Ankara using refugee flows to hurt Greece

Costas Karamanlis' recent talks in Thessaloniki and London have triggered a lot of discussion. This was only to be expected given the suddenness of his reappearance; a lot was written and said about the matter, and many questions were raised. Meanwhile, the former conservative prime minister's supporters were delighted by his presence on the political scene.

But according to reliable sources, nothing shady or complicated is going on. Karamanlis is not trying to become president, nor is he seeking to form a new grouping within the New Democracy party; he is simply concerned at developments regarding Greek-Turkish relations and the refugee/immigration crisis, as he tried to highlight during his talks.

Hopefully Karamanlis' actions will serve as a wake-up call for the political class regarding the gravity and urgency of the matter. Recent statements and comments from the...