Following the escalation of Turkish provocations on Wednesday, Greece’s main Opposition SYRIZA party and its leader, Alexis Tsipras, issued two separate statements with stark warnings against Ankara and its behavior.
”The latest incidents constitute an unprecedented and dangerous escalation,” Tsipras said.
The former Greek Prime Minister went on to accuse Turkey of repeated violations of international law, using uncharacteristically forceful language.
”It’s too much for Turkey, a country which illegally occupies the North of Cyprus and parts of Syria, a country which has repeatedly violated international law in the region, and a leadership which commits human rights violations on a daily basis, to pretend to have moral superiority over Greece on human rights and international law,” Tsipras said emphatically.
”Whatever mistakes the current government has made in managing the refugee crisis, the attitude of Turkey and Erdogan can be described in one simple word: Audacity.”
The former Greek premier went on, saying that ”No challenge will achieve its goal, and no violation of our sovereign rights should remain unanswered. Greece has been and will remain a synonym for freedom, solidarity and democracy. She was and will remain on the right side of history.”
On its behalf, the main opposition SYRIZA party said that ”Today’s aggressive statements and actions of Turkey, both with the Turkish vessel in Kos and with the Turkish fighter jets over Evros, are unacceptable.”
The SYRIZA statement went on to warn that ”(These actions) reflect the slippery and extremely dangerous path that the Turkish leadership chooses to follow.”
”Turkey must understand that international law and the principle of good neighborliness are the only bases for peace and cooperation in the region,” Greece’s former ruling party stated.
SYRIZA concluded its statement with a further warning against Ankara, saying emphatically that the Turkish leadership should be aware that Greeks are completely united against any violation of the sovereign rights of their country.
Related story: Turkish F-16 Fighter Jets Violate Greek Airspace, Fly Above Northern Evros
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