Ankara requests explanation from Athens over ‘impertinent’ chants at military parade

ANKARA

Türkiye has formally requested an explanation from Greece on March 25 regarding slogans shouted by some Greek army personnel during a military parade in Athens on the occasion of the Greek Independence Day, describing them as “impertinent.”

According to the sources, the incident was deemed an unacceptable attempt to undermine Turkish-Greek relations.

Greek media reported that the Greek Defense Ministry responded promptly, with the Naval Forces Command launching a disciplinary investigation into the incident in which some members of the Greek Armed Forces insulted Türkiye and Turkish Cypriots, according to widely circulated footage.

Greece’s main opposition party, the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), also denounced the slogans as being unacceptable and called for a thorough investigation into the matter.

Türkiye and Greece have improved their bilateral relations in recent years through a normalization process endorsed by the two countries’ leaders, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, respectively.

Mitsotakis is expected to visit Türkiye in the coming months for the Türkiye-Greece high-level cooperation council meeting.