Greece MEP fined $2,500 for ripping up Turkey flag

Member of European Parliament Ioannis Lagos will lose seven days of his daily allowance and his parliamentary activities will be suspended for four consecutive days after he ripped apart a Turkish flag, European Parliament President David Sassoli announced yesterday.

"#EuropeanParliament President David Sassoli began sanction procedures against #FarRight Greek MEP Ioannis Lagos for ripping apart a #Turkish flag"
Lagos is the leader of #neoNazi National People's Conscience, a splinter party that emerged after the disintegration of #GoldenDawn. https://t.co/Pf6cVcDyfX

— Vassilis Tsarnas (@VassilisTsarnas) January 31, 2020

Lagos’ financial penalty for using insulting language and tearing apart a national symbol, totals €2,261 (about $2,469), Anadolu reported.

Greek MP Ioannis Lagos tears up the Turkish flag at European Parliament during a session re: the large number of refugees on Greek islands: “Here we have the Turkish flag… What can you do with this flag? Well, you can tear it up.” pic.twitter.com/T78XUCLR60

— Samira Ghaderi (@Samira_Ghaderi) January 31, 2020

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and the European Parliament’s Turkey rapporteur Nacho Sanchez Amor condemned Lagos’ act.

In a statement on Twitter, Cavusoglu called the far-right MEP a “spoiled, racist brat”.

“These racist heads know best how we break the hands reaching our flag, and how we drive them to the sea,” Cavusoglu said.

Şanlı bayrağımıza uzanan elleri nasıl kırdığımızı, denize nasıl döktüğümüzü en iyi bu ırkçı kafalar bilir. Avrupa’nın şımarık, ırkçı çocukları hadlerini bilsin. Avrupa İslam karşıtlığı ve ırkçılığa artık dur demeli. pic.twitter.com/D9dSdeQa2m

— Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (@MevlutCavusoglu) January 30, 2020

Last year, Turkey condemned the burning of Turkish Cypriot flag during protests in the Greek Cypriot side on the foundation anniversary of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Northern Cyprus FM: EU cannot stop Turkey in Eastern Mediterranean