New Democracy MP Angelos Syrigos spoke on Parapolitika 90.1 with Penny Avramidi about recent developments in the Aegean and Turkey’s provocative announcement regarding marine parks. He highlights the weaknesses of Greek strategy and the need to reassess foreign policy, while also referring to the challenges the country faces during a critical geopolitical period.
Syrigos on marine parks
Regarding Turkey’s announcement about marine parks, Mr. Syrigos noted: “Turkey’s announcement is a response to our own announcement-declaration of two marine parks. The park that bothered them was the Aegean park for three reasons: one was that it included four islands that the Turks believe do not belong to Greece. East of Amorgos. The second reason is that the Turks supposedly want Greece-Turkey cooperation on environmental issues, and the third and most substantial reason is that the Turks don’t want anything to change in the Aegean status quo as it has remained since 1974. They announced they would proceed with establishing two parks, and announced two parks between Lemnos and Samothrace and the other south of Kastellorizo, both located in open sea, in international waters. You cannot establish a park in open sea, it’s not possible under International Maritime Law, so their move is completely illegal. They avoided putting any area they themselves consider a gray zone, and the reason is they want to show themselves as ‘good boys’ to the West so they can enter the F-35 program and participate in the European rearmament program, and beyond that they didn’t define environmental protection terms. The Turks said nothing about what is prohibited in the specific area or what will happen because they cannot enforce anything in open sea. They said it just to say it! All of Turkey’s moves recently are reactions to our own moves, meaning we had the initiative.”
On Samaras’s criticism
Asked to comment on Mr. Samaras’s criticism, Mr. Syrigos said: “We have a broader problem in Greek foreign policy that doesn’t start with the current government, it started many years earlier. We created a strategy against Turkey from ’75 onwards, and after 50 years we’re called to see what we’ve achieved. Here I think we have a problem. This strategy we’ve followed since ’75 hasn’t delivered what we would have wanted. It hasn’t been able to reverse the scenario in Cyprus to liberate the island, nor has it been able to restrain Turkey; on the contrary, Turkey has run wild. Therefore, we’re called to examine the strategy we follow against Turkey – not the current government, but collectively all Greek governments since ’74 – and see where we stand today and what we need to change.”
On Saint Catherine’s Monastery
Regarding the issue with the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai, Mr. Syrigos emphasized: “These things require great care because we must keep in mind that we’re not playing alone, nor are the monks acting independently. There is the Egyptian government which recognizes one and only person, the abbot and Archbishop of Sinai Monastery, so all these moves require caution and thinking about consequences.”
On polls
Asked how New Democracy can change its stagnant polling image, Mr. Syrigos answered: “There’s a principle: you fall off the bicycle when you stop pedaling or when downhill momentum takes you. The solution is to ‘pedal,’ to do work. You overcome these problems when you act. Therefore, I expect to hear the Prime Minister at the Thessaloniki International Fair and see initiatives in the coming period on a series of issues concerning the average citizen, primarily high prices and wages.”
On introversion in New Democracy
Finally, asked if there’s a cohesion problem and introversion within New Democracy, Mr. Syrigos was categorical: “No. There is concern but I don’t think there’s introversion or questioning. New Democracy has traditionally proven it aligns absolutely behind its leader and is the only party that has changed so many leaders but only after electoral failure. There is absolute alignment of the Parliamentary Group around the Prime Minister.”
