Pandemonium erupted in the Greek Parliament Plenary with New Democracy parliamentary spokesman Makarios Lazaridis and PASOK parliamentary spokesman Pavlos Christidis crossing parliamentary swords over the Imia tragedy. The heated episode between the two parliamentary representatives began when Lazaridis requested the floor to respond to earlier statements by Niki party president Dimitris Natsios regarding national issues. Taking the floor, the “blue” parliamentary spokesman said he listened to Dimitris Natsios “with great interest referring to the Imia crisis when PASOK’s government and according to Papachelas’ latest documentary, it is clearly proven that it was tragic, fatal, and indecisive leading to the ‘graying’ of the Aegean with the actions taken during those days. I also heard him accuse the government of defeatism and continuous retreats in the Aegean. The government has strengthened Greece, armored it with modern weapons. Just a few days ago we welcomed the frigate ‘Kimon’. I would like the president to tell me where his approach regarding defeatism and continuous retreats in the Aegean is based. I want to tell him not to mention the cable issue because we know very well the problems that existed and of course there is a commitment from Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis that this will be done.”
Natsios: Does the Greece-Cyprus defense doctrine still exist?
“I will go to Imia the day after tomorrow. Is it part of Greek territory or not? Last year Mr. Delveroudis asked to go lay a wreath. I would say let’s create a small church in memory of the three heroes. Do you want to come with us to lay a wreath? I asked and asked again whether the Greece-Cyprus defense doctrine still exists. In case of national adventure, will ‘Kimon’ go to Cyprus? Aren’t the six nautical miles that Mr. Gerapetritis mentions defeatism and retreat? Will you put the names of the three officers who fell at Imia in school textbooks? Will you restore the flag and national anthem?” argued Niki party president Dimitris Natsios, intervening immediately after.
Christidis: Lazaridis doesn’t know what he’s saying – His statements shouldn’t be recorded in the minutes
It should be noted that Lazaridis’ statements provoked an angry reaction from PASOK parliamentary spokesman Pavlos Christidis who during his intervention argued that “with great sadness I hear reproduced in Parliament perceptions of betrayal, national defeatists and patriotism lessons which I think we don’t need in this chamber.”
“No one can question anyone’s patriotism. Especially after 30 years after a moment that has marked us all. However, I must, contrary to what colleagues did previously, stand on something interesting. I heard the ND parliamentary spokesman after his comments about the Simitis government referring to the ‘graying’ of the Imia area. Since we and all the Greek people understand that it is Greek territory (meaning Imia) and this is indisputable, I will ask him to retract this tragic thing he said and which I hope will not take on other dimensions outside Greek territory. Obviously Mr. Lazaridis doesn’t know what he’s saying and we give him the opportunity to take it back since we understand that his image and statements should not be recorded in the minutes,” Pavlos Christidis concluded.
Lazaridis: You gave Turkey the opportunity to talk about “gray zones”
Responding, Makarios Lazaridis said he “made no reference to what PASOK did that day. We as ND have not thanked the US from this podium. The prime minister has never asked the Chief of General Staff if he has a problem withdrawing the Greek flag from western Imia. The then Chief of General Staff Lymperis had told Simitis that ‘I do’ (have a problem), the late Simitis had told him ‘you are a very emotional person’. That’s why I said that during those days and nights which I lived as a military correspondent, PASOK, the Simitis government, ministers Arsenis and Pangalos were tragic, fatal and indecisive. They gave Turkey the opportunity to talk about ‘gray zones’ in the Aegean and led us to ‘blue homelands’. You gave the right to Greek soil that Pangalos said about the Greek flag ‘it doesn’t matter, let’s say the wind took it’. You gave Turkey the opportunity as PASOK to talk about ‘gray zones’. You have grave responsibilities because that night you led as a faction to questioning our sovereign rights, you led three heroes to death. Do you have the audacity to raise your finger at this faction? What I said is that PASOK with this management of the national crisis gave Turkey the right to talk about ‘gray zones’ and it’s the first time since the Metapolitefsi that it gave Turkey the opportunity and right to question Greek islands. All this bears PASOK’s signature.”
Christidis: Lazaridis’ position is inconceivable
“We gave as a faction and based on the Regulation the space and time to ask for deletion from the minutes what he mentioned about ‘graying’ of Imia, perceptions that have no relation to reality, perceptions that insult successive governments that did not adopt the dirtiest propaganda practices of danger from the East. Mr. Lazaridis wants to clear up ND’s internal affairs. We hear him attacking a series of people who served the Simitis governments and who today share the same benches. I am not here today to turn such issues into issues of cheap internal confrontation. I am here because I cannot accept that in the context of party pressure everything will be flattened, as well as that our national issues and what happened 30 years ago can be trivialized by a majority MP, in the way Mr. Lazaridis trivialized them,” the PASOK parliamentary spokesman emphasized.
“It is nationally inconceivable and by the end of the day the government should put things in their place. Either he should with his own agreement with the presidency, or with his own initiative and with the courage of his opinion ask for deletion or they will forever stigmatize ND, with which we have fundamental differences. We don’t come here to put ourselves on the front of a national division between traitors and patriots, between governments that fought battles to get Cyprus into the EU when some had other types of plans. Between politicians who fought battles from various quarters. Until the end of the session Mr. Lazaridis must find a way to take back the statements about ‘graying’ of the Imia area by a Greek government. He must take them back and must also take back what he said about ministers who have passed away,” Pavlos Christidis concluded.
