Yahoo Finance Greece Threatens German Asset Seizure Over War
The Greek justice minister has announced it may seize German state-owned property to compensate victims of a Nazi massacre more than 70 years ago.
"I'm ready to sign (the decision)," Nikos Paraskevopoulos said.
"The prime minister is aware of the views I have on the issue."
The alleged plan is to confiscate German-owned assets to compensate relatives of around 214 Greeks civilians killed in the village of Distomo by the SS in 1944.
The comments from Mr Paraskevopoulos come amid rapidly rising tension between Athens and Berlin over the renegotiation of its €240bn (£169bn) bailout.
The German government earlier accused Greece of raising WWII reparations as a diversionary tactic from its current bailout woes.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras claimed Berlin was using legal tricks to avoid paying compensation for the Nazi occupation.
But spokesmen for Germany's political and economic leadership dismissed the claim.
"It is our firm belief that questions of reparations and compensation have been legally and politically resolved," said Steffen Seibert who represents German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"We should concentrate on current issues and, hopefully what will be a good future."
A spokesman for the German finance ministry added that there was no reason to hold talks with the Greek government about reparations.
He said they would be a distraction from the serious financial issues facing Greece.
Greece's anti-austerity government, and governments before it, have previously raised complaints of war reparations.
Last month Mr Tsipras said it was a "moral obligation" to demand compensation.
He said Greece was obliged to make the call on behalf of "our people, to history, to all European peoples who fought and gave their blood against Nazism".
Anger has long been aimed at Germany over policies that led to its debt mountain and there are annual celebrations in honour of the country's defiance against the Nazi occupation.
Germany has said the issue was resolved as part of German reunification in 1990, and previous payments in 1960.
Greece is under growing pressure to open its books fully to bailout representatives in Athens and Brussels, amid fears it may run out of money within weeks.
