SYRIZA demands that government answer Erdogan’s provocation

Main opposition SYRIZA slammed the government over its management of relations with Turkey and demanded that it respond to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement that he hopes that Greece does not approach Aegean islands the sovereignty of which Ankara disputes, just as the Greek military this year did not approach the Imia islets on the anniversary of the crisis that brought the two countries to the brink of war.

Erdogan was apparently referring to the action of former defence minister Panos Kammenos who in January, 2019, flew by helicopter near the Imia islets and threw a wreath with his name on it in honour of the three helicopter pilots who crashed near Imia while on a reconnaissance mission.

Since the 1996 crisis neither the Greek nor the Turkish military and civilians have set foot on the island.

SYRIZA on the domestic warpath

SYRIZA essentially asked whether there was an understanding with Ankara that the Greek military will not approach islets to which Turkey lays claim and since 1996 describes as "grey zones"

"Today the president of Turkey stated that he warned Greece's leadership not to lay a wreath at Imia, implying that movements of the [research vessel] Oruc Reis were linked to the prospect of the Greek military approaching Imia. Indeed he noted that Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar telephoned his Greek counterpart [Nikos Panagiotopoulos] to thank him for Greece's stance vis a vis Imia and "to continue this process on the remaining islands".

The Turkish ship on 31 January entered an area above the Greek continental shelf causing heightened concern in Athens, as it entered and exited areas under Greek sovereignty for many hours.

Diplomatic sources said that on 31 January when...