World View: Greek PM Warns Nation's Democracy in Danger from Far Right

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com:

• Turkey issues new military threats to Syria
• Greece warns that Greece’s democracy is in danger from neo-Nazi party

Greece warns that Greece’s democracy is in danger from neo-Nazi party

Greece’s prime minister Antonis Samaras that far-right activists,including the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, have Greece teetering on theedge of collapse Government officials were shocked on Thursday by theunprecedented storming of Greece’s defence ministry by hundreds ofprotesting dockworkers – a breach of security not seen in moderntimes. On Friday, Samaras lashed out at “those who don’t understandthe meaning of law and order.” 

“The government is waging a battle on all fronts forthe nation’s credibility and its future so that the sacrificesmade by Greeks aren’t lost,” he continued. “I will not allow the country to becomea free-for-all.”

On Tuesday, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Athens inwhat is considered a show of support for Samaras, and a softening ofher previous hard-line position on Greece, which provoked Greekcartoonists to portray her in a Nazi uniform. In announcing Merkel’svisit, Samaras said:

We will continue our struggle with courage anddecisiveness for the good of this country.

I am very glad that the German chancellor has accepted myinvitation. It is very positive and we will receive her as befitsa leader of a great power and friend [of Greece].

Samaras also urged all Greeks to work together, saying he was “sad tosee those who try to discredit the country, from all political sides.

Greece will run out of money and go bankrupt if it hasn’t received itsnext 31.5 billion euro bailout payment by the end of November.Guardian and Guardian

Turkey issues new military threats to Syria

Turkey’s prime minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Syria not tomake a “fatal mistake” in a speech on Friday: 

We are not interested in war, but we’re not far fromwar either. This nation has come to where it is today having gonethrough intercontinental wars.

Those who attempt to test Turkey’s deterrence, its decisiveness,its capacity, I say here they are making a fatalmistake.

Cabinet minister Egemen Bagis referred to Turkey’s restraint whenSyria shot down a Turkish war plane in June:

If Turkey had been a country that was interested ingoing to war, when the plane was downed it could have used that asan excuse and flattened Syria.

Thankfully Turkey’s military power today is at the point where itcould destroy Syria within a few hours. But we don’t have anyproblem with the Syrian people.

At least two mortar bombs fired from Syria landed in farmland inTurkey on Friday, but there are unconfirmed reports that the Syrianregime has told its military to stay at least 10 kilometers away fromthe border with Turkey. Reuters and Zaman (Istanbul)

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