Turkey Tries to Block Oil Exploration Deal, Cyprus
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O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek Americans A WEEKLY GREEK AMERICAN PUBLICATION c v www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 10, ISSUE 486 February 3, 2007 $1.00 GREECE: 1.75 EURO Turkey Tries U.S. Senators: “When we’re Attacked, we Feel Greece is Attacked” To Block Oil Seven U.S. Senators in Athens Show Solidarity Exploration With Greek Government during Goodwill Visit By Christos Malaspinas along with me, as well as my eldest Special to The National Herald grandson, whose mother is a Greek Deal, Cyprus American. The important thing is ATHENS – “We felt as if Greece was that this country is the cradle of under attack,” said U.S. Senator Democracy. We have historic ties, Turkey Tells Lebanon, Gordon Smith (R-Oregon), speak- economic ties; we have family ties. ing about the rocket-propelled We never want that to stop. We rely Egypt to ‘Honor their grenade which was fired recently at on Greece for advice and help in the United States Embassy in this area,” he said. Signatures’ in Oil Deal Greece by a far-left militant group, The seven senators traveled to which calls itself “Revolutionary Athens after attending the World By Suzan Fraser Struggle.” Economic Forum in Davos, Switzer- Associated Press Senator Smith was speaking af- land and wanted to send “a clear ter he and six other members of the message” to terrorists “that we are ANKARA (AP) – Turkey warned U.S. Senate met with Prime Minis- here; we haven’t changed our feel- Lebanon and Egypt not to press ter Costas Karamanlis at the Greek ings; we consider Greece a friend ahead with oil and gas exploration Government’s headquarters in and ally; and we feel safe on Greek deals signed with Cyprus, saying Megaron Maximou this past Mon- soil,” Senator Smith told the Na- Turkey and Turkish Cypriots also day morning, January 29. tional Herald during a dinner host- had rights in the region. In a brief statement outside Gov- ed by Foreign Minister Dora Bakoy- Turkey was "determined to pro- ernment headquarters, the seven anni last Sunday evening, January tect its rights and interests in the senators, who undertook a good- 28. Eastern Mediterranean and will not will visit to Greece at their own ini- Other issues discussed at the allow attempts to erode them," the tiative, praised the Greek American dinner, which was also attended by Turkish Foreign Ministry warned in community and commented on the main opposition’s shadow min- a statement this past Tuesday, Janu- several issues of concern: terror- ister on foreign affairs, Theodoros ary 31. ism, developments in the Balkans, Pangalos, were the Cyprus prob- Lebanon and Cyprus signed an the ongoing division of Cyprus and lem, Afghanistan, Greek-Turkish agreement for the delineation of an continued fighting in Afghanistan, relations, and economic coopera- undersea border on January 17 to where a small Greek contingent is tion between the U.S. and Greece. facilitate future oil and gas explo- part of the international military The U.S. delegation also includ- ration between the two Mediter- force there. ed Senators Maria Cantwell (D- ranean countries. After the meeting, Senator Washington), Trent Lott (R-Missis- The 200-kilometer (120-mile)- EUROKINISSI Smith emphasized that the sena- sippi), Mel Martinez (R-Florida), wide seabed separating Lebanon Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, left, Greets Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont in the Premier’s of- tors were visiting Greece as friends. Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia) and and Cyprus is believed to hold sig- fice during a working visit of seven U.S. Senators to Athens this past Monday, January 29. Next to Leahy to “We are here along with a large Lindsey Graham (R-South Caroli- nificant crude oil and natural gas the right are Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon and U.S. Ambassador to Greece Charles P. Ries. They dis- delegation of senators. We are here deposits. The Norwegian energy cussed the January 12 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Athens by a Greek militant group, among other issues. as friends of Greece. We had a fan- Continued on page 7 consulting firm PGS recently began tastic meeting with the Prime Min- a 3-D seismic survey to determine ister. Democracy has its origins in the volume of exploitable hydrocar- Greece, and we feel that, when bon reserves off the Lebanese coast. we’re attacked, Greece is attacked. The exclusive zone agreement is So we appreciate so much the re- designed to mark the underwater Senators Happy about Visit to Athens sponse of your government to the New Group areas where each country can carry recent incident against our em- out exploration and exploitation By Dimitri Soultogiannis manlis. tion was happy about the Greek Gov- bassy. It is an honor for us that so Now Targeting work once oil or gas is discovered. Special to the National Herald The discussion covered a broad ernment’s immediate show of sup- many Greeks are living in the Unit- A similar agreement signed be- range of topics, Mr. Smith said: the port. ed States. This is an asset to our tween Egypt and Cyprus allowed WASHINGTON, D.C. – “We had a Cyprus issue, terrorism, Afghanistan, “Democracy has its origins in country.” Dora & Greek for the joint exploitation of poten- very fruitful meeting with the Greek bilateral economic cooperation and Greece, and we feel that, when we’re Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Ver- tial undersea oil and gas fields be- Prime Minister,” U.S. Senator Gor- the recent attack against the U.S. attacked, Greece is attacked. So we mont), whose daughter in-law is a tween the two countries. don Smith (R-Oregon) told the Na- Embassy in Athens. appreciate so much the response of Greek American, said he feels like Parliament? Turkey and Greece came to the tional Herald upon returning from The senators said they have been your government to the recent inci- Greece is his second home, and said brink of war in early 1987 over a his trip to Athens. following reports on the Greek econ- dent against our embassy,” he said, the U.S. depends on Greece’s coun- By Christos Malaspinas similar oil drilling rights dispute in Senator Smith was one of the sev- omy, and stressed their satisfaction adding that the Greek American sel for Southeast Europe and the Special to The National Herald the Aegean Sea near the island of en United States senators and one with the positive direction the Hel- community is “an asset to our coun- Eastern Mediterranean. Thasos. A clash was averted after congressman who visited the Greek lenic Republic’s economy has taken. try.” “Proof of the high esteem in ATHENS – For the first time, a ter- Turkey withdrew a seismic explo- Capital this past Monday, January While he was in Greece, Senator After first being elected to the which we hold Greece is the fact rorist organization has openly ration ship and agreed not to test in 29. The American delegation, which Smith told reporters that the January U.S. Senate in November 1996, Mr. that we sent over a very good am- threatened an attack against the contested waters if Greece did the was accompanied by U.S. Ambas- 12 strike against the American Em- Smith quickly earned a reputation as bassador. I’ve visited Greece many Hellenic Parliament, in addition to same. sador to Greece Charles P. Ries, met bassy was being viewed as an attack times, and I always feel like it is my naming two government ministers Any crisis between Turkey and with Prime Minister Costas Kara- against Greece, and said the delega- Continued on page 5 country. This time, my wife came as possible future targets. E.U.-member Cyprus over explo- The far-left militant group “Rev- ration rights could potentially drag olutionary Struggle” made these Greece into the dispute, and could threats in a 5-page proclamation, also further complicate Turkey's re- which could best be characterized lations with the European Union, as an anti-American diatribe. In a which has agreed to slow down Early Anti- published statement, the group al- membership negotiations with so claims responsibility for the Jan- Ankara over its refusal to open har- Greek Attacks uary 12 rocket-propelled grenade bors and airports to Greek Cypriot strike against the U.S. Embassy in vessels and planes. Athens, causing minor damages to Turkey and Greece have nearly In New York a restroom on the third-floor of the gone to war three times in the past building. four decades over territorial dis- By Steve Frangos The Greek Government down- putes, including the 1987 standoff. Special to The National Herald played both the re-emergence of The Turkish Foreign Ministry terrorism and the proclamation, said Turkey had "legitimate and le- When I was small boy my yiayia published by the weekly newspaper gal rights and interests" in the East- (grandmother) told me that, when- Pontiki on January 25. ern Mediterranean, and insisted ever one of the old Greek men en- “The Government does not ne- Turkish Cypriots also had a say on tered the room, I was to stand up gotiate with terrorists,” Deputy oil and gas rights concerning the is- and give him my chair. On more Government Spokesman Evangelos land. than one occasion, when I didn’t Antonaros said in a statement. "The delineation of the continen- move fast enough, my yiayia re- Following a previous failed as- tal shelf, or of exclusive economic minded me by pulling me out of the sassination attempt against Greek chair.