Nov. 6 () –
The Greek government has expressed its formal protest to Turkey over the decision of the Turkish authorities to hold for six hours and ultimately expel the governor of the Greek region of Central Macedonia, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who intended to enter Izmir this Saturday.
Tzitzikostas arrived in Izmir by ferry from Thessaloniki at 11:30 am on Saturday to participate as co-chair in the 13th Euro-Mediterranean General Assembly of Regions and Municipalities (ARLEM).
After spending six hours in detention, he was finally forced to return to Greece on the grounds that he had been declared a ‘persona non grata’. Greek authorities later argued that the politician’s name was very similar to that of another person with whom he would have been confused.
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested immediate explanations for the “unacceptable and totally abusive detention” and the “prohibition of entry” into the country.
The president of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, has also criticized Turkey’s “simply unacceptable” decision. “I have asked the ARLEM office to address this issue at its next meeting and for an appropriate response,” Cordeiro posted on Twitter.
“My total solidarity with the first vice president of the European Committee of the Regions, who was arrested while entering Turkey to co-chair ARLEM,” he added.
