ATHENS – Office of the National Herald – The Greek newspaper ‘Dimokratia’ tried to create an issue out of nothing this past weekend targeting the Order of AHEPA, which had successfully held its 99^th anniversary Supreme Convention in Athens last week.

In an article without a byline, the reporter ‘wondered’ why the official opposition was not invited to the Convention. But they did not ask anyone for confirmation.

The National Herald, however, did ask, contacting AHEPA’s Executive Director Basil Mossaides. In transit back to the United States, this past weekend, he sent the following brief note: “SYRIZA was invited and a surrogate came to the Grand Banquet” on July 28.

According to information obtained by the National Herald, former Prime Minister and leader of SYRIZA Alexis Tsipras had been invited to last Wednesday's Grand Banquet – which was attended by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiadis – but he replied that he would not be able to attend and that MP and former Minister Theodora Tzakri would be present instead.

Dimokratia attributes the whole issue to an alleged backstage role played by Antonis Diamataris, past Deputy Foreign Minister of Greece with responsibility for Hellenes Abroad and advisor to the Publishers of Ethnikos Kirix/The National Herald – a charge that has no connection with reality.