Greek opposition leaders in Istanbul

Greece's two opposition party leaders, SYRIZA's Stefanos Kasselakis and PASOK's Nikos Androulakis, have arrived in Istanbul to attend the Epiphany ceremonies. This ceremony commemorates the anniversary of the baptism of Jesus. Both leaders are in Istanbul to attend this religious ceremony, visiting the city separately.

According to a report by Stelyo Berberakis from T24, during the Epiphany ceremonies, a cross is thrown into the sea following church services, and volunteers dive in to retrieve it. The ceremony is held in Orthodox churches around the world. Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Giorgos Kotsiras also arrived in Istanbul to represent the country at the ceremony.

SYRIZA, led by Stefanos Kasselakis, has fallen behind PASOK in polls following internal issues. The competition between the two parties has turned into a race to be the "main opposition party" and to see "who is more nationalist."

As part of his Istanbul program, a meeting between Stefanos Kasselakis and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is planned for Sunday. Furthermore, the fact that Kasselakis and Androulakis are visiting Patriarch Bartholomew separately has been interpreted as a result of the strained relations between them.

News Source: 12punto