His reaction was immediate. Mayor of Kythira-Antikythira, Mr. Efstratios Charhalakis, in an article published on 10/12/20 in the Turkish newspaper «Sözcü Newspaper», (which republished Kythera.News on Friday, December 11, 2020), in which the former secretary general of the Turkish Ministry of Defense, Umit Yalim unabashedly challenges Greek sovereignty over the island of Antikythera.
In his message, Mr. Charhalakis refers to «ridiculous claims» which are occasionally made public by Turkish officials and are intended for internal consumption.
Let us recall that in his statements, Yalim had essentially called on the Minister of the Interior of Turkey to replace Mr. Harhalakis with a Turkish administrator, since the island is under «illegal Greek occupation,» as are 18 other Greek islands and two islets, plus three-quarters of Crete.
In his response, however, the mayor of Kythira pointed out that one day before the article appeared in the Turkish newspaper, he himself had sent a letter to the Minister of National Defense, the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, the Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff, and the members of parliament for Piraeus and the Islands, the establishment of a military outpost on the island of Antikythera, similar to those on Gavdos and Othonoi.
The timing of the two events is striking, as the article that appeared in the Turkish newspaper was published just one day after Mr. Charhalakis' letter, in which the mayor makes specific reference to the claims of the neighboring country and the island of Antikythira. These claims have been expressed for a long time, but now seem to be focused on him (as an institutional representative), with the demand that he be replaced by a Turkish official-governor of the island.
Finally, it should be noted that similar statements by Turkish officials and leaks to the media in the neighboring country are a standard tactic, which is part of in Turkey's broader foreign policy strategy and should in no way be interpreted as «ridiculous claims» for domestic consumption., but on the contrary, we must take them into account. very seriously.
Below is the letter from the mayor of Kythira and his post on his personal account:
«Rüzgar eken fırtına biçer (whoever sows winds reaps storms)... There is no reason to respond seriously to the ridiculous claims of every former Turkish official, which have only one purpose: to curry favor with Erdogan in the hope of gaining a new public office. These are ridiculous claims that do not warrant any substantive response beyond «molon labe» (come and take them). I have already requested the establishment of a military guard post in Antikythira on December 9, and as mayor, I will continue to do everything I can for the island and its inhabitants, beyond and outside the neighbor's unfounded claims. In any case, it is good for our neighbors to know that the winds bring storms, or, as the Turks say, ne ekersen onu biçersin...»
