Greece’s debtors

[masterding]

Quotes from VOA News
"Banks will be recapitalized with 100 billion euros. Greece’s debtors will be asked to write-off half of the debts, and the European bailout fund will be ‘leveraged up’ to about a trillion euros to try to cover other indebted countries like Italy or Spain."
my question is:
Is "debtors" supposed to be "creditors"? Because Greece is a debtor iteself, and I don't think debtors have the right to write off debt. I'd like to have teachers' opinions on this.
thanks.

[BobK]

Only a creditor can write off a debt.

b

[masterding]

But VOA did say "debtors", here 's the link
Markets Rise But Questions Remain After Euro Debt Deal | Europe | English

[BobK]

You're right. VoA made a mistake*.

b

PS * Very probably. Given the Byzantine structure of modern financial instruments, I wouldn't rule out the possibility that both parties to a debt might be seen as both creditor and debtor. But when the music stops, Greece is the debtor - although there are claims that there were pre-existing debts owed to them. I don't have time to read the article - which might deal with such claims (which involve Greece having debtors).

[BobK]

PPS - i've read the article now; it's just a mistake.

b