPORTS 
FROM ATHENS ON THE HOSTAGE CRISIS THAT BEGAN AFTER GREECE'S 
REFUSAL TO GRANT POLITICAL ASYLUM TO REBEL KURDISH LEADER 
ABDULLAH OCALAN.
TEXT:  GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER THEODORE PANGALOS ISSUED THE 
ULTIMATUM, WARNING THAT GREECE WOULD TAKE WHAT HE CALLED 
"MERCILESS ACTION" AGAINST KURDS WHO ARE HOLDING AT LEAST THREE 
HOSTAGES IN VARIOUS GREEK EMBASSIES THROUGHOUT EUROPE.
THE EXTREMIST SUPPORTERS OF THE KURDISTAN WORKERS PARTY, OR THE 
P-K-K, HAVE STORMED AT LEAST 10 GREEK CONSULATES AND EMBASSIES TO
PROTEST GREECE'S REFUSAL TO GRANT POLITICAL ASYLUM TO THEIR 
RUNAWAY LEADER ABDULLAH OCALAN.
THE HOSTAGE CRISIS FOLLOWED GREEK ADMISSION TO HARBORING MR. 
OCALAN FOR 12 DAYS AT THE EMBASSY IN NAIROBI, KENYA.  
// OPT //  BUT AS OF LATE MONDAY, MR. PANGALOS SAID GREEK 
DIPLOMATS LOST TRACK OF MR. OCALAN.
THE KURDISH REBEL WAS CAPTURED BY AUTHORITIES IN KENYA AND 
SUBSEQUENTLY FLOWN TO TURKEY WHERE IS WANTED FOR CHARGES OF 
TERRORISM.  // END OPT //
HUNDREDS OF P-K-K REBELS PROTESTING AT GREEK EMBASSIES THROUGHOUT
EUROPE ARE THREATENING TO SET THEMSELVES ABLAZE IN RESPONSE TO 
WHAT THEY SAY IS GREECE'S INABILITY TO PROTECT MR. OCALAN.
IN THE EMBASSY AT THE HAGUE, P-K-K PROTESTERS ARE HOLDING THE 
WIFE AND EIGHT-YEAR-OLD SON OF THE GREEK AMBASSADOR HOSTAGE.  // 
OPT //  THEY ARE HOLDING THEM AT GUN POINT, WITH A GRENADE AT 
HAND WHILE TAKING VIDEO AND SNAPSHOT PICTURES.  // END OPT //
MR. PANGALOS HAS BLASTED THE P-K-K FOR WHAT HE CALLED ITS 
MONSTROUS OPERATION.
THE REMARK IS A SHARP SWING FROM YEARS OF SYMPATHY AND SUPPORT 
WHICH GREECE HAS PROVIDED TO KURDS IN THEIR ARMED STRUGGLE IN 
TURKEY.  BUT, GREECE ADAMANTLY DENIES TURKISH ACCUSATIONS IT HAS 
BEEN AIDING AND ABETTING THE P-K-K IN ITS ARMED INSURGENCE.
// REST OPT //  THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SAID IT REFUSED TO GRANT 
POLITICAL ASYLUM TO MR. OCALAN ON GROUNDS THAT IT WOULD AGGRAVATE
ALREADY TENSE RELATIONS WITH TURKEY.
ATHENS HAS INSTEAD OPTED FOR A CONCERTED EFFORT BY THE EUROPEAN 
UNION TO HELP SOLVE THE KURDISH PROBLEM.   (SIGNED)
NEB/AC/PCF/RAE
16-Feb-99 9:38 AM EST (1438 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.