Greek socialist leader says NATO chief is ‘Erdogan’s ambassador’

 Greek socialist leader says NATO chief is ‘Erdogan’s ambassador’

By Sarantis Michalopoulos

EURACTIV.com 8:11

“He [Stoltenberg] cannot be both Erdogan’s Ambassador and NATO Secretary-General”, Nikos Androulakis said. [EPA-EFE/ANDRE KOSTERS]

The leader of Greek socialist Pasok party lashed out against NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg after the latter described the new tensions between Greece and Turkey as “disagreements” and called for dialogue between the two countries.

“He [Stoltenberg] cannot be both Erdogan’s Ambassador and NATO Secretary-General”, Nikos Androulakis said.

Tensions between Ankara and Athens have escalated lately, especially after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened Greeks in a Twitter message in the Greek language.

Turkey is openly questioning the sovereignty of more than twenty Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, while violations of Greece’s airspace have become a daily habit.    

“We urge Greece and Türkiye to solve their differences in the Aegean in a spirit of trust and Allied solidarity. That means restraint and moderation and refraining from any actions or rhetoric that could escalate the situation. At a time when Putin’s war on Ukraine has shattered peace in Europe, it is even more important for Allies to stand together,” Stoltenberg told the Athens news agency in an interview. 

“In the past, there have been accidents involving Greek and Turkish forces, and we must do everything we can to help reduce the risk of such accidents in the future,” the NATO chief added. 

Stoltenberg’s comments triggered reactions in Athens as all political parties criticised NATO’s neutral stance on the matter. The strongest reaction came from Greece’s socialist leader, Nikos Androulakis. 

“The challenges in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, the threat of war against Greece, the questioning of our national sovereignty in the islands of the Eastern Aegean and the revising doctrine of the Turkish leadership are not just disagreements or accidents, as Stoltenberg noted,” Androulakis said. 

“Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Mr Stoltenberg has chosen to justify the authoritarian Erdogan regime and even Turkey’s extortionate attitude towards Sweden and Finland.

“He cannot function as both Erdogan’s Ambassador and NATO Secretary-General,” Androulakis said. 

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