SV8/TA3J - Lesvos Island

A statement from the HELLENIC REPUBLIC, Ministry of Digital Policy, Telecommunications & Media:

We would like to inform you that although our department cannot comment on the security reasons for the law enforcement officers’ actions, there is no requirement of earlier permission or fee involved for tourist radio amateur operation for those coming from CEPT member countries. We provide you the relevant passage from regulation nr. 38200/1136 (Government Gazette Issue No 1969/Β/2-9-2011) :
Article 22
“Holders of foreign radio amateur licenses, issued according to the Recommendation T/R 61-01 of CEPT”
1. Holders of a foreign applicable radio amateur licence issued under Recommendation T/R 61-01 of CEPT and being declared on the licence may operate a radio amateur station according to the respective radio amateur Category of their foreign licence, during their temporary stay in Greece and not more than three (3) months, with no requirement for the issue of a Greek licence.
2. During their temporary stay, the radio amateur who is a holder of a foreign license, issued under Recommendation T/R 61-01 of CEPT, may also install a “fixed” station, with no requirement for the issue of a Greek licence. However, in this case, the applicable technical provisions for the installation of a Greek radio amateur fixed station shall apply, including, as appropriate, the provisions about licensing of antenna construction.

73,
Berkin AYDOGMUS, TA3J

This year my wife and me planned a holiday in Lesvos Island. We took the ferry boat from Ayvalik to Lesvos Island. The holiday was arranged between 14th and 17th of August 2017. As a radio amateur I took the equipment listed below with me:
ICOM IC-718 (With ICOM HM-36 ELECTRET CONDENSER MICROPHONE), MW MEAN WELL SP-500 (POWER SUPPLY), MFJ DELUXE VERSA TUNER II, HOMEMADE LONG-WIRE ANTENNA, 10 METER LONG COAXIAL CABLE, 3 CONNECTERS, 30 METER LONG LINEN ROPE, YAESU FT-530 DUAL BAND FM TRANSCEIVER
At the Turkish Customs (Ayvalik), the officer asked about the the papers and I showed him the invoices of my equipment and my radio amateur licence. Then, we entered the ferry boat and had a very nice trip to Lesvos Island. At the Greek Customs (Mytilene), the officer also asked about the papers, and I showed her the invoices of my equipment and my radio amateur licence. After this, we entered the island without any problem. With the car we rented, we went to the Heliotrope Hotel. At the hotel reception, I explained that I was a radio amateur and told that this was a hobby all around the world. I told them that I have all the invoices and licence with me in order to use amateur radio. I asked for an appropriate place to put my homemade long-wire antenna. Officers at the reception gave me permission and they sent technical service staff to help me, who had knowledge about amateur radio. I showed him my equipment. According to his recommendations and his help, we connected my antenna between the two balconies. I thanked to him. I decided to check the antenna later. My wife and I returned to the Mytilene city center for the city tour and dinner. After a very nice day we returned to the hotel at night.
Same night, 14th of August 2017, I wanted to test my antenna and turned on my radio. But it did not work properly. The place the antenna was connected was a closed place. Since I didn’t have another option, I decided to disconnect the antenna and did so early in the morning (15th of August). I collected all the equipment, cables and antenna and put them in the suitcase. I decided not to try amateur radio again and to spend the time for seeing the island.
15th of August 2017 we went to Mantamados, Mithymna, Petra and Kalloni. At night we were in the hotel.
16th of August 2017 we went to Sigri. We visited Petrified Forrest Museum. It was a very interesting museum and we really liked it. Sigri was a typical, lovely small town. We took a lot of pictures, had a delicious lunch in a local restaurant (Remezzo) with a wonderful view. The owners and the workers of the restaurant were very hospitable.
When we returned to our hotel late in the afternoon about a half a dozen of men came to us and surrounded the car. They said that they were coming from the Mytilini Police Department. They asked for our passports and the auto licence and took them. They asked us to move away from the car. After we asked, one of them showed his identification card. All of the policemen worked together to search the car: inside the car, the baggage, the place where the spare tyre was, the front of the car where the motor is, the doors. They checked all our personel bags, packages, and even the eyeglass cases. They checked the bag which had nuts (cereza) in it. They checked my camera bag. They wanted to see the photos I had taken and looked at all of our personel photos. This was the first time in our lives!!! When we asked the reason of these things, they said that it was a routine control. It was a very humiliating thing to be checked in front of the hotel, in the street like a criminal. Everything looked like a movie scenario. It was very stressfull for us and caused anxiety. The policemen could have done this in a more unhurried way. Everthing looked like a military exercise. After they finished, they said that they were waiting for another police, and that he would give us information about all these things.
After some time, the awaited policeman arrived. The policeman said that someone had given a notice about me and insistently asked me whether I had something illegal with me. According to my opinion the hotel administration had given this unfounded notice. I told the policeman that I do not have anything illegal either with me or in my room. I said that I was a radio amateur and I have brought my equipment with me. The policemen wanted to see the equipment with five policemen we went to the hotel room. In the room our baggages, the closets were searched. Policemen took all of my equipment (10 meter long coaxial cable, 3 connectors for replacement, and even the 30 meter long linen rope). The policemen asked us to go with them to the Central Police Station. With the police vehicles we were taken to the Central Police Station in Mytilene.
At the Central Police Station policemen asked us the purpose of our travel and what I was doing with amateur radio equipment. I told them that we were in a touristic holiday. I told that according to the rules of CEPT and the published information of RAAG I wanted to use my amateur radio. In addition to our passports, I gave my radio amateur licence, HAREC Document (HA-00158-0018), and the licences and the invoice of my equipment. They took photocopies of all of them. They took photos of my equipment, coaxial cable, connectors and the linen rope. They were either anaware of amateur radio activity or they pretended that did not know. This made me very very sad. I gave the names of Greek radio amateur members I knew from RAAG and SZ8LSV (E.P.B.A.) amateur radio clubs and I said that they can get information about me from them. They said that they would call but did not do so. I told that I had arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease and had a coronary artery by pass graft operation. We sat for 3 hours on a chair and answered many questions asked by many policemen. At last, the leader policeman told us that we can return to our hotel and can take our equipment, but then he added that we have to come back to the Central Police Station at 9:00 o’clock in the morning with all of the equipment. He explained that another office, which was not working in the nightshift was going to check our equipment. With a taxi we returned to our hotel.
We had a very restless night. We decided to get in touch with the Turkey’s Rhodes Consulate General if the problem prolonged and ask for help. Next morning (17th of August 2017) we went to the Central Police Station with all of the equipment. They just asked us to wait. They did not let us to ask anything. We waited for two hours. At last a policeman said that we could go, we could take all of our equipment with us, we could leave Lesvos Island and he said that he guaranteed that there won’t be an any problem at the customs. The policeman said that what I did was wrong, and I should have applied the police center two months earlier for permission and I should have paid 60 Euros as tuition. Then he added that this was the first time that I attempted to use my transmitter in Lesvos Island and they were just informing me and would not ask me to pay tuition. Because I did not want to have another problem I left the Central Police Station. Same afternoon we took the ferry boat to leave Lesvos Island and returned to Ayvalik.
Now, I am asking…

How is amateur radio activity done in Lesvos Island? According to CEPT regulations or something else?
Greece is one of the members of CEPT countries and signed

http://www.erodocdb.dk/docs/doc98/Of...Pdf/TR6101.pdf
and
RAAG
http://www.raag.org/displayITM1.asp?ITMID=11&LANG=EN
this information can be found at the above links. My amateur radio activity was done according to these rules and regulations. But, why was I kept and questioned at the Central Police Station for five hours?
I had been to Greece and to islands many times earlier. I have many Greek friends, and some of them are radio amateurs. I think that Greece and the islands are very beautiful: sea, beaches, food, friendly people etc… What I lived in my last travel won’t change my opinion… We are sharing the same sea between us. I love Greece and Greeks.
What is bothering me is the behavior I had to face in Lesvos Island related to my amateur radio activity. I did not deserved this. I shall never forget this. I used my amateur radio in many countries and never in my life faced anything like this and was never so sad. But, I am glad that the problem was solved in less than 24 hours.
I believe in that, another radio amateur coming out of Lesvos Island and trying to do his amateur radio activity will face the same things. Is amateur radio activity an illegal activity in Lesvos Island, a member of CEPT?
The only reason for me to share what I lived is to warn and inform radio amateurs from CEPT countries who are planning to go to Lesvos Island for radio amateur activity, beforehand.
73,
Berkin AYDOGMUS, TA3J (A radio amateur from a CEPT member country, Turkey)

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SV8/TA3J - Lesvos Island

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SV8/TA3J - Lesvos Island