Nikolas Farantouris, a PASOK Member of the European Parliament, is calling on the government to state whether it agrees with the remarks made by New Democracy’s parliamentary spokesperson, Stratos Simopoulos, on a television program.
As the Greek MEP emphasizes, “at a time when Turkey’s provocations are escalating—with the passage of a law on the ‘Blue Homeland’ imminent, a casus belli, and the obstruction of major infrastructure projects (the cable)— with an illegal, indefinite NAVTEX already in the Aegean, with the Turkish-Libyan pact on the table, with Cyprus’s exclusion from the preparatory work for the COP31 World Climate Conference in Antalya, the demand to re-equip with American F110 engines, and the push for two additional new NATO headquarters in Istanbul and Adana to control the Bosporus and the Eastern Mediterranean, the position of the New Democracy government is: “Why not? We are allies with Turkey.”
This was stated by New Democracy’s parliamentary spokesperson, Stratos Simopoulos, in response to a question from PASOK MEP Nikolas Farantouris on the “Rush Hour” program on Naftemporiki TV with Filippos Filippakopoulos.
Nikolas Farantouris points out that “at the same time, we PASOK MEPs have responded with written questions and interventions regarding both the illegal NAVTEX and the pending legislation on the ‘Blue Homeland,’ the illegal deployment of six Turkish F-16 fighter jets in the occupied territories, Cyprus’s exclusion from the preparatory work for COP31, and, of course, the electricity interconnection with Cyprus.
At the same time, Nikolas Farantouris, as a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on US Relations, sent an official letter on Friday to his counterparts on the US Congress’s Foreign Affairs Committee regarding the risks posed to peace, stability, and security in the region.
“Amid the government’s prolonged silence on ALL of these challenges, we now have today’s statement by New Democracy parliamentary spokesperson Stratos Simopoulos regarding the party’s position on Turkey’s imminent military upgrade through the acquisition of two more new command centers amid these developments: “Why not? We are allies with Turkey.”
Speaking from Brussels, Nikolas Farantouris emphasized: “Today more than ever, Greece needs a foreign policy with a plan, initiatives, and strategic depth. It needs the political change and the robust international presence that only PASOK can guarantee.”