A fierce debate was sparked in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House, with the committee’s chairman’s Dimitris Kairidis, choosing to talk about the partition of Cyprus and not about “illegal occupation,” as opposition MPs pointed out to him that this is Greece’s official position.
Commenting on the statement by MP Alexandros Kazamia, Mr. Kairidis said, among other things, “I would not use the verb “dreams” of partition for Mr. Erdogan, Mr. Kazamia. Partition I am afraid he has carried it out since 1974, but let’s not dwell on it. We understand each other…” resulting in the dialogue, In a tense exchange, Kazamish emphasized the seriousness of the situation, highlighting that even within the ND government, there are members who recognize the pseudo-state recognized by Turkey. He insisted that the partition of Cyprus must not happen and condemned any acceptance or defeatism regarding Turkey’s plans, warning that such ideas are frightening and must be opposed. Kairidis responded by stating that, although everyone in the Greek parliament is opposed, each person lives within their perception of reality, which is shaped by international relations—reality, he believes, cannot be ignored. Kazamias countered, asserting that reality is constantly being shaped in international relations and must be actively resisted.
Kairidis acknowledged this but stressed the need to act, despite the challenging circumstances. A debate ensued over terminology: Gervais and Katrinis clarified that what is occurring is illegal occupation, not partition; Kairidis insisted it is illegal partition, which he actively opposes. Kazamias pointed out that Kairidis was correcting himself, implying he previously acknowledged the reality of partition. Kairidis contrasted dreams with nightmares, emphasizing the danger of accepting partition as a reality, while Kazamias reminded him that such a reality should not be accepted or realized. Kairidis then asked if Kazamias had seen the Turkish soldiers and the partition firsthand, to which Kazamias replied that he had seen everything. The discussion pointedly questioned whether Turkish soldiers are present in Cyprus and whether Erdogan’s ambitions are dreams or realities. Kazamias emphasized that the occupation is illegal and must be resisted, reaffirmed by Katrinis, who labeled it as an illegal occupation. Kairidis insisted that no one disputes the illegality, and he shared his personal experience of seeing Turkish soldiers in Cyprus, describing the situation as a nightmare—one that he fears is not just Erdogan’s dream but a dangerous reality that must be confronted.
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