In Brief
GREEK-TURKISH TIES
Minister collars visiting army chief as jets violate air space in Aegean Defense Minister Spilios Spiliotopoulos yesterday complained to visiting Turkish army general staff chief General Yasar Buyukanit, that Ankara’s statements about improving bilateral relations conflicted with the activities of its air force in the Aegean. Meanwhile, seven formations of Turkish military aircraft entered the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) without submitting flight plans, some violating Greek air space in the northern and central Aegean, defense sources said. Buyukanit, who held talks with his counterpart Nikolaos Douvas, is due to visit Thessaloniki today. MANOLIS ANAGNOSTAKIS Prominent poet dies aged 80 Top figures in the political world expressed their sorrow over the death yesterday morning of the prominent existential poet Manolis Anagnostakis at the age of 80. Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, who is also culture minister, called Anagnostakis as «a great poet and a humble activist… who proved through his actions that the prerequisite for every dream of a better future is sensitivity and wholehearted participation in the struggle to maintain high values and ideals.» President Karolos Papoulias said: «…Time will continue to reveal the power of his poetry…» Inseparable An 80-year-old man, who was found hanging from a tree in the yard of his Kallithea home, apparently took his own life following the death of his wife, police said yesterday. The 73-year-old woman, whose body was discovered in the couple’s apartment, died of natural causes, according to a coroner. Forged euros A group of three adults and three minors have been arrested in connection with a ring that distributed forged 50- and 100-euro notes on the Greek market, police said yesterday. The three adults are believed to have supplied the children with the forged notes which the youngsters subsequently spent on cheap items from stores in Aegaleo, Haidari and Korydallos before returning the change to the adults. Samos quake A moderate earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale shook the Aegean island of Samos just after 3 p.m. today but there were no reports of injuries or damage. The quake was felt most strongly in the west and northwest of the island. Disruptions Hundreds of airline passengers were inconvenienced yesterday after state carrier Olympic Airlines (OA) was forced to cancel 74 flights following a surprise strike by flight attendants on short-term contracts. Of the canceled flights, only 10 were international. OA management said it had taken legal action against the strike, which it considered illegal and abusive of privileges. Protesting contract workers are demanding permanent contracts. More flight disruptions are expected today as airline staff join a general strike. Brothel fines Two Athens brothel owners were yesterday fined 14,673 euros each for illegally operating their businesses months after having received an official order to close down. If the brothel owners fail to take action to stop operations, they will be indicted to appear before a prosecutor, Athens Prefect Yiannis Sgouros said. Blackmailers caught A man and two women have been charged with threatening a third woman, with whom the man was allegedly having an affair, that they would send photographic evidence of the liaison to the woman’s husband unless she paid them 30,000 euros, police in Attica said yesterday.
