PASOK defense spokesman Michalis Katrinis has strongly criticized the Greek government's handling of foreign policy, accusing ministers of underestimating Turkish provocations since 2019.
Speaking on ERT News, Katrinis said the government appears to be searching for a change of course following recent official statements about reviewing Greece's strategy toward Turkey. He stressed that Greek officials have systematically downplayed Turkish aggression for seven years without ever requesting European Union sanctions against Ankara.
Katrinis reminded viewers that the conservative administration had presented the Athens Declaration as a comprehensive solution to bilateral problems. He said PASOK had warned that Turkey was using the agreement to burnish its standing with the European Union and NATO while maintaining its revisionist ambitions. Katrinis added that Turkey successfully used the declaration to whitewash its political image before Western partners.
Katrinis represents the constituency of Ilia in the Hellenic Parliament and leads national defense policy for the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, known as PASOK. The main center-left opposition party has consistently contested the foreign policy of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose New Democracy party took office in 2019. The Athens Declaration, signed in December 2023, was intended to lower tensions across the Aegean Sea between the two NATO allies.
Defense Deals and European Partnerships
Katrinis highlighted that Turkey significantly bolstered its defense relationship with the United States during the same period. At the same time, Turkish defense manufacturers entered into multiple armaments agreements with major European enterprises.
He noted that while Greek officials boast about excluding Turkey from the European SAFE defense framework, Turkish drone maker Baykar and other defense companies are actively building partnerships with firms in France, Italy, Spain, Estonia, Britain, and Germany.
The lawmaker linked the government's current policy shift to a pattern of past decisions and omissions. He cited the illegal Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum, the physical obstruction of marine cable laying off the Greek island of Kasos, and the doctrine of Blue Homeland as major escalations that met no request for EU sanctions from Athens. Katrinis also questioned why the defense ministry relocated a Patriot missile battery from Karpathos to Souda in Crete while Turkish provocations were intensifying.
Demands for European Action
Katrinis insisted that the Greek prime minister must raise these defense concerns at European Union Summits and formally demand economic sanctions against Turkey. He argued that Greece should stop relying on passive diplomatic demarches and press statements after events have already unfolded on the ground.
He reminded the public that MEPs from PASOK had previously initiated action in the European Parliament to secure an official condemnation of Turkey's plan to pass the Blue Homeland doctrine through its national assembly.
The island of Kasos lies in the southeastern Aegean Sea, where offshore research and cable installations have drawn naval standoffs, while Karpathos holds strategic airspace positions. Souda Bay in Crete houses a major naval base serving Greek and NATO operations. The Blue Homeland doctrine represents Turkey's expansive maritime claims over territory and resources across the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
Economic Criticism and Governance Proposals
Turning to domestic affairs, Katrinis accused the government of manufacturing artificial budget surpluses by levying heavy indirect taxes on consumers. He stated that ministers then redistribute a fraction of those funds through targeted, piecemeal handouts designed around electoral calculations.
He pointed to growing private debt, non-performing loans, and the lack of protection for primary residences as urgent economic pressures facing Greek families.
Katrinis announced that PASOK will present a complete governance platform at the upcoming Thessaloniki International Fair to provide real relief for households and businesses. He affirmed that PASOK aims to bring about political change by defeating the government, reiterating a unanimous decision from the party congress that rules out any coalition with New Democracy.
The Thessaloniki International Fair, held annually in northern Greece, serves as the traditional venue where national political leaders outline their economic programs and major policy proposals for the coming year.
