The Alternate Minister of National Defence Dimitris Vitsas, in an interview that he gave on Friday, November 25, 2016, on STAR television to journalist Popi Tsapanidou, stated, among other things:

Regarding the refugees’ issue and the situation on the islands:

We all know that the situation on the islands is not good, we are working on it strenuously.  However, if the local authorities had paid more attention to what we were telling them last summer, the situation would have been much better today. The first reception centres must be reorganized. The identification centres will be better organised and there will be one of them on each island. We need also a small accommodation centre on each island, for people who cannot be granted asylum to be accommodated there. The services are considering the applications and several people are already being transferred to the Greek mainland. Next week, the competent Minister, Giannis Mouzalas, will give a press conference to provide information on our decisions, so that the islands will be partially evacuated and the situation will become more manageable.

Of the Syrian refugees and particularly the families, that is those who are considered as refugees, a 90% will be granted asylum. A number of others who cannot be granted asylum will be returned to Turkey. At present, there is a 50-50 percentage on the islands. The return procedure is slow and we need Turkey’s help in that. At this moment, 11,398 persons are on the islands. The procedure of the consideration of applications is slow. We are not going to turn the islands, from reception places, into places where people are captured. We do not want this to happen. What we want is for the procedures to proceed fast and for compensatory benefits to be ensured for these islands. As we respect our obligations, yet Europe must also respect its obligations towards Greece. We have not yet received the assistance for the consideration of asylum applications and the relocation procedure which is implemented extremely slowly. Moreover, some countries conduct even referendums on this issue.

Regarding what Turkey’s president says about the refugees’ issue:

The management of the refugees’ issue is a humanitarian matter which is subject to international treaties. Using refugees and migrants to achieve other goals is an offensive action. By no means do we, in Greece, want the EU-Turkey agreement not to be observed and we will do anything to ensure that it will be observed. But we say that nobody should think to use the refugees as a weapon.

As cooperating ministries, we are preparing for every situation. We wish the best, but we are preparing for any other situation. The main thing, however, that we should say is that Europe too, and not only Turkey, should fulfil its commitments towards Greece. The promised assistance for the consideration of asylum applications has not been received yet and the compulsory distribution in the relocation centres is being conducted very slowly. Only 5,000 persons in total in 2016 is not a satisfactory number. This means that Europe does not deal with this issue as Europe. If every state starts to deal with it on its own, then what is the point of a democratic united Europe?

Regarding whether the statements of the Turkish president cause any concern:

This kind of statements concern us and we must be alert. I think of them as a sort of blustering. None is afraid because the Armed Forces are prepared and battle worthy as far as their deterrence capability is concerned. Our allies-neighbours are well aware of that, that we are very strong in defending our sovereignty rights, whether in the East or in the West, and at this point, allow me a small smile as a reaction to some strange things that I have heard from the northwest. There is no “Cham” issue for Greece. If anyone wants to discuss such an issue let him sit on a table and discuss it alone.

Regarding the Cyprus issue:

There is only one solution. Cyprus is an independent state-member of the European Union. There are UN resolutions and it is on these resolutions that a solution of the Cyprus issue should be based. The issue is the mutual understanding between the two communities, as far as the bizonal character, that is the territorial issue and the issue of properties, is concerned. However, there cannot be any guarantor powers and guarantee. From a political point of view, it is crazy for a member state of the EU to be under guarantee or to have foreign occupation troops on its territory. This solution is to the benefit of Cyprus and of the stability in the whole region. None can make the Cypriot people change their character.