Former Greek commander praises ‘leader’ Erdoğan, calls FM ‘arrogant’

ISTANBUL

Hürriyet photo

A retired Greek army officer and former chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff has said he had "to admit Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan's worth as a leader" while slamming Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu as "arrogant."
 
Speaking to the weekly Real News, retired officer Frangulis Frangos said "despite having no academic education and knowing only one foreign language,” Erdoğan had saved Turkey from heavy debt.
 
"Erdoğan is a leader that we should take as an example," Frangos said. "Turkey is developing real fast and getting more democratic."
 
"Time will show how successful he will be, though," Frangos added.
 
Frangos, however, slammed Davutoğlu for his attitude toward territorial disputes between the countries, calling Davutoglu "arrogant."
 
"An EU candidate country's foreign ministry cannot come to a NATO member nation and leave without saying when Turkey will end the casus belli [between Turkey and Greece]. How much more arrogant can you get?" Frangos said.
 
Frangos also said Turkey was "eastern and heavily affected by Islam."
 
"You cannot enter their world and you cannot explain it," Frangos was quoted as saying.

Frangos was forced to retire last year following allegations of planning a coup d'état in the Greek army.