Opinion
The enthusiastic support for the USA in the first days following the devastating attack has been gradually replaced by an underlying, if not open, skepticism by America’s NATO partners, its natural allies… The skepticism did not so much concern the need for a harsh response to the terrorist attack but rather the means, the extent and the intensity of a potential US response. Given the climate that developed within the first 10 days after the terrorist strike, the security issue of the Olympic Games and the State’s fruitless fight against the November 17 terrorist organization, Greece was forced to side openly with Washington… Turkey, on the other hand, encouraged by the fact that its leverage has been upgraded because of its geopolitical position bordering on the hot spot, began seeking a tradeoff and has already – despite the fact that it is knocking on the European door – seized the opportunity to reproach the Europeans who have provided their political support to the Kurds. Given its intention to exploit the crisis, Turkey may attempt to benefit diplomatically as regards its relations with Greece, Cyprus and so on. Hence our country will find itself faced with new challenges and perhaps also provocations, although the fear of Islamic fundamentalism may put a brake on the ambitions of our neighbors. What is most alarming, however, is the constant decline in the insurees to pensioners ratio. In 1990 there were 2.46 workers for each pensioner. In 2000 there was 1.73 workers for each pensioner. Over the same period, the number of insurees fell by 216,222 people while that of pensioners rose by 564,642.
