International

Tsipras underlined that the committee that Goldammer will head will be independent, and that the government will be at its disposal to assist in any way necessary,.

Our government saddled us with an unnecessary third memorandum, with tens of billions of euros in additional debt, and it appears ready to continue on the same catastrophic path.

'The Greek Council of State has put its signature to yet another scandalous decision by rejecting the objection of the Greek Government to the decision granting asylum to Suleyman Ozkaynakci, one of the culprits of the July 15th treacherous coup attempt,' the Turkish foreign ministry stated.

Tsakalotos attempted to sketch the priorities of the government, in the framework of the informal pre-election period which will last until May, 2009.

The national address delivered yesterday from Ithaca by PM Alexis Tsipras on the occasion of the bailout exit, signaled the return of the divisive and civil war-style slogan: ‘We will finish them off or they will finish us off’.

The PM seems not to understand or be interested in the fact that the country – despite the formal exit from the memorandum that he signed – faces great challenges, which can at any moment undermine any progress that has been made.

Answering the positive international reactions to the bailout exit, the ND leader said they reflect the relief of certain EU officials, as Athens has agreed to new commitments without requesting any new loans.

'Greece since 2010 has experienced its own Odyssey. Within five years, things that were unprecedented in peace time happened to a country. Twenty-five percent of the national wealth was lost. Three in ten people were unemployed, and six in ten youths. Austerity measures worth 65bn euros were implemented,' said the PM

For some, Greece was saved in the sense that it averted the Armageddon of a Grexit, but the manner in which it was saved is so disadvantageous that one cannot speak of true salvation or an exit from the crisis.

Despite the celebratory pronouncements that we shall hear about the end of the memorandums, the end of uncertainty and the return to economic normalcy are a long way off.

'The reforms must continue so that Greece’s economy can become a modern European economy. Greece will not be on its own. The ESM will be a long-term partner of Greece,' said the ESM chief

The international economic juncture, combined with the market tumult triggered by Turkey’s economic crisis, does not favour Greece, given the lack of trust in the course of the Greek economy.

'The bailout programmes were never just in fact. It would have been just if the dialogue weas conducted on a different basis, or if Greece had received greater aid in terms of the volume of investment,' Sculz said.

''The country is unready for a journey with its wings broken. A national stance devoid of blinders would have mandated that the programme be extended until 2022. That, however, would have required political bravery'

The current government is responsible for extending the crisis for at least three years. It came to power with self-deceptions and delusions – as the PM has admitted – and it took six months of fruitless efforts for it to comprehend the harsh reality.

The Fytrou family’s tragedy shocked the Greek public, as 13-year-old Evita Fytrou jumped from a cliff in order to escape the fire and was killed. The bodies of her 11-year-old brother Andreas, and her father, Grigoris Fytros, were found charred. The mother was saved because she was at work that day.

'One of the scenarios that our European partners are examining as a solution to many problems regarding the Greek programme is a ruling coalition,' Kyrtsos said, noting his own reservations about the prospect.

'The release of the two officers is the result of the collective effort of all political forces, which contributed to a substantial and persistent, but not extreme, effort to internationalise the issue,” Koumoutsakos said.

More charges arise daily from Greek fishermen, who say that their Turkish colleagues and the Turkish Coast Guard are systematically harassing them, and that Turkish fishermen are even threatening them with the use of gun

Just as the officers’ protracted imprisonment was due to the domestic and international motivations of Mr. Erdogan, so too their release is to a large extent due to a shift in the Turkish president’s tactics