Cutting of the pie of Neoriou 2024 (image from syrostoday.gr)
It was 2019 when some, within the shipyard site, in the presence of representatives of the authorities of Syros and institutional bodies, referred to their fellow citizens concerned about the environment and the health risks posed by pollution and described them as ‘human drains and reptiles who are serving interests’, urging them to “shut up” and mind their own disease and problems.
In 2024, again from the site of the shipyard, again in the presence of representatives of the authorities and institutional bodies of Syros, this time the president of the shipyard, Mr Xenokostas, spoke of “covers” of financial interests, sick people, etc., receiving the warm applause of those present! (see video at point 23: 10’)
We cannot know to whom Mr Xenokostas refers to, but since he has previously slandered us in the past, we would like to remind him that, as far as we are concerned, the slanders which he is reviving about financial interests failed in proving them to the Court of First Instance in order to win the EUR 3.000.000 requested. He will have another opportunity to prove his statements in a few days at the Court of Appeal.
Regarding the pollution of Türkiye’s waters, mentioned by Mr Xenokostas, let us tell him that, at the very least, we are interested not to pollute the planet in general. But most of our interest is the pollution of Ermoupolis, which is certainly not brought by the waters from Türkiye. We also expect Mr Xenokostas to publicly comment on the findings of the ELKETHE study on the sediments of Ermoupolis and we are wondering why he isn’t talking about them but he speaks about the sediments in Türkiye.
Incidentally, it would indeed be interesting if Mr Xenokostas provided information on the location of the shipbuilding facilities in Türkiye. Are Turkish shipyards operating in city centres, 20 m from residential areas, 100 metres from school, 200 metres from a hospital? Or do we only have this privilege? Doesn’t this require the application of strict environmental conditions, possibly stricter than those in Türkiye?
And yes, we do not want the shipyard to close, we have declared it in one thousand tonnes. Simply, we call for appropriate pollution control and public health protection measures.
That and that alone.
For the rest, we fully agree with Mr Xenokostas when he says that: “the environment concerns all of us and our children”and that “it is a very serious case to leave it to offenders and mentally ill”.
23.01.2024
The Management Board
