New year, same Turkey [InTime News] | Constantine CapsaskisNewsletter Editor |
Welcome to the weekly round-up of news by Kathimerini English Edition. While a new year is often seen as an opportunity for change, this has not been the case for Greek-Turkish relations. In fact, there has been no let-up to the incessant bellicose saber-rattling by Turkish officials that rounded up 2022. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Chief Foreign Policy Advisor Ibrahim Kalin, and even Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have all indulged in levelling threats and accusations against Greece. This was accompanied by more overflights by Turkish fighter jets and UAVs in the Aegean. The gist of their statements this week has been heard many times before. To briefly summarize, the track list of this “Best Of” album includes: no extension of Greece’s territorial waters or it will trigger the casus belli, the sovereignty of the Aegean islands is disputed, Turkey will not accept any fait accompli, and Greece is a provocative warmonger that is the lapdog of foreign players. Even Erdogan’s statement that Greece should “behave” due to the threat of Turkey’s Tayfun ballistic missile project can be seen as a rehash of his statement in early December that Greece should “stay calm” or risk a missile strike. The goal of pointing this out is not to minimize the threat. Yes, Erdogan has said that Turkey “will come one night” many times now, but he only needs to do it once for the results to be catastrophic. The exercise is to emphasize the sheer banality of Turkey’s threats which, if anything, is a serious cause for concern. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis rejected Turkish threats on Friday, doing so symbolically from the island of Gavdos on Greece’s southern border. He also held a discussion over the phone with French President Emmanuel Macron where the East Mediterranean was also discussed. US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez also condemned Turkey’s threats citing articles published by Kathimerini, stating that “these absurd intimidations must stop”. A series of stories were published by international outlets on the Parthenon Marbles held by the British Museum this week. It began with Bloomberg reporting that a loan agreement could be close, something rejected by the Culture Ministry. This was followed by articles in several British newspapers about a rumored deal, including the Times and the Daily Telegraph. The Culture Ministry released a statement in response, stating that Greece “does not recognize legal possession and ownership of the Marbles by the British Museum as they are a product of theft.” The rumored deal has also led to an unsurprising political spat, as elections continue to loom over any proceedings. Finally, a lawmaker of the ruling New Democracy party, Themis Cheimaras, resigned this week due to allegations that he misused public money to support his private business. This is the second such incident for the government majority in recent months. |
OPINION | Tom EllisEditor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition |
United in the effort to return the Parthenon marbles [Reuters]The return of the Parthenon marbles is an issue of multiple dimensions; from moral, legal, and historical, to practical and political. Before dealing with the legal obstacles and practical difficulties of moving the sculptures, aspects better left to the experts and the officials responsible, we should take care of our own house. The issue is close to the heart of all Greeks; conservative and liberal, right, center and left. For decades now all Greek governments, across the ideological spectrum, as well as Greek society as a whole, strongly support the return of the sculptures. In that effort they also have the vocal support of many politicians, renowned academics, and well-known personalities from around the world, including Great Britain. Given that fact, we should avoid any attempt to internally politicize the issue. The return of the sculptures is a national cause that should unite not divide. All should be informed about the developments – or negotiations taking place – with the aim of making sure all are on board. Both the government and the opposition can and should contribute. In the same spirit, whatever tactical compromises are needed to achieve the strategic goal should be thoroughly explained and accepted by all. There is no space for some to take political credit and for others to blame for political gain. This is not only obviously the right approach, as it facilitates achieving broad political and social support which strengthens our position, but – for some more importantly – it also achieves continuity in the implementation of whatever is decided and agreed upon. |
| CHART OF THE WEEK | |  Last year saw record investment in Greece’s commercial real estate (i.e., hotels, retail spaces, offices, warehouses), estimated at 1.65 billion euros. This marks a 40% increase from 2021. According to real estate consultancy firm Cushman & Wakefield Proprius, the most important market trends for commercial real estate in 2023 are related to the upcoming national elections and the possibility of political instability. Other trends worth monitoring include the willingness of users to move forward with pre-let agreements, as well as the possible impact of increasing costs and staff shortages on property developers. Finally, the consulting firm stated that hospitality sector real estate will remain the focal point of investments due to its strong predicted performance this year. |
| | |  | ESCAPADE | | Thessaloniki Update: Calling on the Queen of the North Any weekend is a great weekend to return to Thessaloniki, one of Europe’s most fascinating city-break destinations. Go to article > |
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| ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL | | | “The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) continues its upward trajectory and its general index closed at 951.45 points, after an entire week of growth. This marked a 2.33% weekly increase, with the index at its highest level since February 2018.” | | | “Greek household and businesses have cut down on their electricity consumption to cope with soaring energy prices. The official data released by the Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE) and the Natural Gas System Operator (DESFA) show that in the first 11 months of 2022 demand for electricity and natural gas plunged by 25.1% and 17.8% respectively.” | | | “More than 31 million travelers flew through the 14 regional airports of Fraport Greece in 2022, almost one million more (approximately 3.4%) than in the record-breaking year of 2019. However, this increase did not manifest itself across the board with Mykonos and Santorini leading the way (20% and 50% respectively) while Thessaloniki saw a 15% drop in traffic.” |
| WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA | | - 09/01/2023Back to school: Greece’s schools will reopen on Monday following the holiday season, with Education Minister Niki Kerameus ruling out a rumoured delay due to a rampant flu season and a resurgence of Covid-19.
- 10/01/2023OECD Economic Survey: The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development will launch the publication of its latest economic survey of reason for concern Greece, which apart from a general overview of the current outlook of the economy will also include policy recommendations.
- 10/01/2023ND Digitalization Event: Digital Governance Minister Kyriakos Pierakakis will speak on Greece’s current and future digital transformation efforts in an event organized by ruling party New Democracy.
- 13/01/2023Mitsotakis in Northern Greece: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will visit the north-eastern cities of Rodopi, Komotini, and Alexandroupoli.
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Editor's Pick Our politicians should learn to discuss issues seriously, without moving the goalposts as they see fitKostas KallitsisRead the article |
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