The Alternate Minister of National Defence Dimitris Vitsas during an interview delivered today Thursday 16 March 2017 on Alpha 989 Radio Station and journalist Dimos Verykios and Spyros Lambrou stated the following :
On the statements by the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu pertaining to the unilateral breach of the agreement concerning the refugee issue:
The refugee issue is a matter of international law, international solidarity and of humanitarian nature. When used at rhetoric level, even more at practical level, as a weapon of negotiation, then we are not talking about the refugee issue any more. If any kind of “aggression” is implied based on the refugees, then we are talking about a different situation which ought to be dealt with talks at international and diplomatic level. Allow me to stress that these days a lot is being said with the forthcoming referendum in Turkey which coincides with the Greek Easter Sunday.
On the question if he is concerned about what might happen in the Greek –Turkish relations up to the day of the Referendum in Turkey he stated:
As far as the MOD capabilities are concerned I am quite relaxed. Pertaining to the tension rhetoric that exists, I am always considering what we can do to improve the situation. We should do our job right , the job assumed by the Hellenic Armed Forces, which is being prepared and armouring our defence at deterrence level. We are conducting exercises and we are helping at social level as much as we can. We are realizing, with the occasion of the recent exercises in Samothrace and Thassos, that there is an enthusiasm and we are doing quite well.
On the possibility of a heated incident in the Aegean :
It is never a good sign when a pre-elections rhetoric is taking a nationalist turn. The referenda and the elections need to be of a democratic character. In the context of such a rhetoric such things are said. On your question whether I am concerned, I am telling you that I am concerned but I am taking measures to prevent the possibility of an incident. Let’s not forget that on the other side the pilots are inexperienced , whereas our pilots are experienced and receive clear instructions.
