Mitsotakis pledges 5,000 euro subsidies on Kastellorizo and rejects threats from Turkey

Island visit and liberation anniversary

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attended the 83rd anniversary of the liberation of Kastellorizo on Sunday during an official visit to the eastern Aegean. The commemoration marks 13 September 1943, when the Greek destroyer Navarchos Kountouriotis entered the harbor during the Second World War. Mitsotakis arrived on Kastellorizo on Friday afternoon and held discussions at the Megisti town hall. On Saturday, he visited the adjacent islets of Ro and Strongyli, becoming the first sitting prime minister to visit both outposts. While on Ro, he laid a tribute to Despoina Achladioti, known as the Lady of Ro, who raised the Greek flag there every morning for 40 years.

Financial incentives for residents and workers

Speaking at the official anniversary event, Mitsotakis announced a direct economic package to support Megisti and encourage permanent settlement. The government established an annual tax-free and non-seizable incentive of 5,000 euros per household, increased by 1,000 euros for each minor child. Receipt of the payment requires a minimum of one full year of completed residence on the island. Current permanent residents will receive the support in early 2027, while new arrivals will become eligible starting in 2028. Civil servants, security personnel, and armed forces members serving on Kastellorizo will receive an additional permanent wage allowance of 5,000 euros per year.

Infrastructure and island connectivity

The package complements existing local tax measures, which include a permanent 30% cut to value-added tax rates, zero ENFIA property taxes, and fuel subsidies. To improve transport links with the Dodecanese and the mainland, the government will add an extra subsidized ferry route per week starting next year. Local infrastructure initiatives cover upgrades to port facilities, municipal water networks, and desalination systems. The state also plans to renovate residential units to provide free housing for doctors and teachers posted to the island. Mitsotakis contrasted the development announcements with the 2010 address delivered on Kastellorizo by former prime minister George Papandreou, which announced Greece's first memorandum.

We were saddened by the image of 2010, with Kastellorizo chosen as the backdrop for the country's passage into the memorandums, a connection that the island did not deserve and that will be forgotten along with that period and what followed it.

Sovereign rights and relations with Turkey

Addressing regional security from Greece's easternmost territory, Mitsotakis stated that the borders of Kastellorizo represent the external boundary of the European Union. He affirmed that Athens pursues a foreign policy centered on stability, security, and consistency, following a diplomatic line established in 2019. The prime minister referenced recent diplomatic engagements, including a trilateral meeting in Cairo, alongside defense acquisitions such as the Achilles' Shield system agreed with Israel. He emphasized that Greek commitment to dialogue remains tied to strict adherence to international legality.

We threaten no one, but we do not accept threats or directives from anyone. We are ready to defend our national integrity and our sovereign rights.