Kammenos predicts possible clash with Türkiye before Greek elections
Former Greek Defense Minister and Independent Greeks (ANEL) leader Panos Kammenos has predicted that a “hot incident” involving Türkiye could occur before Greece’s next elections, while also discussing Alexis Tsipras, PASOK, former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and the European Union in a wide-ranging television interview.
Speaking on Kontra24 on Tuesday evening, Kammenos said he believed tensions with Türkiye could escalate before the elections. He attributed his assessment to what he described as an escalation in Turkish rhetoric and references to the “Blue Homeland” doctrine.
Kammenos said he expected verbal escalation to be followed by what he called a “hot incident” and argued that Greece should be prepared.
His remarks are a political prediction rather than a report of an ongoing military confrontation. No such incident was reported in the material reviewed for this article.
Kammenos says he remains in contact with Tsipras
Kammenos also confirmed that he remains in contact with former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, despite differences between the two politicians.
He described Tsipras’s experience as a former prime minister as an important political asset and said Tsipras had learned from mistakes made while in government. Kammenos also praised aspects of the former SYRIZA government’s defense and foreign policy, while making an exception for the Prespa Agreement.
Kammenos additionally recounted his own version of a meeting involving Tsipras and then-US President Donald Trump at the White House, saying he had argued that agreements could be reached more easily with a left-wing Greek prime minister.
Kammenos says PASOK has limited room for recovery
Turning to PASOK, Kammenos argued that the party had reached the end of its political cycle and predicted that voters associated with the center-left party could move toward Tsipras.
He said Tsipras could build a broader political formation if he pursued the right strategy. These comments reflect Kammenos’s assessment of the Greek political landscape rather than an established electoral trend.
Samaras described as “political Airbnb”
Kammenos was also sharply critical of former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and possible plans for a new political formation associated with him.
Using the phrase “political Airbnb,” Kammenos alleged that Samaras could be used as a political buffer against the emergence of anti-establishment parties. He also criticized Samaras’s previous cooperation with PASOK during his premiership.
Kammenos further argued that political interests were seeking to replace Kyriakos Mitsotakis while maintaining influence over the political landscape that could follow.
Those claims were presented by Kammenos during the interview and were not independently substantiated in the reports reviewed.
Criticism of EU leadership
Kammenos also criticized the European Union’s leadership and its approach to international affairs.
He argued that European decision-making had become detached from voters and criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whom he said had not been elected directly by the public.
On the war in Ukraine, Kammenos called for an agreement to end the conflict with Russia and argued that improved relations could have implications for energy supplies, including natural gas and oil.
His comments reflect his own political positions on EU and foreign policy rather than an announced change in European Union policy.
Kammenos leaves open possible involvement in national issues
Kammenos also addressed his own political future, saying he was not seeking a return to politics for a parliamentary seat or government position.
He indicated, however, that he could become involved if what he considers an important national issue arises.
Kammenos, who served as defense minister and as a coalition partner during Tsipras’s government, has remained outside frontline party politics since the dissolution of ANEL but continues to comment publicly on Greek domestic and foreign policy.
