Erdogan in Athens, “Beast” and very expensive Boeing

What happened, suddenly the schedule of Erdoğan’s trip to Greece was changed and it was announced that he would arrive in Athens on December 7th where they were waiting for him in Thessaloniki? The security reasons cited by some at the outset do not apply, because even in Thessaloniki the Greek government can deal with the security concerns of foreign leaders. So what is the reason? I searched, I asked, I learned…

The Erdogan Comes to Athens instead of Thessaloniki for purely administrative reasons. Strange as it may seem, the Turkish president is not coming alone, but will be accompanied by 400 Turks, ministers, deputy ministers, general secretaries, businessmen, police and (necessary) aides.

So many did not fit in Thessaloniki. Assume that all of them (along with Erdogan) will be accommodated in all the hotels in Syntagma Square, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken care of for booking.

Now will you tell me where they all meet? Here he elaborates on a pilot project he developed and is still drawing up (with close attention from the Ministry of External Affairs). Initially, all the buildings of the Ministry of External Affairs were available for meetings only. For the first time in such an event, neighboring ministries will also be used. Don’t be surprised if you find Turks in the Finance and Interior and Administrative Reform Ministries meeting on various issues.

Erdoğan, as usual, brings with him one of his 6 armored Mercedes Maybach S 600 guards. After all, he brought it back (and parked it on Herodotus Atticus Street) during the Syriza government in Athens.

The “beasts,” as the Turks call them, were acquired at the end of 2017 to transport the Turkish president in maximum security. The main feature of Erdogan’s Mercedes is that it provides complete protection against gunshots, explosions and chemical attacks, as there is a special air circuit inside that does not allow outside gases to enter.

The Turkish economy may be struggling and the Turkish lira may have taken a nosedive, but the Turkish government has 11 VIP planes and three helicopters. The luxurious Boeing 747-8 in the VIP version is Erdogan’s palace plane worth 400 million dollars, which was given to him by the Emir of Qatar.

It has seven bedrooms, two living rooms, meeting rooms and a small hospital. It originally had 463 passenger seats, but after modifications it now has only 76 seats.

A VIP 747-8 costs $250,000 to refuel. And one more thing, Erdogan’s plane (and other Turkish planes carrying ministers, secretaries, “beast” cars, etc.) will register incoming flight plans with the Athens FIR.

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Who will be appointed in charge of Syriza in polytechnics?

The question I posed to senior SYRIZA executives did not get a definitive answer, “Who will take charge of the coalition?” Syriza On the way Polytechnic;»

The repeated position is that no decision has been taken yet. However, some insist that putting Syriza’s president in charge is the right thing to do Stefanos KassalakisAs it was done before Alexis Tsipras.

Of course, there were some malicious comments, I can tell the press, how is it possible that Kassalakis, who came to us from America, married to an American citizen, marched towards the American embassy and now shouts anti-American slogans: “Here he goes to Macronisos” , as the leader of the Syriza camp, Mr. Supporters of the proposal to keep Kassalakis respond.

Some say he should definitely take over, but not go to the embassy (as Tsipras sometimes did), but others say the president could head a parliamentary committee. Socrates is famous.

With departures and layoffs, they’re still undecided, probably because the dust has been kicked up by the central committee. But it would be interesting to know…

However, President Stefanos Kassalakis will lay the wreath at the Polytechnic (the decision is final and irrevocable). “These struggles, this protest, should be the compass of our politics,” he commented at the polytechnic’s anniversary.

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Best building with history in Athens and a panoramic view of the Parliament

The lease of the historic Megaros Potosakis was “locked” by the Hellenic Parliament. Both parties announced with satisfaction that “the competitive tender process for the selection of the tenant for the landmark Potosaki Foundation House has been successfully concluded, with the Hellenic Parliament’s proposal in place.”

Thus, from the beginning of the new year, the Parliament’s services, scattered around the central building of Syntagma Square, will be transferred to the new premises on Amalia and Souri Streets, while the rental income will go towards a record. The Bodosaki Foundation owns the property for its general purposes.

As reported, in its 51 years of operation, the Potosaki Foundation has awarded more than 2,600 scholarships and made significant donations to promote education, improve health, protect the environment and strengthen civil society.

His symbolic donations include the Bodosakeio Ptolemaida Hospital, the donation of the building housing the State Public Archives and the construction of the Bodosakeio Primary School of the College of Athens, while in 2022 alone more than 423,000 of our fellow citizens benefited from his donations and projects.

The services of the Parliament will be transferred to Potosakio (also known from Greek movies of the 60s, where the small palace was often used for filming), Vas. Arvanity Palace in Sofia and buildings located on the street. Sekeri 1 and 1A.

As Parliament is a building at 4 Voulis Street, it will be leased to the MPs’ offices and the privately owned building in Mitropolios and Fililinen, while the listed ones are undergoing renovations. The building at 23 Phillinan Street will be relocated to the Parliament’s Scientific Service.Parliament and the Parliament’s Foundation for Parliament and Democracy.

A landmark building in Athens, the Potosaki Palace is an exemplary symmetrical corner of 20 amalia and 5 chori avenues.

It bears the signature of Andreas Plumistos, a founding member of the Hellenic Architectural Society, whose construction began in 1949 and was completed in 1958, while it was intensively renovated in 2005-2006. It has a ground floor, 6 floors and 2 basements, with a total area of ​​13,460 square meters.

The building has an unobstructed view of the national park, but the main landmarks of the city center: Lycabettus, the Parliament, Kallimarmaro, the Pillars of Olympian Zeus and the Acropolis.

Its lease is for 20 years, while it is agreed that no rent will be paid for the first three months (according to some sources, it is expected to be 100,000 euros more or less than what Eurobank offered. According to reports, the building is being rented for 380,000 euros per month.

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“A Warm November”, KNE Documentary on Polytechnic

The week we pass is historically charged, marking 50 years since the polytechnic events that “defined” our nation’s modern history. KNE cannot exist without a general “revival” of celebration and events.

His young men and women K.K.E They produced a documentary entitled “A Warm November”, borrowing from the poem of the same name written by Dimitris Ravanis-Redis.

The first screening will take place tomorrow, Thursday, November 16 at 6pm at – where else – the Polytechnic’s historic Averof Building in Patishan.

The Secretary of KNE will deliver the welcome address on the occasion. Theodoris Kotsantis.

In the documentary, viewers will have the opportunity to experience the pre-Uprising up close through documents, archival materials, animation and interviews with the “heroes” of the time, transported to the Junta era. But the days at the polytechnic unravel the thread of the heroic struggle.

They talk Ariadne AlavanouCoordinating Committee Member, O Dimitris KondikasMember of Central Committee of KKE and Secretary of Central Committee of KNE during 1972-1979. George KaragiannisJournalist, Junta-era forced student and KNE executive, AKiss Papadimas, Organizational Secretary of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of KNE during the rise of the Polytechnic, Lambros togasJournalist, working student during the Junta, O Spyros Halvatsis1967-1974 (SFEA) Vice President of the Imprisoned Exiled Resistance Fighters Association. Also, the Dimitris Koutsoubas And this Aleca paprika.

Continuation on screen….

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Landing of the French at Petrochori, Santi

It is known that the strategic relationship between Greece and France is closer than ever. Especially after the signing of the “Guidelines for the Promotion of Greek-French Military Cooperation” by the Commander-in-Chief Konstantinos Floros and France’s Chief of Defense Staff, Gen Thierry Burkhart In 2022.

Since then we have seen many joint exercises between the two countries with warplanes and warships, but also special operations forces. This year TAMS “Olympic Cooperation – 23” took place from November 13-24 at the shooting site and “PETROCHORIO” exercises with the participation of Cyprus, USA, Bulgaria and Georgia, 280 people came and for the first time the French brought with them LECLERC tanks.

I predict that they will love the Petrokorio training field and Greek hospitality so much that they will become regular users just like the Americans have been for a few years. Don’t be surprised if he joins the chariot race next year.