Papadakis submitted two clear questions to the European Commission:
- How does the Commission respond to demands for the immediate cancellation of any radar installation or new construction near the Papoura Hill monument?
- What measures will be taken to ensure uninterrupted excavations and a comprehensive study of the finds, under state responsibility and public funding?
For now, Papoura Hill stands quiet—its stones, perhaps, listening. But beneath that silence, Crete’s people continue to speak loudly, defending the soil that remembers who they were before radars, runways, and all the mode.
Crete’s rugged heart beats again with protest drums. The island’s archaeologists, local communities, and cultural defenders are rising against the installation of a radar system on Papoura Hill, a site that has yielded some of the most remarkable Minoan-era findings in recent decades.
The hill, located near Kastelli Pediados, shelters ancient remains that speak of Crete’s prehistoric past—walls, structures, and artifacts that still whisper in the dust of time. Yet, amid this quiet testimony, a very modern noise threatens to intrude: the radar for the new private Heraklion Airport, a project hailed by developers but condemned by many as a cultural crime in progress.
Heritage vs. Infrastructure
According to a formal question submitted to the European Commission by Kostas Papadakis, Member of the European Parliament for the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), the installation of the radar and its supporting works on the hill represents a direct assault on cultural heritage and the integrity of the archaeological site.
Papadakis’ statement echoes the growing outrage across Crete, where thousands of residents, joined by archaeologists and workers’ unions, have rallied to demand the cancellation of the radar project and the continuation of the excavations—this time under full state supervision and funding.
The protests go beyond heritage. Locals warn that the electromagnetic radiation from the radar could affect health and quality of life in surrounding villages, adding another layer of concern to an already heated issue.
A Clash of Values
Critics describe the decision as an act of cultural negligence, driven by the pursuit of corporate profit rather than public good. The government’s approval, they say, prioritizes business interests behind the airport project while disregarding both the archaeological significance of Papoura Hill and the human lives beneath its shadow.
“The installation threatens the monument’s integrity and the well-being of the residents,” Papadakis emphasized, calling the situation “a dual assault—against culture and community alike.”
Further unease arises from the potential link between the radar infrastructure and the existing military airfield in Kastelli, amplifying fears that Crete’s strategic position in the Eastern Mediterranean is being militarized under EU and NATO planning.
