Crete is a special island, we’ve said this many times. And of course, everyone in the world knows about the recent confrontations between the Turkish armed forces and the Hellenic military. But when a little flotilla of fishing boats set said from Myrtos with provisions from home, the character of the Greeks was the big deal.
Laden with fresh home-made food, vegetables, and other supplies, a tiny pod of fishing vessels sailed out to the Hellenic Navy frigate “Limnos” as a token gesture of gratitude to the sailors defending Greek waters.
The scene and the sentiment these Cretans showed, is but one touching move of both patriotism and kindness. For those unfamiliar, the Limnos is the ship that collided with (rammed some say) a Turkish warship recently, only to depart the incident undamaged and unscathed.
Local people near Ierapetra worked fast to gather what they could to ferry out to the sailors, once they heard the navy vessel was present in the aters off South Crete. The Cretans brought baked dishes of pastitsio, mousaka, spaghetti, pizzas, souvlaki, and grilled fish, along with liters and liters of crystal clear drinking water.
The video below from Open News (in Greek) shows the fishing vessel ferrying Crete goodies to the sailors aboard Limnos.
Some residents and shopkeepers donated vegetables freshly picked from their backyard, while others offered bottles of fresh water, soft drinks, and other items they thought might help the Hellenic Navy sailor protecting their shores.
Cretans are adamant about repulsing the advances of Turkish leaders against what the Greeks say are the country’s territorial waters. The Turkish claims tend to wipe islands like Crete off the map, at least as far as Turkish President Recep Erdogan is concerned.
The United States and some other NATO allies of Greece and Turkey are trying to ride the fence on the recent issues and conflict. The New York Times straddles the issue similarly with their editorial board’s contention that both countries are at fault, and that both nations have let things go too far.
Meanwhile the Turkish rhetoric and the leadership’s actions have been ratcheted up for some time now. The Chairman of Turkey’s National Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, was just cited saying that Greece has been a “malignant tumor” that has been bothering Turkey since 1821, the year the Greek War of Independence began.
The implications are not lost on the Greeks, I might add. Turkish Vice President, Fuat Oktay has called for war over the issue of territorial waters, and his Greek counterparts have pretty much said: “bring it on.” TIME Magazine gives a better overview of the situation, but the key takeaway should probably be to lay off maritime nations in their own waters, especially if you have a crappy navy.
Sorry, I try to be objective, but it had to be said.
Partially sourced from Greek Reporter