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Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-01-31
CONTENTS
[01] Gov't slams demonstration against Patriarch in Izmir
[01] Gov't slams demonstration against Patriarch in Izmir
Government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos on Tuesday slammed a
demonstration that took place in Izmir the day before in protest
against the Ecumenical Patriarchate's presence in Turkey, describing it
as "unacceptable, at best".
He said that such events "do not characterise a country with a desire
to have European prospects", while adding that the incidents "cannot
reflect the entire country".
"I hope that these are isolated incidents that will be condemned by the
appropriate Turkish authorities," Roussopoulos stressed.
In an announcement on Monday, the Turkish nationalist group Milli Guc
said that it has collected 2 million signatures petitioning for the
relocation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate headquartered in Istanbul.
Dozens participated in the demonstration staged by the group in Izmir,
in which an effigy of the Patriarch was placed in a boat and pushed
offshore.
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