Mitsotakis accuses Turkish Consulate General of interfering in elections
In the May 21 elections, the province of Rodopi stood out as the only region where SYRIZA emerged as the winner across Greece. During his visit to the region, New Democracy Party (YDP) Leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis made a speech disregarding the Turkish minority and indirectly threatening them. However, when the Turkish minority expressed their voice at the polls and rejected those who ignored them, Mitsotakis lost his temper and directed his frustration towards the Turkish minority voters and the Turkish Consulate General in Komotini, Greece.
In an interview published in the "Proto Thema" newspaper on Saturday, June 3, former Prime Minister and NDP leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis claimed that the Turkish Consulate General in Komotini intervened in favor of the SYRIZA candidate Ferhat Özgür in Rodopi. With these baseless accusations, Mitsotakis displayed his disrespect for the will of the Turkish minority voters who elected a total of 4 members of parliament in Xanthi and Rodopi.
Mitsotakis stirred controversy by stating, "There was indeed an open intervention by the Turkish consulate in Rodopi in favor of a specific candidate, and this is a problem." He accused SYRIZA, saying, "It is a matter that concerns the party that allowed another state to interfere in Greece's internal affairs."
Mitsotakis clarified, "And mind you, I am not talking about all minority MPs or the entire Muslim minority. After all, I supported the religious minority by implementing equality before the law, following in the footsteps of Konstantinos Mitsotakis."
In his remarks, Mitsotakis stated, "Greek Muslims should feel that they have equal opportunities with their Christian compatriots, and we are doing everything necessary for that. However, some want to use them as leverage to create problems in Greece. Therefore, some parties should have been much more careful in their choices."
Mitsotakis to Focus on Rodopi Province
New Democracy Party will focus on Rodopi province leading up to the June 25 elections. In this regard, the party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, along with several party officials, is planning to visit Komotini.
According to local news reports, the visits will begin with the arrival of Dora Bakoyannis, a former foreign minister and prominent figure in NDP, on Friday, June 9. The visit of Kostis Hacidakis, who held ministerial positions, is expected to follow. Dimitris Avramopoulos and Christos Stylianides are also said to be visiting Rodopi province. According to the statements of NDP Rodopi Regional Chairman Yannis Tzambasiz, the last week before the election will see a visit from NDP President and former Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Rodopi province.
Reports in the local media suggest that NDP will prioritize its visits to Rodopi province, the only province where it lost the lead.
"Minority Should Not Be Humiliated for Choosing the SYRIZA Candidate Instead of YDP"
SYRIZA party responded to former Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' statements regarding the election results in Rodopi province, expressing their reaction in an interview with Proto Thema newspaper.
The statement pointed out that the New Democracy Party (YDP) and Kyriakos Mitsotakis resorted to a dangerous game of targeting and dividing Greek citizens due to their inability to accept any other color in their election map besides their own. It emphasized that the democratic votes of the Muslim minority were undermined.
The statement emphasized that treating Greek Muslims in Rodopi province as agents of a foreign power and questioning their democratic will is a dangerous practice. It stated, "This attitude is contrary to the principle of equality before the law and is a national risk."
The statement called on NDP not to engage in actions that would harm national interests in order to win votes and emphasized that Greek citizens should not be humiliated for choosing the SYRIZA candidate instead of the NDP candidate.
According to evaluations within the Turkish minority public opinion in Western Thrace, it is recognized that Mitsotakis' political maneuvers, disregarding the will of the Turkish minority and targeting the Turkish Consulate General in Komotini, are aimed at winning nationalist votes in Greece. It is predicted that Mitsotakis will face an even greater defeat in the upcoming elections on June 25 in the region.
