One of the more eyebrow-raising quips by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras from Skopje on Tuesday was his reference to the “airport of Mikra”, the name of the Macedonia Airport of Thessaloniki prior to 1992.
Tsipras’ reference to the airport came during comments on cooperation between Greece and the recently renamed Republic of North Macedonia in the civil aviation sector.
According to later reports, the subsequent reply by government circles was that Tsipras referred to a radar installation in the Mikra district, east of Thessaloniki proper, and not within the Macedonia Airport.
Back in Greece, reactions were immediate and heated, with the opposition charging that Tsipras was attempting to renamed the Thessaloniki airport in the wake of the Prespa agreement and as a “gift” to his North Macedonian hosts. Conversely, another report said that the radar installation he was actually referring to, in terms of civil aviation traffic control, was actually on Mt. Hortiati, east of Thessaloniki.
