Syrigos Sparks Controversy Over Patriots in Karpathos: Turkey Demanded Their Withdrawal
Greek MP Angelos Syrigos signals NATO’s tacit endorsement of enhanced air defense in the Aegean as Patriot missiles leave Karpathos, replaced by Mirage jets, amid Turkish unease and strategic shifts.
New Democracy MP and professor of International Law Angelos Syrigos caused a strong reaction with his statements regarding the relocation of the Patriot air defense systems from Karpathos.
According to Syrigos, Ankara directly raised the issue of withdrawing the missiles from the remote island. His remarks came just hours after government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis informed political reporters, describing the relocation as purely an operational decision and expressing irritation over the related discussions.
Syrigos stated that the eastern Aegean islands, which according to international treaties are demilitarized to a greater or lesser extent, have been covered by anti-aircraft defenses for decades. This applied regardless of whether the systems were of American, Russian, or other origin.
NATO’s Position
As the MP explained, the significant difference in recent months is that this particular operational deployment was carried out for the first time with the Alliance’s consent. In 1979, NATO had made clear that it would not get involved in bilateral Greek-Turkish disputes. However, today, due to geopolitical developments, it has given the green light for the installation of such systems, with radar data being transmitted to the NATO headquarters in Naples.
He estimated that this constitutes an implicit acknowledgment by NATO of the need to strengthen the islands militarily. He added that the anti-aircraft coverage remains active, while the change mainly concerns the method of interconnection and information exchange.
What Changes in Karpathos
A pair of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from the 331 Squadron “Theseus” based in Tanagra will take over the position of the Patriots and redeploy to the island’s Combat Wing. Sources at the Ministry of National Defence emphasize that the relocation was made for operational reasons within Greek territory.
Regarding Cyprus, Athens will continue the rotation of F-16 missions to strengthen the island’s air defense.
Syrigos’s statements indicate that the issue of the Patriots in Karpathos remains open to interpretation, while also bringing to light Turkish reactions within NATO.
