The source, wishing to remain anonymous but speaking exclusive to Greek City Times, revealed that the first batch to go to Armenia will consist of approximately 80 Greek citizens, around 50 of Armenian heritage and around another 30 ethnic Greeks.
He also revealed that all the volunteers are coming from all parts of Greece, including Athens, Thessaloniki, Chalkidi, Crete and Thessaly.
Iakovos Stamatiadis, in speaking with Greek City Times and separately from the unnamed source, said “I cannot sit here and watch what is happening in my homeland and not fight.”
“I will go to Armenia to support my country and to fight,” the 30-year-old who arrived in Greece 28 years ago said.
When asked by Greek City Times why it is important for him to go to Armenia and fight, he said “because I put my country above all,” adding “I am angry and stressed because my country defends herself and they [Azerbaijan] are invading us.”
Reflecting on how his family is in Armenia, Stamatiadis said “they do not feel safe, they are afraid. The situation is very serious.”
“I want to say that the government has to [openly] support Armenia. I have Greek friends, I live in Greece. I know that Greek people are with us. Greeks want to go to Armenia to fight,” he said.
When asked whether these were ethnic Greeks or Armenian-Greeks, he confirmed that it was ethnic Greeks who wanted to go to Artsakh and fight.
“Let me say that Greeks are a heroic people,” Stamatiadis said.
To the Greeks of the diaspora, he said that “they are my brothers.”
“I want to say to Greeks in the diaspora that I appreciate and thank you. I am Armenian and I live in Greece. I feel myself Greek. I love Greece with all my heart. They are excellent. They are my brothers,” he said with a smile.
He also said that he would not hesitate to fight for Greece in the case of a war with Turkey.
Stamadiatis finalized his interview with Greek City Times by saying that he personally knows “30-35 Armenian-Greeks” going to Artsakh, and another “15-20 ethnic Greeks” who are also going.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads with each other over the territory of Artsakh, or more commonly known as Nagorno-Karabakh, since the Soviet Union begun collapsing in the late 1980’s.