Today, Tuesday 9 August 2016, the Alternate Minister of National Defence Dimitris Vitsas, during an interview on “Sto kokkino” radio station stated the following:
On the developments in Turkey:
We are concerned about the fact that the situation in Turkey is not running smoothly, but what worries us even more is that the fact that people, who have escaped from a war, are used as a political or of a politicking nature excuse for other pursues. What we want is to have a valid and applicable agreement between the European Union and Turkey. The question of the visa has to do with the overall agreement and cannot be isolated. We express our concern on this matter and simultaneously we are preparing to manage the situation. Let’s not forget that the agreement does not provide for – and it could not possibly – provide for a special paragraph about Turkey’s obligation to guard its borders in relation to refugee flows, so, any “use” of the refugee flows as a pressure and blackmail spear is a completely different case.
On how things have changed since the coup attempt:
The number of incoming refugees has slightly increased, of course it is not as high as last year; however, we refrain from talking about it because last year the borders, the Balkan route, were open. This is an issue, because within 10 days another 1000 refugees and immigrants could have been added and this would have raised another issue to manage. The number of refugees and immigrants who remain in Greece is not scary, that is 55 to 60 thousand people.
What we should work harder on – and has more to do with the European Union – is the promised help to Greece which has not arrived in its fullness. I mean the experts who will examine the political asylum requests at first and second degree, so that those granted the asylum can relocate to continental Greece or can resettle to other European countries, or return – those who are completely illegal – to Turkey. This is a matter we should tend to.
On the short-term management of the refugee issue :
We plan on improving the hospitality conditions. This plan provides for:
Firstly, less hospitality centres in continental Greece with more residencies, so that those refugees, who are in Greece right now, can live satisfactorily even if the number slightly increases. In the near future we will have the reconstruction of the existent hospitality centres, some will close down and some new ones will be remodelled to offer better conditions of living.
Secondly, we should somehow relieve the islands, especially the north Aegean ones. The only way to achieve this is to relocate those, whose asylum request has been vetted at first degree, to continental Greece, and have the request vetted at second degree.
Thirdly, we are taking into account the decrease of tourist flows in the islands of north Aegean and we are trying, at European Union level, as well as at government level, to see what kind of offset benefits we can deliver for the local society and local economy.
On those said about the reductions in the wages of the Armed Forces personnel:
A lot has been said especially by the main opposition, as well as by other opposition parties. All this communicational and economic system, which stands against the government, is not only scaremongering but in many cases it attempts to harm not the government but the country itself. They cannot realise that in this game they are defeated. In a sense, it belongs to the past. A lot has been said which does not correspond to the truth. Many unheard of situations are taking place, which do not surprise me. For example, an invitation to tender is currently taking place for TV channel licences, and the channels themselves advertise their holiness, which has nothing to do with the invitation to tender.
The specific payrolls will be voted in September. We, the Ministry of National Defence, have stated that as far as the freezing of wages is concerned for 2017-2018, which was voted in May, we have compensatory measures. At the same time we are trying to reach an understanding with all the ministries on the specific payroll. We are holding especially close discussions with the Ministry of Finance; it is not a negotiable issue, but a common management one. In any case, the wages of the Armed Forces personnel will not be reduced any further, the personnel will be receiving the same wages after the specific payrolls have been voted. This is a matter that concerns not only the Ministry of National Defence, but also the Ministry of Civil Protection, the Ministry of Mercantile Marine and the Ministry of Education.
