GREECE SAYS IT HAS RIGHT ON AEGEAN OIL DRILLING

  Greece, responding to a warning by Turkey
  against conducting oil activities in the Aegean Sea, said today
  it had the right to decide where and how to do research or
  drilling work in the area.
      A government spokesman said the Greek position was made
  clear to Turkey's ambassador Nazmi Akiman when he met Greek
  Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Yannis Kapsis last week.
      Acting Turkish Prime Minister Kaya Erdem said earlier today
  Greek activities in the northern Aegean contravened the 1976
  Berne Agreement which set the framework for talks on the Aegean
  continental shelf disputed between Ankara and Athens.
      The Greek statement today said, "Greece is not prepared to
  give up even a trace of its sovereignty rights to the seabed.
  It has been stressed to...Mr Akiman that the decision where or
  how to drill belongs exclusively to the Greek government."
      "The Greek government has repeatedly let the Turkish side
  know that it considers the 1976 Berne protocol as inactive
  through the fault of Turkey," it said.
      The Greek statement said Athens was ready to put the
  continental shelf issue before international courts.
  

