Greece sent two military transport planes to Libya on Thursday 24 February to assist Greeks seeking to leave the country, which has been taken over by clashes between pro-democracy protesters and the security forces of Colonel Muammar Gadhafi.
The Foreign Ministry said the planes would try and evacuate as many as 300 Greeks who are working in Libya. Greeks working in remote parts of the country, such as on building sites, have found it difficult to get to an airport.
Although, there are Greeks in Libya who have vowed not to leave the country. The Orthodox Bishop of Tripoli, Theofylaktos, told Kathimerini that some 20 Greek families living in Tripoli were not thinking about leaving.
“We are all well and are watching developments with cool heads,” he said, adding that the situation was worse in Benghazi.
“The city has been taken over by protesters but the head of the Greek community, which consists of about 100 people, told me that everyone is safe.”
Greece is assisting other nationalities flee the country. Just days before, three Greek passenger ships was sent to the turbulent North African country to evacuate various other nationalities, mainly Chinese.
There were some 4,500 Chinese oil and construction workers on the ships as Greece continues to help China evacuate up to 15,000 of its citizens.
Source: Kathimerini
