By Penelope Galliou

High on the agenda of the political confrontation, the ND maintains the case of the two SYRIZA parliamentary candidates in Rodopi, Husein Zeybek and Ferhat Özgiur, as long as they and their party do not clarify their position on whether they ultimately represent the Muslim minority or the so-called Turkish minority of Thrace.

Indeed, after the withdrawal of the ND parliamentary candidate Mustafa KatrantzisPiraeus does not miss an opportunity to emphasize and underline one more difference between them SYRIZA and ND, with the new democratic candidate, although there is no evidence against him of support from the Turkish consulate, to withdraw “in order not to disturb the climate of good coexistence in our region” as he stated, and on the other hand the two candidates of Koumundourou, who, as blue executives say, “caught with the goat on their back”, insist on not clarifying their position.

According to ND circles, in the case of Mustafa Katrantzis there was a communication from the secretary of the party, Pavlos Marinakis, to which Mr. Katrantzi immediately responded and as it was also reflected in his post, he is clearly talking about Muslims and Christians. “The MPs of SYRIZA, after so many weeks, have not come out to say a word. The difference is clear. Will they really say who they will represent in the Greek parliament, as we have been calling them for so long?” the circles of Piraeus wonder.

In fact, as a member of the ND commented, the position of the two Muslim SYRIZA MPs automatically places the blame on Alexis Tsipras himself, who is attempting to micro-politically exploit a key national issue, defying the dangers it poses for the country.

“We have concrete evidence of the Turkish consulate’s support for the two SYRIZA candidates and no one else. The one responsible at this moment and the one who must answer is the SYRIZA party and its two officials who remain silent if they respect and honor the Lausanne Treaty “There is no support from the Turkish consulate for Mr. Katrantzis,” said Akis Skertsos.

As emphasized by Piraeus, responding to his criticism SYRIZA, that the ND insists on a “whim” because the Rhodope was the only region of Greece that was not painted blue, state that the insistence on the Rhodope issue has deeper, more serious and national characteristics that should not be overshadowed . “The question is not whether the Rhodope will be blue, pink, green or Thrace” said the ND press representative and added that “The question is to send a clear, nationally responsible and patriotic message, that a sovereign state cannot accept interference in its internal affairs by third parties. This self-evident, national and red line has been respected throughout time by all parties except SYRIZA, which has exceeded it”.

Clear and unequivocal message both to her Koumoundourou as well as to Turkey, Kyriakos Mitsotakis himself sent during their speech in Ioannina, noting on the one hand that “Greece does not discuss with Turkey issues concerning the Muslim minority of Thrace” and made it clear in all directions that “our Muslim fellow citizens they are Greeks, European citizens and they must enjoy, enjoy and will enjoy with a ND government exactly the same rights and the same opportunities for promotion as all their Christian fellow citizens in Thrace” In fact, the president of the ND called it “very, very sad” this issue is being discussed publicly and as he said “let’s ask SYRIZA to do the obvious. What is this? To ask its two elected members of parliament to declare very simply that they respect the Treaty of Lausanne and that in Thrace there is a Muslim and not “Turkish” minority. It’s that simple. You ask yourself why they don’t do it and why Mr. Tsipras, who will come to speak shortly here, in Ioannina, is still covering for them.”