The Alternate Minister of National Defence Fotis Kouvelis, accompanied by the Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General Christos Christodoulou, attended on Tuesday 7 June 2018 the memorial events for the Kasos holocaust of 1824.
During his stay on the island he attended the doxology, laid a wreath at the heroes’ monument and observed the march. Following that, he visited the BLESSAS missile boat and greeted the crew.
The Alternate Minister in a statement he made after the conclusion of the march mentioned the following:
“We honour the memory of those men and women who gave their lives here on Kasos for the independence of the homeland and our freedom. This was a holocaust of freedom and independence. Today, so many years later, memory must be present to guide and inspire. Our memory, our history is a part of our National Defence.
From this point of the Aegean, close to the borders, we must state once more that our country is a country of peace and the promotion of peace throughout the region is its desire. At the same time, we are a country which with its Armed Forces and the Greek people, clearly states that we allow no one to make claims on our sovereign rights, as they are clearly defined by the International Treaties and the International Law in general.
Our country moves forward to brighter days and this course will be defended by the whole Greek people by any means necessary”.
Furthermore, while addressing the local bodies, he stated:
“We defend our sovereign rights. We have deterrent force and unity along with Armed Forces excellently structured. They are extremely battle – worthy, despite the particularly limited budget of the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence, due to the known reasons. However, our care, our concern has made the Armed Forces powerful and we can use that element when someone questions our strength. We are a country of peace and we wish to promote peace in the wider region, but beyond that point we do not allow anyone to claim not even a small part of the Aegean, our skies, our land.
Unfortunately we have the rhetoric of tension from the side of Turkey. Months have passed since the unacceptable, illegal detention of two members of our Army in the prison of Adrianople. I would like you to know, as they themselves know, as their parents know, with whom I talk regularly, that we continue our efforts. We exercise pressure where we must, in multiple levels. Not just to the European Union but also America and Russia, to all those who can influence, so that the two men will be released from their illegal detention.
Three months have passed since the illegal imprisonment of our two military men and no charges have been made. This is not Law, this is a savagery of Law, holding someone for three months without charging him/her. While Greece, through its independent Justice System, makes its own decisions, without making any calculations, because we have Law culture. We do not trade with Turkey neither do we adopt an exchange rationale, as Turkey does with regards to the two military men. We continue our efforts.
I am certain, as I believe that you are too, that this unity between the Greek people and the Armed Forces is our mightiest defensive and deterrent weapon”.
