The Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is scheduled to meet with the families and representatives of the three officers who lost their lives during the military crisis that took place at the Imia islet eighteen years ago.
During the 1996 military crisis between Greece and Turkey over the Aegean islet, a Greek Navy helicopter crashed over Imia, resulting in the death of Greek officers Panagiotis Vlachakos, Christodoulos Karathanasis and Hector Gialopsos.
A minute of silence in memory of the three officers was observed in Parliament, at the proposal of presiding MP Kalantzis after a discussion with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Venizelos and ANEL leader Kammenos.
A special memorial service was also held at the Navy’s helicopter base at Kotroni near Marathon, where the Minister of National Defense Dimitris Avramopoulos was present.
