A ‘sacrifice that could have been avoided’

It's 1996 and Greece is on a collision course with Turkey over a cluster of islets in the eastern Aegean. Twenty-seven years later, one of the protagonists of the Imia crisis, the regular commander of the area and captain of the Navarinon frigate, retired vice admiral Ioannis Lioulis, speaks about events that have never been made public before, in an exclusive interview with Kathimerini.

Having had command of the Hellenic Navy fleet, he gives a detailed account of the developments that led to the death of officers Christodoulos Karathanasis, Panagiotis Vlahakos and Ektoras Gialopsos in a helicopter crash that has left a lasting mark on the morale of the Armed Forces.

Where was the Navarinon when the crisis began and what were your orders?

It was on exercise. I was told on January 30 - it was a Tuesday - to sail to the area and organize the...