Unknown assailants tried to set fire to the Greek Consulate building in Smyrna on New Year’s Eve, a Kathimerini newspaper report says.
The “Emmanouil Kapetanakis” house on the historic waterfront of Smyrna, is the building that has been hosting the Greek Consulate since 1955. The issue came to light following reports by Syriza MP Andreas Michailidis, according to Kathimerini.
“The historic Greek Consulate of Izmir building was the subject of an arson attempt on New Year’s Eve, with the Turkish authorities showing an impassive attitude towards the act,” the MP stated during a visit to Smyrna for the Epiphany feast, adding that “Greece honors the friendship with its neighbors but knows how to stand up to the challenges and respond in the way that international law requires.”
Consulate officials spoke of a “sad but isolated incident already under investigation by Turkish authorities to identify the perpetrators.”
The consulate building was recently renovated to upgrade its services.