Greek police using masked migrants to forcibly push other migrants back across border BBC (April 14) Police in Greece have been recruiting migrants to violently push other migrants back across its land border with Turkey, according to wide-ranging evidence uncovered by the BBC. We have seen internal police documents in which guards describe how the recruitment of so-called mercenaries was ordered and overseen by senior officers. Our findings reveal allegations of brutality, with witnesses reporting migrants being stripped, robbed, beaten and even sexually assaulted. It has been claimed that mercenaries have been unofficially employed on the border since at least 2020. read more
Greece’s Antikythera Mechanism upends timelines of technology The Jerusalem Post (April 14) An analysis of the Antikythera Mechanism’s calendar ring sharps how precisely the ancient device tracked time. Researchers concluded in 2024 that the ring likely contained 354 to 355 holes, an almost exact match for the lunar year. The study from the University of Glasgow applied techniques adapted from those used to study black holes. It built on attempts to recreate the mechanism that prompted a fresh look at its surviving fragments. Joseph Bayley, one of the researchers, said that previous studies had suggested the calendar ring tracked the lunar calendar, but that deploying two independent methods “greatly increased the likelihood” of this being correct and gave him “a new appreciation for the Antikythera Mechanism and the precision of its Greek craftspeople,” in a press statement, according to Popular Mechanics. read more
Turkish foreign minister criticizes Greece-Cyprus-Israel cooperation Ekathimerini (April 13) Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday criticized Greece and Cyprus over their cooperation with Israel, warning it could heighten regional tensions, in an interview with Anadolu news agency. “Cooperation between Greece, the ‘Greek Cypriot Administration’ and Israel does not bring more trust, it brings more mistrust. It brings more problems and war,” he said. Fidan argued that Athens is pursuing “extremely dangerous policies,” adding: “There are very interesting aspects in Greece’s attempt to pursue a kind of policy that no other country in Europe follows alone.” read more
Greece ‘shapes its foreign policy independently, does not accept instructions’ Ekathimerini (April 13) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday responded to remarks by Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, stressing that cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Israel is aimed at stability and has “a peaceful purpose.” “Greece shapes its foreign policy independently, it does not accept instructions, nor does it owe explanations to anyone,” the ministry said. The ministry added that Greece has consistently worked for peace and good neighborly relations, noting that “alarmism and attempts to distort reality are not helpful, especially during this period of regional instability and uncertainty.” read more
Disease and division threaten Halloumi in new Cyprus-Turkey spat Politico (April 10) To get a grip on a deadly animal plague — and save Cyprus' famous Halloumi cheese — the country's farmers are willing to do whatever it takes, including slaughtering entire herds. But only if the Turkish Cypriots who share the island are willing to do the same. For the virus driving a highly contagious outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, the 180-kilometer demilitarized zone that has separated the Republic of Cyprus from the Turkish-controlled north since 1974 is completely irrelevant. However, approaches to reining it in vary depending on which side of the so-called Green Line you're on: The Republic of Cyprus imposes EU regulations and orders the culling of entire herds if even one animal in one unit is infected. The Turkish north is not obliged to do so. read more
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