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Greece and Cyprus forge common front before Geneva UN talks

The Greek Herald
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Greece and Cyprus forge common front before Geneva UN talks

The President of the ethnically divided island nation of Cyprus met with Greece’s Prime Minister on Wednesday before informal talks to be held in Switzerland next week.

The Geneva talks will be attended by representatives of Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, the three guarantor powers — Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom — and the United Nations. They come after a hiatus of more than three years in negotiations aiming to resolve the island’s decades-long division.

Cypriot President, Nicos Anastasiades, described the Geneva meeting as an “important… new effort” that would allow UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, to gauge whether there is enough common ground to restart formal peace talks.

The Cypriot President (left) met with Greece’s Prime Minister on Wednesday. Photo: AP Photo/Petros G.

READ MORE: Erdogan tells Greek PM to ‘know his limit,’ while ruling out a unified Cyprus.

“Our effort is not to usurp anyone’s rights. Our effort is to find a way for… both communities to feel safe, and for the human rights of both communities of the entire Cypriot people to be guaranteed,” Anastasiades said at the start of his meeting with Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Cyprus has been split into an internationally recognised Greek Cypriot south and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north since a 1974 Turkish invasion sparked by a coup to unite the island with Greece. The breakaway state in the north is recognised only by Turkey, which doesn’t recognise the government in the south. Numerous rounds of UN mediated peace talks since have failed to reunite the island.

READ MORE: Erdogan backs two-state solution during tense visit to occupied Cyprus.

Greece and Cyprus forge common front before Geneva UN talks. Photo: AP Photo / Petros G.

The last push for a peace deal came in mid-2017 but ended acrimoniously. It also led to an apparent shift in the stated aim of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots from reunifying the country as a federation of Greek and Turkish speaking zones to a two-state deal.

Greece and the internationally recognised Cypriot government in the south are adamant they wouldn’t accept a two-state solution formalising the country’s partition.

The talks come at a time of frosty relations between Greece and Turkey over maritime boundaries and energy exploration rights in the Mediterranean.

READ MORE: Rival leaders back UN bid to relaunch Cyprus peace talks.

Source: AP News.

Greek PM sees pandemic stabilising, eyes May reopening to tourists

The Greek Herald
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Greek PM sees pandemic stabilising, eyes May reopening to tourists

Greece should be able to open up for tourists from May 15, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed on Wednesday, saying the coronavirus pandemic was showing signs of stabilising helped by the rollout of vaccines.

“The vaccines, the self-tests and the better weather make us confident that this unprecedented adventure is ending,” Mitsotakis said in a special television address.

The government had previously announced it hoped to allow tourism, a sector accounting for a fifth of total economic output in Greece, to resume from mid-May but a surge in infections had caused increasing concern.

READ MORE: Sydney-born virologist becomes Greece’s coronavirus ‘hero’.

Mitsotakis said case rates were still high and people should not travel over the Orthodox Easter weekend, beginning on April 30, when Greeks traditionally visit their home regions for family gatherings.

“I have said that our aim is for a safe Easter and a free summer. But one cannot undermine the other,” he said.

“That’s why we should not travel at Easter. Athens and other cities still have many COVID cases. Mass movement carries the risk of spreading the virus everywhere.”

Greece emerged from the first wave of the pandemic in better shape than many richer European countries but it has suffered heavily in recent months, with a rapid increase in infections putting a strain on hospitals in Athens and other regions like the northern city of Thessaloniki.

READ MORE: Greece says coronavirus to drive economy into recession.

A waiter wearing a protective face mask waits for customers in a restaurant in Athens, Greece, May 25, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Costas Baltas.

Mitsotakis said the roadmap was dependent on there not being another surge in infections but restaurants should be able to open from May 3 and schools on May 10.

The government began a massive distribution of free home testing kits this month to reopen senior high schools and some services as it is keen to get the situation sufficiently under control before the start of the tourist season on May 15.

Health authorities on Wednesday reported 3,015 daily cases of COVID-19 and 86 deaths. Total cases and deaths have reached 323,644 and 9,713 respectively.

READ MORE: Coronavirus cases in Greece hit quadruple digits as third wave fears grow.

Source: Reuters.

Stefanos Tsitsipas sweeps past Munar in Barcelona Open

The Greek Herald
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Stefanos Tsitsipas sweeps past Munar in Barcelona Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas appeared to have all the time in the world on Wednesday, never allowing Jaume Munar an opportunity to get into the match at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.

The second-seeded Greek, fuelled by the confidence of winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title at last week’s Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, overcame early second-set resistance from the Spanish wild card in a 6-0, 6-2 victory over 78 minutes.

READ MORE: Greek tennis sensation, Stefanos Tsitsipas, wins Monte-Carlo Masters.

“It’s great to be able to play tennis like this today, even with a little rain in the second set,” Tsitsipas said. “I think I dealt with the situation well. I was serving well and felt comfortable from the baseline. I tried to be aggressive. My shots were working and I was trying to hit winners from all parts of the court.”

Tsitsipas, who hit 29 winners, has now won 23 of his 28 matches this year. He will next challenge Australia’s Alex de Minaur, the No. 14 seed, who beat Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 7-6(3), 6-2 in 86 minutes, in the third round.

Tsitsipas won 15 of the first 17 points, and hit 11 winners in the first set, which ended after 28 minutes when Munar hit a forehand into net. The World No. 5 won his seventh game in a row at the start of the second set, before an inevitable letdown.

Munar, who reached the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open final (l. to Carreno Busta) earlier this month, started to fire and although he could not convert break points at 1-1 and 2-3, he kept fighting.

Tsitsipas won the final four games of the match, to improve to 3-0 lifetime against Munar in the ATP Head2Head series, finishing with a backhand crosscourt winner. The Greek won 21 of 24 first-service points.

Source: ATP Tour.

Christos Tsoraklidis: The Greek priest who swaps clericals for camo to honour Anzac Day

Argyro Vourdoumpa
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Christos Tsoraklidis: The Greek priest who swaps clericals for camo to honour Anzac Day

Every year on Anzac Day, Greek Orthodox Priest and President of the Greek Ex-Servicemen Association of South Australia, Christos Tsoraklidis, swaps his clerical for camouflage and together with other members he participates in the Remembrance Day events to honour those who served the country in the Great War. 

“It’s a matter of national pride,” says the 65-year-old priest who has served the religious community of St Dimitrios in Salisbury, Adelaide for more than three decades and enlisted in the Greek Army for two years, before immigrating to Australia in the 1980s.

Tsoraklidis was appointed President of SA’s Greek Ex-Servicemen Association four years ago with the local Bishop’s blessings. Since then, he’s been on a mission to keep the Association alive and carry its legacy into the future. 

“The Association was founded in 1947 and its constitution is as old. In a recent meeting we decided that it should be reviewed and the plan is to incorporate new articles that provide for succession,” he says, explaining that the majority of the Association’s 90 members are over 75 years of age.

“If we don’t act it will naturally fade away together with its members,” he says stressing that another determining factor for the future of the Association, is the lack of a permanent roof which has been delayed due to “political circumstances”.

“We have the plans and we expect to receive the funds in June or July. A month later the building will be ready,” says Tsoraklidis.

Part of the building is set to become a mini–Hellenic War Museum, where visitors will have the opportunity learn more about Greece’s modern military history.

“This initiative has been in the plans since 2017. The exhibits will include photographs, models, memorabilia and replicas of weapons.”

Although the Greek Ex-Servicemen Association of South Australia will not participate in this year’s state events due to the fact that Anzac Day coincides with Palm Sunday which marks the start of the Holy Week, Mr Tsoraklidis reminisces on the visit of the Greek Presidential Guard in Adelaide two years ago and looks forward to more events like this.

“It was a great honour to be able to march beside the ‘Evzones’ and every time we march, we can see the admiration and pride in peoples’ eyes. This is what keeps us going,” says Tsoraklidis is also expressing his admiration for the Association’s members who despite their age are always ready to don their uniforms and salute those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Archbishop Makarios attends Oakleigh Grammar new Term Commencement Assembly

The Greek Herald
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Archbishop Makarios attends Oakleigh Grammar new Term Commencement Assembly

Yesterday, Tuesday April 20, Oakleigh Grammar celebrated its annual Term 2 Commencement Assembly.

“The event marked a very special occasion, not only because it was the first time the students were able to come together as a whole school, but also because His Eminence, Archbishop Makarios of Australia was in attendance,” reads the announcement published by the school.

The Archbishop, captivated the students touching on the challenges of 2020 and the importance of caring for one another, something that was also poetically echoed by Mr Damatopoulos, The Board President and Principal, Mark Robertson.

The Oakleigh Grammar students also made the most out of the assembly as they could finally present in front of their peers with performances including flag bearers, marching band, Greek dancing, singing and choir, to name a few.

His Eminence finished the assembly by touching on three golden words “Christ, love & unity” that the student should adhere to, getting everyone to recite them in both English and Greek. The Archbishop’s closing words fit perfectly with the 2021 Oakleigh Grammar School theme of, ‘I Can, We Will’.

Oakleigh Grammar honoured the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Crete

On Sunday April 18, the students of Oakleigh Grammar participated in different events held in Melbourne to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Crete.  

A number of students attended the Doxology at St Eustathios Greek Orthodox Church in South Melbourne which was performed by the Archbishop of Australia, His Eminence Makarios.

Students and teachers also participated in the wreath laying ceremony at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. This event was also attended by representatives from the Australian Defence Forces, the Greek Orthodox Church as well as politicians and members of organisations.  

The School Captains, Angelica Athanasakis and Alexander Logan, laid a wreath on behalf of the school community, paying tribute to Australian and Greek soldiers who lost their lives during World War II.

The staff and student of Oakleigh Grammar express their gratitude to the Battle of Crete & Greece Commemorative Council and the Chairman Mr. Jim Papadimitriou as well as the Cretan Brotherhood, the Pancretan Association and the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand for successfully organising the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Crete.

Remembering the Greek coup d’état of 1967 by the military junta

The Greek Herald
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Remembering the Greek coup d’état of 1967 by the military junta

By Chrisos Mavromoustakos

It was this day in 1967, just weeks before the scheduled elections, that a group of army colonels led by brigadier General Stylianos Pattakos and colonels George Papadopoulos and Nikolaos Makarezos seized power in a coup d’etat and changed the course of Greece’s history.

Tanks were set all over the city, and small mobiles of men would arrest anyone suspicious of left-wing activity. All opposition to the junta were in custody as of the next morning including acting Prime Minister at the time Panagiotis Kanellopoulos. 

The junta focused on far-right policies, which included the execution, exile and imprisonment of political opposition. This would involve ripping the body and hair, sexual tortures and beating the soles of those detained.

After the junta seized power, they removed eleven articles from the Greek constitution. Article 14, which describes the freedom of thought and press was immediately removed. One of the removals of the articles resulted in the immediate arrest of anyone, without a warrant.

The justification for the coup was that without it, Greece would have a ‘communist takeover’. Therefore, the coup was a plea to save Greece from a disastrous bureaucracy. The junta would use propaganda to get their points across the nation, which were led by former Marxists Georgios Georgalas and Savvas Konstantopoulos. 

Although citizens could attend concerts and participate in events they constantly lived in fear. Any wrong word or action could result in imprisonment or the label of being a ‘communist’.

After the Axis control of Greece which ended in 1944, political uprest between the left and right in Greece led to many disputes. In fact, there was a Greek civil war in 1944 between the communists and the far-right movement. The defeat of the communist movement led to a win by the Democratic Army of Greece, which was supported by the Americans and the British. 

The collapse of the junta both ideologically and politically were triggered by a series of events.

In November 1973, the student uprising in the National Technical University of Athens (Polytechneio) put an end to Papadopoulos’ efforts. Brigadier Dimitrios Ioannidis (center) used the Polytechneio revolt as a pretext to restore public order and organized a coup d’état overthrowing Papadopoulos and his government on November 25, 1973.

Ioannidis lasted only a few months, though. His arrogance led him to organize a coup in Cyprus, following his nationalist dream to unite the island with Greece. On July 20th 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus. The dictator was forced to give up power three days later and on July 24, self-exiled Constantine Karamanlis returned to Greece.

His new party, New Democracy, won the November 1974 general election, and he remained prime minister. Parliamentary democracy was thus restored, and the Greek legislative elections of 1974 were the first free elections held in a decade.

Mad Max prequel co-written by Nick Lathouris to be filmed in NSW

The Greek Herald
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Mad Max prequel co-written by Nick Lathouris to be filmed in NSW

George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road prequel Furiosa has been added to Australia’s list of high-profile productions, with filming on the origin story to commence in NSW in June.

Set to be shot across multiple locations in Western Sydney and regional NSW, the film is expected to be the biggest ever made in Australia, creating 850 jobs and injecting at least $350 million into the local economy.

Star Chris Hemsworth, Miller, and producer Doug Mitchell joined NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher, NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin, and NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet in announcing the location for the project, which is being funded via NSW Government’s $175 million Made in NSW fund and PDV Rebate, as well as the Federal Government’s 40 per cent Producer Offset.

Furiosa will be produced by Kennedy Miller Mitchell Films, and financed by Warner Bros./Village Roadshow for worldwide distribution.

Miller said the support of both governments was “pivotal”.

“We are entirely grateful to the NSW Government and for the advice and help extended to us by Graeme Mason, CEO of Screen Australia, and Grainne Brunsdon, head of Screen NSW,” he said.

“They made it possible for the film to be greenlit, shot in Australia and for the production to be based in our home state.”

Written by Miller and Nick Lathouris, Furiosa stars Anya Taylor-Joy in the titular role of the story about how the renegade warrior came to team up with Mad Max in Fury Road. 

Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II are the only other members of the cast to be announced as yet.

Federal MP Michael Sukkar visits Melbourne’s Greek Centre for first time

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Federal MP Michael Sukkar visits Melbourne’s Greek Centre for first time

The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) recently hosted the Federal Minister for Housing and Assistant Treasurer, the Hon Michael Sukkar MP at its Lonsdale Street Greek Centre in Melbourne, according to a statement released by the organisation.

The Minister visisted the Greek Centre for the first time and was led on a tour of the 15-storey Centre culminating in a lengthy discussion at the roof top restaurant where he enjoyed a Greek coffee. 

Minister Sukkar was greeted by GCM President Bill Papastergiadis and Greek Centre Director Jorge Menidis spoke of his Lebanese background at the hour-long meeting citing the many similarities between multicultural communities.

The Minister was effusive in his praise of the Greek Community. He was deeply impressed with the 15 storey cultural centre and in particular with the services that the Centre offered. He particularly felt that it was important that the GCM offered its services and spaces within the Centre to many other community groups. He regarded the Greek community as one of the key beacons of multiculturalism in Australia. He was deeply interested in the education and cultural programs of the GCM.

Minister enquired as to how the Greek community had been able to maintain its language services when many other ethnic groups struggled to do so.

Jorge Menidis gave a brief history of Greeks in Melbourne and the development of education services as a core practice of the GCM. Menidis explained how the education of third, fourth and fifth generation Greeks continued today and that the program now spread from pre-school programs such as ELA to the GCM’s active support of Tertiary education through connections with multiple Universities both here and abroad.  Of particular note was the imminent University fo Melbourne Hellenic Chair in Diasporic Studies that the GCM facilitated with Federal Gpvernment support.  

The Minister was also briefed on the GCM’s outreach to emerging ethnic communities such as the South Sudanese noting that the GCM was keen to share with other emerging groups its aquired knowledge and learnings.

Minister Sukkar also spoke at length about his own upbringing and the fact that it was made up of friends from numerous ethnic backgrounds. He felt he had a lot in common with people of greek background.

Sukkar also touched on how COVID impacted Australia both socially and economically.  He was pleased to see the quick  financial recovery in Australia and the rebounding of employment.  He noted that Australia was one of the few countries globally that managed the outbreak of covid relatively successfully.

Bill thanked Minister Sukkar for making the time to visit the Center and equally,  thanked him for the interest he showed in the GCM’s program of activities and events. 

Bill said “its important for organisations like ours to have the ear of Government. Through these conversations we can provide “on the ground” briefings on the key issues confronting ethnic groups. We can “bounce ideas and projects” with the country’s key decision makers and as we have seen in the past, this leads to direct action and results. Bill noted how successful the briefing was with Prime Minster Morrison some 2 years ago, which resulted in the announcement of some key grants.

Bill noted the similarities between the Lebanese and Greek communities and emphasised how the GCM’s language programs were a key component of cultural maintenance.

Bill also said that “it was equally heartening to see people of diverse backgrounds in Federal Cabinet.  The notion of diversity has to be applied broadly. We need to have people of different ethnic backgrounds in parliament so as to truly reflect the cosmopolitan nature of Australia.

It was agreed that this would be the first of many such meetings with Minister Sukkar so that dialogue and ideas could continue to be exchanged.

Greece signs deal to provide Saudi Arabia with Patriot air defence system

The Greek Herald
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Greece signs deal to provide Saudi Arabia with Patriot air defence system

Greece and Saudi Arabia have signed a deal to lend a Patriot air defence system to the Arab country to protect critical energy facilities, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Tuesday.

Dendias and Greek Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhain in Riyadh.

“We signed an agreement to move a Patriot battery here in Saudi Arabia,” Dendias said in a press release, adding that he also signed a cooperation agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council.

“This is a big step forward for our country regarding the cooperation with the Gulf countries and also a contribution to the wider security of the energy sources for the West,” he added.

The U.S.-made Patriot system will be used to protect critical energy facilities in the kingdom, a Greek diplomat said.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which is battling a Saudi-led coalition that intervened in the country’s war in 2015, has stepped up drone and missile attacks on Saudi targets in recent weeks.

The Patriot system is designed mainly to counter high-altitude ballistic missile attacks, which the kingdom has often had to deal with since intervening in Yemen.

*Source: Reuters

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Greece will continue to expand its defense capabilities

The Greek Herald
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Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Greece will continue to expand its defense capabilities

Greece has vowed to expand military cooperation with traditional NATO allies as well as Middle Eastern powers in a race to modernize its armed forces and face its militarily assertive neighbor Turkey.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited an air base in southern Greece to attend multinational military exercises joined by fighter jets from the United States, France, Israel, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.

“We cannot be naive. We are facing a new set of threats,” Mitsotakis said, speaking in a hangar in front of aircraft taking part in the exercises. “Our world is extremely complex and our neighborhood is, unfortunately, becoming more unstable. Greece will continue to strengthen its defense capabilities and upgrade its armed forces.”

Greece spends more on defense than any other European Union country relative to the size of its economy. But it announced a major rearmament program last year following a naval standoff with Turkey over natural gas drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

Under pressure from NATO allies, Greece and Turkey resumed diplomatic talks in January to try and ease the tension. Athens, however, is pressing ahead with an accelerated military upgrade program worth 11.5 billion euros over five years.

Greek officials at the weekend signed agreements worth $1.65 billion with Israel’s military and defense contractor Elbit Systems to create a new flight academy near the southern Greek city of Kalamata.

The air force has already begun overhauling its fleet of US-made F-16 fighters and has placed a 2.3 billion-euro order to buy 18 French-made Rafale fighter jets, some currently in service with the France’s military, along with an upgrade of compatible missiles.

*With information from Kathimerini, AMNA, AP

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