The Former Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos gave a radio interview on Thursday, clarifying his statement “we were spying on the US embassy,” which caused quite the stir.
He mentioned on Greek intelligence service (EYP) which was tapping US ambassadors in Athens and Ankara in the late 1990s. “We were tapping them because it was necessary to do so,” he said.
They were especially spying on the negative US attitude towards the Cyprus accession in European Union. “At that time the EU was facing a dilemma of whether Cyprus should be accepted as a member without a solution to the political problem or, as the Turks – with fervent support from the Americans – wanted, give priority to Turkey over Cyprus,” Pangalos added. However, Cyprus joined the EU in 2004 as a divided island.
Meanwhile, he stated about PASOK: “The most attacks against me came from PASOK, the political party I belong to. According to Constantinopoulos, representative of the party, I have been deleted.”
At the same time, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said “The former foreign minister has no business saying these things,” reflecting the conservative-led government’s frustration with Pangalos.”
Moreover, the head of EYP, Theodoros Dravillas, was set to face Parliament’s ethics committee on Thursday. He will be questioned by lawmakers about agency operations following reports suggesting that officials of the main leftist opposition SYRIZA were being wiretapped.
In view of the fact that EYP’s operations are strictly confidential, the contents of the proceedings will not be made public. The ethics committee members are forbidden from discussing them, even after they cease to be lawmakers.
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