Turkey Offers Greek Aid
While perhaps not on the scale of China or Russia assistance, Turkey has thrown its hat into the Troika-Greece farce by offering financial assistance to its embattled neighbor. As ekthimerini reports, "We are ready to help Greece survive its economic crisis with cooperation in tourism, energy, trade," Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said and Turkey's left-wing parties showed solidarity by adding, "we believe that apart from imposing austerity policies on peoples of Europe, there can be more reasonable agreements." While no aid has been asked fro Turkey says it is ready to evaluate options.
Turkey on Tuesday said it was "ready to help" Greece out of its escalating financial crisis as its embattled neighbor edged closer to default.
"We are ready to help Greece survive its economic crisis with cooperation in tourism, energy, trade," Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in the capital, Ankara.
"We want Greece to be strong... Therefore Turkey will be positive toward any proposal for cooperation," he said in televised comments.
Davutoglu added that a Turkish delegation would travel to Greece for a high-level cooperation meeting as soon as possible to consider joint steps on the financial crisis.
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Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said on Monday if an official proposal for financial aid is made by Greece, "we will evaluate it."
Turkey's left-wing and Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) also issued a message of solidarity with Greece, saying: "We are together with the Greek people and their government in their struggle for justice, equality and democracy and against austerity."
"We believe that apart from imposing austerity policies on peoples of Europe, there can be more reasonable agreements, which will be acceptable," said the co-chairs of HDP, considered the Turkish equivalent of Greece's ruling SYRIZA party.
It seems Greece has friends after all, and as we 'joked' previously:
Perhaps Turkey will provide the DIP?
Meanwhile, work goes on with other options... Greece hasn’t sought aid from Russia, support wouldn’t hurt, Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis tells in intw with Russia’s state TV channel Rossiya 24.
- Lack of money from EU isn’t end of world
- Greece expects EU to be reasonable, sees too much pressure from Brussels now
- Lafazanis reiterates that accord with Russia on gas link isn’t aimed at Europe
- Greece might get “hundreds of millions of euros” from Russian gas transit after link starts in 2019
