“The Ecumenical Patriarch goes every 10 years to Imbro during Holy Week. This time I would like to be with him at the Epitaph Mass in Imbro, where Hellenism is worthy of study and where there is a school with 60 children,” Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias told SKAI.

Mr. Dendias emphasized that the case of Imbro, the Hellenism of Imbro, is worthy of study, as it has doubled from 300 to almost 600 people. We must encourage the Patriarch in his work, he said. “We had full facilitation from the Turkish authorities for me to go. Turkey wanted to help, not to hinder my trip,” he clarified.

We must be optimistic, but cautious and not naive. I believe that Turkey’s long-term interest is good relations with Greece. If Turkey reaches the same conclusion, it will be absolutely encouraging, the foreign minister pointed out.