ATHENS – After European Union leaders again rebuffed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ call for sanctions over Turkish provocations in the Aegean and East Mediterranean, he was mocked at home by rival parties.

Mitsotakis, who was left to say that the sanctions he wanted weren’t “an end to itself” and that he was satisfied with a warning that Turkey may face sanctions yet – in March, 2021 – left the meeting otherwise empty-handed.

Major opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, who was unseated by Mitsotakis in July 7, 2019 snap elections but had been unable to deal with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan either, immediately pounced.

Tsipras said Mitsotakis and New Democracy had suffered another “diplomatic defeat for the country,” the worst in a decade. “The government did not rise to the occasion. It is obviously unable to defend the sovereign rights and interests of the country,” he said, reported Kathimerini.

The leader of the essentially powerless center-left Movement for Change (KINAL) Fofi Gennimta said that, “The case for sanctions against Turkey by the European Council ended in a fiasco for Europe and a defeat for the government and the Prime Minister personally.”

KKE Communist leader Dimitris Koutsoumbas said the EU’s fear of provoking Erdogan, who said he would unleash more refugees and migrants on the lock through Greece and its islands was “a green light for the aggression of the Turkish government.”

Ultra-nationalist Greek Solution leader Kyriakos Velopoulos said the government was “ignorant and incompetent,” continuing the piling-on as Mitsotakis tried to present himself satisfied with the results.