A statement by former Minister of SYRIZA, Panagiotis Kouroublis equating Greeks fleeing Minor Asia during the war between Turkey and Greece to the illegal immigrants entering Greece today has caused a backlash online.
During a televised debate on immigration, the SYRIZA official said that “we had the same events we now live in on the eve of Asia Minor Disaster.”
Panagiotis Kouroublis attempted to justify his position by saying that a decree had been issued by the then government three days before the Asia Minor Disaster, saying that the Ionians would only enter if they had a passport, stating that “then the Greeks also entered Greece illegally…because they were asked to produce passports!”
Some online commentators reacted accusing the left party of going too far, while other blasted him saying it took a large amount of gaul to equate Greek refugees fleeing war in Asia Minor with illegal Congolese people entering Greece today.
During the Minor Asia disaster some 1,5 million Greeks living on the coastline of modern day Turkey were uprooted from the homes and forced to relocate to Greece.
Από τους συριζαίους έχουμε ακούσει τα πάντα. Αλλά αυτήν την περίοδο ξεπέρασαν και τον χειρότερο εαυτό τους.
Κουρουμπλής: Και οι Έλληνες της Μικράς Ασίας μπήκαν ως λαθραίοι στην Ελλάδα. pic.twitter.com/gAi4ccTEpU
— Ομάδα Αλήθειας (@omadaalithias) February 12, 2020
