Month: December 2013

Source: BBC

Spent bullet casings were found outside the ambassador’s residence
Shots were fired at the German ambassador’s residence in Athens early on Monday, without causing injury.

Bullets were found embedded in the steel gate, Greece’s Kathimerini news website reports.

Ambassador Wolfgang Dold’s residence is in the Greek capital’s Halandri district. The raid took place at around 03:30 local time (01:30 GMT).

It is not clear who the attackers were. Germany’s insistence on budget cuts has caused much resentment in Greece.

At least 60 spent bullet casings were found at the scene of the attack.

Source: aggouria.net

Νέα κόντρα! Έξαλλος ο Αρναούτογλου με τον Λιάγκα!
Αυτή είναι η πρώτη καλεσμένη της Ελένης Μενεγάκη για το 2014!
Δε θα πιστεύετε ποιος έφαγε δέκα κουραμπιέδες και η… «πρόστυχη» ερώτηση του Γιώργου Λιάγκα!
Το Γενικό Επιτελείο μη μπορώντας να ομολογήσει ότι τα τα μαχητικά τους προχώρησαν σε Υπερπτήση της νήσου Ανθρωποφάγοι όταν καταδιωκόμενα από τα Ελληνικά Μιράζ 2000-5 δεν συνέχισαν την πορεία τους κατά μήκος εντός του FIR αλλά τρομοκρατημένοι απο το “LOCK” των Ελληνικών Μαχητικών βγαίνοντας από το FIR πέταξαν πάνω από το νησί στα 2.600 πόδια!…
Καθ” όλη την διάρκεια της πτήσεως των εντός του FIR Αθηνών τα Ελληνικά Μιράζ είχαν πάρει την ουρά των F-4 ενώ το άλλο ζεύγος των F-16 προσπαθούσε να αποσπαστεί από το κυνηγητό των Ελληνικών Μαχητικών!

Οι νεαροί Τούρκοι χειριστές των F-4 ανέφεραν στη βάση τους ότι αναγκάστηκαν να διακόψουν την πτήση τους γιατί κλειδώθηκαν απο τις Α/Α συστοιχίες Patriot όταν χτύπησε (alert στο πιλοτήριο)

Δεν είναι δυνατόν οι ελληνικές συστοιχίες των Patriot από την απόσταση που είναι να εγκλωβίσουν τους στόχους έστω και για ελάχιστα λεπτά ,αν και τo Ραντάρ AN/MPQ-65 Radar Set Ραντάρ έρευνας , εγκλωβισμού στόχων και καθοδήγησης βλήματος η μέγιστη Εμβέλεια του ειναι τα 170χλμ..μπορούνε να “δούνε τον στόχο “, αλλά δεν είναι δυνατόν το radar εγκλωβισμού να εγκλωβίσει τους στόχους από τέτοια απόσταση !

Τελικά το Γενικό επιτελείο της Τουρκίας υιοθέτησε τον ισχυρισμό των Χειριστών των F-4 αδυνατώντας να δικαιολογήσει τα αδικαιολόγητα…και δεν είναι η πρώτη φορά !

It was recently announced that Greece’s ancient Messene will be a candidate for UNESCO’s world heritage site. Ancient Messene has already been included on the nominations list of Greece that will be submitted to UNESCO in the next few days.

View of the Odeon at Messene [Credit: ekathimerini]

Ancient Messene is one of the most important archaeological territories in Greece. The city was established by Epaminondas, a Theban general, along with his allies, the Argives on 369 B.C. The city flourished during the Hellenistic and Roman period as the capital of the Messene’s State.

The most important monuments of the archaeological site will be: the Asklepieion, the Temple of Poseidon, the Sanctuary of Demeter and the Dioskouroi, the stadium and gymnasium of Heroon, where sons of noble families were trained, as well as the Theatre of Messene, which was an exceptional building anticipating the theatres and amphitheatres of the Roman period. According to some testimonies, the theatre was not only used for performances but also as a place for political meetings.

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Greece

Source: seanews.com.tr

Source: sun-sentinel.com

St. Mark iconography project should be completed in February

St. Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton is wrapping up its project to paint the interior of the building with Biblical iconography. Artist Laurence Manos has been painting the saints for 10 years for the project. (Amy Beth Bennett / December 19, 2013)

Source: independent.co.uk

Source: gazette.com

Source: Hürriyet Daily News

Greek Cypriots have long hesitated about signing a final settlement over Cyprus’ division, but the necessity of a lasting solution is slowly dawning on the island’s southern half, according to Turkish Cyprus’ foreign minister. Economically, the only way forward is a solution, Özdil Nami says

Southern Cyprus is coming to the realization that it can accrue more benefits from a peaceful solution to their island’s division than maintaining the status quo, according to Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Özdil Nami.

Greek Cyprus has the realization that “it may be a better idea to tackle the real problem and reunite Cyprus and start benefiting from what peace can offer,” Nami recently told the Hürriyet Daily News.

Where do we stand on the efforts for a settlement?

We are engaged in a process that will result in the formation of a joint statement, to be read by both leaders at their first meeting which will signal the start of the new round of negotiations that will be a continuation of past efforts with the goal of establishing a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation in Cyprus with political equality with Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots.

What are the remaining hurdles that have prevented a finalization of it?

It is the final phase. The Greek Cypriot leader put forward some concepts as vital issues for him. These included the issues of single sovereignty, single citizenship and a single international identity. The Turkish Cypriot side counteracted by saying that though it is true these concepts are important, concepts like political equality, internal citizenship and residual powers are also very important. At the stage we are at, we have managed to overcome difficulties we faced and created a common language on these issues. Having said that, both sides are trying to inject a few sentences that will reassure their voters that the deal has not jeopardized their well-known positions. I think it is natural that both leaders are attempting to do this; it is also natural that some suggestions while being accepted some may not be. In particular, the Turkish Cypriot side attaches a lot of importance that after our federation is established, the bitter experiences of the past when Turkish Cypriots were kicked out of the republic they co-founded will not be repeated. From our point of view, we would like this to be addressed in a clear fashion.

Greek Cypriots have their own needs for clarification; they are afraid that any wording that may indicate a potential for two independent states be formed with a settlement is dangerous so they are acting very cautiously to avoid any sentencing to that direction; so the final touches are being done right now.

As someone who has been witness to so many failed past initiatives, how would you describe the current chances for settlement?

We now have the potential to finalize the statement within the coming days; we don’t need months of negotiations; we are nearly there. It is going to be a historic document that addresses many of the controversial issues that have been in dispute between the two sides. This in itself is both good news but it also carries a lot of responsibility and if we are unable to finalize it despite the fact that a lot of work has been done and a lot of convergence has been achieved, this will be a signal in particular to the United Nations that we are unable to solve our own problem. At that point, how will the international community react? We don’t know. I think both sides would act responsibly and take the matter in their own hands instead of delegating it to third parties and bring it to a successful conclusion. I feel this spirit existing on both sides of the island and that’s what I am counting on.

What would make it different from past initiatives?

We had similar opportunities in the past. In the history of states, sometimes people do not grab the opportunity there and that’s what happened to Cypriots before. This time around, there is another golden opportunity presenting itself to us. It’s totally up to the Cypriots to grasp it or not; so we would have nobody to blame but ourselves if we don’t make good use of it. It is an important opportunity not to be missed.

Turkish public usually believes that Greek Cypriots don’t genuinely want a solution that will be acceptable to both sides since they are better off and they are EU member?

They are not well off; they have lost almost half of their bank deposits, their pension funds have evaporated. Without a comprehensive settlement, it will take them 20 years to fully recover. Youth unemployment is reaching 40 percent; it is a dire situation. Although they attained EU membership, their aspiration to use that membership to the detriment of Turkish Cypriots has turned to be futile expectation. At least on these two counts, there is a realization that rather than chasing these empty dreams, it may be a better idea to tackle the real problem and reunite Cyprus and start benefiting from what peace can offer.

On the other hand, we have the natural resources being discovered around Cyprus. The best way; the way with the least cost and risk would be to sell it through Turkey and the only way to achieve that will be through finding a solution to the Cyprus problem. Energy can be one of the game-changers if handled properly; it can be an incentive for a solution.

In comparison to the last decade, circumstances have changed, you say. How about the terms of the agreement? Usually, it is said that everybody knows what the solution looks like, but it is a matter of taking the decision. Is the new initiative bringing about surprises?

There will be no surprises. There already exists a very important U.N. body of work; there are guiding principles defined by Security Council resolutions, and room to maneuver is well-defined. Negotiations will not resume from scratch but it will be built on what has already been achieved by the past leaders. What it will look like is already well-known.

Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiadis is known to be pro-solution. Has he acted in line with that view about him so far?

One would hope they would act in a more courageous way and by now we would be talking about finalizing a settlement, not finalizing a joint statement. But both sides have political realities; on the Greek Cypriot side there are big agenda points regarding the economic crisis; the loss of confidence in Anastasiadis is a reality, so there is this level of caution. It is important not to lose the balance and not to go overbroad because that would trigger deep suspicions on the Turkish Cypriot side. It already started; we had much higher expectations from him which were not fulfilled, if he fails to show the necessary leadership to finalize the joint statement that he initially requested, then that would send a signal that Cypriots have tried but failed to reach a settlement. At that point, the U.N. would have to take a look at want is going on exactly.

The economic crisis could increase nationalist feelings and might poison the negotiation spirit.

From what I can gather talking to the business community on the Greek Cypriot side, they are seeing great potential for economic development with a settlement. Especially looking at Turkey like the rising star of the region, they see big economic benefit. During economic hardship, nationalist sentiments also come to the fore, but if I am to judge, the expectation of economic benefit from a settlement is higher now and at least the business community is looking forward.

There is a coalition in Turkish Cyprus and the president is coming from a different party? Has it been difficult to forge a common position?

We are using it to our benefit and telling Greek Cypriots that although we have a president coming from a right-wing party and a government dominated by a socialist party, all these political forces are united in supporting the peace talks and achieving a rapid solution. We are giving the message that on the Turkish side, with its government, main opposition, president and Turkey, we are all in.

You are relatively from a younger generation; is the passing of time making it easier or more difficult to reach a settlement?

It is a mixed picture. Younger generations do not carry the same bitter experiences with them; they don’t have good experiences of the past generations either. But as time passes there are more realities created on the ground like more property development and that will make many issues like territorial adjustments or a property regime more difficult to tackle in the future.

I don’t think it is a good idea to play for time and hope that future generations will find it easier to come to a settlement. Each generation gets more used to the status quo and lives and grows up with the status quo, and it is very difficult to convince people to change what they are accustomed to. As time passes, our job is getting more difficult, not easier.

Source: bbc.co.uk

With predictions of growth in 2014 and unemployment down slightly, there is a feeling of optimism in Athens – but Greeks say they know there are still difficult days ahead.

They come just before sunset – those magical few minutes in which Athens bathes in a deep purple glow.

It is a light I have never seen anywhere else. I often wait for it, looking out at the late afternoon sun.

It sets behind the Acropolis, where the ancient Gods were worshipped, glinting onto the Aegean nearby. Rays dance across the mountains.

And then they reach the one skyscraper in the city: the Athens Tower, as it is called, poking above a skyline where nothing is allowed to stand taller than the Parthenon.

The colours change – for a few seconds it seems like the building is on fire, the glass now reflecting the shot of orange that hits it square on.

It is an almost spiritual moment in a city revered throughout the centuries – but now associated with darker times.

And as I watch the scene today, I can hear the distant voices of protest, the megaphone shouting anti-austerity slogans: who is it this time? Doctors? University staff? You lose track.

But even as the rallies continue and the exhaustion of four years of financial crisis deepens, Greece goes on.

This is something that many outside fail to grasp: that even at the height of the meltdown, when petrol bombs and tear gas enveloped the main square, when parliament argued into the early hours over more cuts, when there were crisis talks in Brussels about how a country might transition out of the Euro – this one would pick itself up, dust itself off and go on living.

Shops would stay open, cafes remain busy, offices work and tourists arrive. What is known is the story of Greece’s decline, how a once-confident country has lost a quarter of its economy; of 27% unemployment – double that among the youth – of pensions slashed and homelessness up.

And that is all true, it has been heartbreaking to see the tearing of the social fabric. And yet perhaps the story correspondents have not told enough is about how Greece has not actually collapsed.

It has made me reflect. Hospitals and schools cannot afford basic equipment, the number of suicides has risen, some people who burned wood for their heating because oil was too expensive have died of suffocation, a party that denies the Holocaust and attacks immigrants is polling 10%. Does that not constitute collapse?

The far-right Golden Dawn party is the third most popular party in Greece

But on the other hand, Greece functions. The government has not fallen and this year the protest movement has faded. Far fewer have taken to the streets, there has been almost no violence. Why?

That the opposition here is split is certainly one reason. Communists, unionists, the weary middle class and anarchists converge clumsily in demonstrations, knowing what they are fighting against but not unified in their goals.

I joined students protesting this autumn who chanted the same tired slogans that have been heard here for 40 years. The importance of the family unit in Greece has shielded many. And people here love life: even if some cannot afford essentials, they still find pleasure in their climate, landscape and culture.

But perhaps it is also that there is a large proportion that quietly supports what has happened. I sat in a bustling bar last week with a lawyer who is among them.

The crisis is changing Greece for the better, he told me. The bloated, clientelist public sector that employed unqualified people in return for political support, is being reformed.

Greeks are learning to live within their means. Tax evasion is no longer accepted. A new culture of solidarity has emerged: a feeling of “we are all in it together”.

There is even a spirit of entrepreneurialism being born. It is, he said, a painful transition – but a necessary one. Psychiatrists talk of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Maybe Greece, which has known much grief, is edging towards the final stage.

I meet far more now who tell me that if they could choose between going back to 2004, when Greece basked in the Olympics and European football victory and felt wealthy – or now, pushing on, out of all this – they would take the latter.

The realisation has dawned that pre-crisis Greece was an illusion: it was a party which just had to end.

For sure, this country is changing in fundamental ways. Yet visitors here always remark how “normal” it seems – that is perhaps above all, a testament to Greek resilience. Beneath the smiles, though, there is a fear of the future.

The government talks of the worst being over, of an end to recession next year, of unemployment starting to fall. On paper, the figures do look better.

But as another tumultuous 12 months come to a close, nobody can tell if that sunset over Athens really does mark a true glimmer of hope.