Cyprus Causing Regional Security Problems, Claims Erdogan

Cyprus Causing Regional Security Problems, Claims Erdogan

By NewsRoom™ → May 15, 2018

Turkey’s leader has claimed “unilateral” moves by Cyprus’ government in its offshore territory will create a security threat.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan was speaking in London at an event organized by the Chatham House think-tank.

Chatham House Associate Fellow Fadi Hakura said the Turkish leader also “vigorously defended Turkey’s policy in Syria and the broader Middle East in response to objections from the US and Europe”.

According the "GREEK REPORTER", Erdogan’s comments came as the United Nations reportedly expressed frustration with Ankara over its failure to endorse new UN envoy Jane Holl Lute.

The Cyprus News Agency reported that the island’s other two guarantor powers — Britain and Greece — had already green-lighted the U.S.-born diplomat, but said Turkey was yet to move because of looming early elections called by Erdogan for June 24.

The delay will affect an important UN report on Cyprus to be finalized by June 15 which deals with its peacekeeping forces on the divided island.

Earlier this month, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy said the reunification of Cyprus as a federation may not be possible with the current “mindset” of Greek Cypriots.

This has thrown doubt on the feasibility of any new settlement talks.

However, in February, the U.S. threw its weight behind the Cyprus government over a standoff with Turkish military ships in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

American ambassador Kathleen A. Doherty met Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and said: “I relayed to the president that the United States feels very strongly that the Republic of Cyprus has the right to explore and exploit its resources in the exclusive economic zone.”

Αύριο, Τετάρτη, οι φοιτητικές εκλογές

Αύριο, Τετάρτη, οι φοιτητικές εκλογές

By NewsRoom™ →

Στις κάλπες θα προσέλθουν αύριο, Τετάρτη 15 Μαρτίου, οι φοιτητές της χώρας για να εκλέξουν τους εκπροσώπους τους. Ως είθισται, οι φοιτητές θα μπορούν να ψηφίζουν στις σχολές τους από τις 7 το πρωί έως και τις 7 το απόγευμα.

Ο Πρ. Παυλόπουλος κάλεσε την ΠΓΔΜ να αναθεωρήσει το Σύνταγμα

Ο Πρ. Παυλόπουλος κάλεσε την ΠΓΔΜ να αναθεωρήσει το Σύνταγμα

By NewsRoom™ → May 14, 2018

'Ολα τα μεγάλα και τα σημαντικά στην Ιστορία της xώρας μας τα επιτύχαμε μόνον ενωμένοι, και μάλιστα με αρραγή ενότητα, ενώ ο διχασμός και ο φθόνος μας στοίχισαν ιστορικώς πολύ ακριβά, ακόμη και εις βάρος του Eθνικού μας Κορμού», επισήμανε ο Πρόεδρος της Δημοκρατίας, Προκόπης Παυλόπουλος, κατά την ομιλία του στις εκδηλώσεις για τα 100 χρόνια από τη Μάχη του Σκρα, και ταυτόχρονα έστειλε μήνυμα στην ΠΓΔΜ, λέγοντας πως η αναθεώρηση του Συντάγματος και η εξάλειψη του αλυτρωτισμού είναι ο μόνος τρόπος για την ένταξή της στην Ε.Ε. και το ΝΑΤΟ.

«Η σπουδαία νίκη στο Σκρα, αλλά και όλοι οι αγώνες των Ελλήνων κατά τους Βαλκανικούς Πολέμους, από τη μια πλευρά τεκμηρίωσαν, οριστικώς και αμαχήτως, την ελληνικότητα της Μακεδονίας και, από την άλλη, γελοιοποίησαν κάθε χονδροειδή περί του αντιθέτου προπαγάνδα», είπε ο Πρόεδρος της Δημοκρατίας και συνέχισε:


Τόνισε επίσης ότι η χώρα μας  διαμηνύει σήμερα στην Πρώην Γιουγκοσλαβική Δημοκρατία της Μακεδονίας, σε ειλικρινές πνεύμα φιλίας και καλής γειτονίας, τ’ ακόλουθα:

«Στηρίζει την πορεία ένταξης της φίλης ΠΓΔΜ στο ΝΑΤΟ και στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. Τούτο όμως, για λόγους σεβασμού της Ιστορίας, του Διεθνούς Δικαίου και του Ευρωπαϊκού Κεκτημένου, προϋποθέτει προηγούμενη λύση ως προς το όνομά της, η οποία θα εμπεριέχει τις απαραίτητες εγγυήσεις εξάλειψης του αλυτρωτισμού.

Κατόπιν τούτου, ένας τρόπος υπάρχει για να προχωρήσει η ένταξη της ΠΓΔΜ στο ΝΑΤΟ και στην ΕΕ:

α)Πρώτον, προηγούμενη αναθεώρηση, προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση, του Συντάγματός της, κάτι το οποίο σηματοδοτεί και τον σεβασμό που η Ελλάδα, η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση και το ΝΑΤΟ επιδεικνύουν απέναντι στην έννομη τάξη της και στο Κράτος Δικαίου εν γένει.


β) Και, δεύτερον, συμφωνία που θα εμπεριέχει όλες τις εγγυήσεις εξάλειψης του αλυτρωτισμού».

Juncker Asks for Greater Solidarity with Italy, Greece on Migration

Juncker Asks for Greater Solidarity with Italy, Greece on Migration

By NewsRoom™ → May 13, 2018

BRUSSELS (ANA/M. Spinthourakis)— European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker asked member-states on Friday to show greater solidarity with Greece and Italy in their efforts to deal with the repercussions of the refugee and migration crisis, during a speech at the ‘State of the Union 2018’ conference in Florence.

As we read in "The National Herald", Juncker acknowledged that solidarity cannot built in a day and has to develop over time but underlined that crises weaken the EU and lead to a rise in populism and nationalism.

Solidarity should not be confined to migration issues but should also apply in the economy, added Juncker, citing the example of the economic support for countries undergoing structural economic reforms and the reserve funds in the European budget for coping with emergencies and delicate situations. Another exampe of such solidarity, Juncker said, was the doubling of the funds for Erasmus programme.

Finally, referring to EU’s weakenesses, Juncker supported the abolition of unanimity in the decision-making processes that refer to foreign and tax policy.

Appeals Court Finds Former Minister Mantelis Guilty of Money Laundering

Appeals Court Finds Former Minister Mantelis Guilty of Money Laundering

By NewsRoom™ →

ATHENS – An Appeals Court on Friday returned a guilty verdict for former transport minister Tassos Mantelis and his co-defendants in a Siemens’ kickback case.

The appeals court found him guilty by four votes to one on the charges of money laundering. According to the indictment, Mantelis accepted bribes totalling 450,000 German marks (230,000 euros) from the German company in 1998 and 2000, which were deposited in a Swiss bank account under the name Rocos. The cash, according to the judges, was a gift for awarding the German company the contract for digitising the centres of the state-run telecoms company, Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE).

Ilias Georgiou, a former Siemens Hellas executive, and Mantelis’ associate Aristidis Mantas were also found guilty.

As we read in "The National Herald", the appeals court hearing will now continue by examining possible mitigating circumstances that may lead to a reduction of the eight-year prison sentence imposed by a lower-level court. His defence lawyers have asked the court to also take into account their client’s “genuine contrition” and the fact that he has returned the entire sum that he supposedly received to the Greek state.

The court’s sentence will be announced once this stage of the trial is completed. Depending on its decision – and especially if the original sentence is not reduced – the now 73-year-old Mantelis may face the possibility of prison.

Π. Καμμένος με Αλ. Τσίπρα : συνεδρίαση της Επιτροπής Εξοπλιστικών

Π. Καμμένος με Αλ. Τσίπρα : συνεδρίαση της Επιτροπής Εξοπλιστικών

By NewsRoom™ → May 12, 2018

Συνάντηση με τον υπουργό Εθνικής 'Αμυνας Πάνο Καμμένο είχε νωρίτερα στο Μέγαρο Μαξίμου ο πρωθυπουργός Αλέξης Τσίπρας.

 Σύμφωνα με πληροφορίες, ο υπουργός ενημέρωσε τον πρωθυπουργό σχετικά με τη συνεδρίαση της Επιτροπής Εξοπλιστικών που είχε προηγηθεί με αντικείμενο τη συμφωνία για την αναβάθμιση των F-16.

Justice Minister Rips Turkey for Holding Two Greek Soldiers

Justice Minister Rips Turkey for Holding Two Greek Soldiers

By NewsRoom™ → May 9, 2018

ATHENS – Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis – who said he’d like to try eight Turkish soldiers seeking asylum in Greece – is upset at Turkey for keeping two Greek soldiers who accidentally strayed across the border on March 1 while on patrol during bad weather.

The Turkish soldiers fled to Greece from a failed coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July, 2016 in which they said they didn’t take part but ran in fear for the lives. He has since purged the military and civil society and gained near-dictatorial powers and now is seeking to stay in office with a snap poll he called for June 24.

Kontonis, noting that Greece had just recently returned a Turkish municipal worker who accidentally crossed the border, called on Turkey to do the same with the Greek soldiers. Military members on both sides who strayed across the border have been quickly returned in the past but Erdogan essentially said the Greek soldiers in this case are hostages and bargaining chips to force Greece to return the Turkish soldiers.

“It is not just the case of the Turk who entered Greek territory and was tried,” Kontonis told Parliament on May 7, said Kathimerini.

As we read in "The National Herald", he revealed that two more Turks who were detained recently at the port of Killini, in western Greece, were subsequently released by an administrative court in the city of Pyrgos, after the judge accepted the Turkish consulate in Athens as their fixed residence.

“I’m saying this to inform Parliament and the public, to make it clear that Greece respects the rule of law. Because when the Greek consulate attended the trial of the two Greek officers and declared the Greek consulate […] as their place of residence, the similar request to release them was not accepted by the Turkish court,” he said, referring to the court ruling in the city of Edirne.

“Greece upholds the rule of law and does not draw parallels between different illegal and irregular acts,” he said.

“This is a message, not only to the neighboring country, but also to the international community from which we expect a more stable attitude on the issue of the two Greek officers who, to this day, do not know what they are accused of,” he added.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras opposes asylum for the Turkish soldiers but said they would not be extradited and rejected Erdogan’s suggestion there should be a soldiers-for-soldiers swap to end the dilemma.

US Interest for Investments in Greece is Strategic, Pyatt Says

US Interest for Investments in Greece is Strategic, Pyatt Says

By NewsRoom™ → May 8, 2018

ATHENS – US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt said on Monday that US investment interest in Greece is strategic in nature, during his address to the digital economy forum 2018 organised by the Federation of Hellenic Information Technology & Communications Enterprises (SEPE).

As we read in "The National Herald", Pyatt said that Greece is showing signs of recovery and US entrepreneurs see Greece as an investment destination that offers opportunities for investors.

He noted that he will accompany a Greek business mission to Washington in June, to make contact with US companies, while a Road Show will be held in the same month by the Greek Stock Exchange.

Pyatt also referred to a promise by US President Donald Trump to explore the possibilities for cooperation with an American investment presence in Greece. “The knowledge industry will be at the forefront of our interests,” he said, adding that “as a Californian I have a special sense of the transformational power of technology and as an ambassador in Greece I have traveled all over the country, and I see that the Greeks promote tourism and technology. Greek creativity is full of success stories that are also reflected in scientific journals. In addition, Greece with its extraordinary human capital has a lot of potential and many people tell me that Greece has changed and is trying to take advantage of the opportunities and this dynamism was reflected in TESLA’s confidence. The new initiatives will create a new future and will convince some people who have left the country to return.”

He also noted that what needs to be done is for the government to continue to carry out reforms, so that Greece can continue its strong growth course.