From Tuesday onwards, positive statements from France, the State Department, the Commission and Germany were the best message against Turkish aggression.
By Antonis Anzoletos
One is the main goal of the Greek side in the face of the continuing Turkish provocation. To make it clear that any attempt at escalation in the summer will not go unanswered. The prime minister raised his voice sharply after the Brussels summit for the second time this week.
“Neighbors can deal with history and international law. But their every rhetorical adjective, their every aggressive step turns into a step of their own retreat to the margins and international isolation. We, however, live in reality and we wish, together with their name, to change their logic. “But we do not open a dialogue with the unhistorical, with the illegal and with the irrational”, he stated characteristically from the ONNED conference.
From Tuesday onwards, the positive statements that came in turn from France, the State Department, the Commission and Germany were the best message against the Turkish aggression.
A few days before the next meeting of the European Council (June 24-25), but also of the NATO Summit in Madrid (May 30-31), Tayyip Erdogan will face Greece’s allies.
It is recalled the commitment of the Prime Minister that he will ask to discuss the delinquency of Ankara from the “27” and to be included in the conclusions of the next European Council at the end of the month.
Olaf Solts on June 10, in the framework of the Summit for Cooperation in the Southeastern Mediterranean, will be in Thessaloniki and will meet for the second time with Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The Prime Minister addressed the invitation to the meeting they had in Brussels, taking advantage of the good climate, but also to the tour of the German Chancellor in the Western Balkans.
The day before, on June 9, German Foreign Minister Analena Berbock will meet in Athens with Nikos Dendias. The government is trying to strengthen its ties with Germany and put an end to the neutral position it has held so far in Greek-Turkish.
With these data, the Prime Minister continues to send strict messages to the neighbors: “True patriotism is not weighed in pompous slogans and is not measured by uniforms and fiestas. These were the “burned” logics that failed. Today the national interest requires strong alliances, and we have them. Strong defense and we build it. And of course the ability to promote everywhere, as we should and where we’s our rights that are in line with international law. That is why we keep our doors closed to challenges, but open to discussions. “Because the legal argument is also a big weapon.”
Turkey, however, insists on the non-existent narrative of the demilitarization of the Greek islands, with Tayyip Erdogan’s close ally, Omer Celik, launching a new personal attack against Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Nikos Dendias, whom he described as “aggressive.”
“Can you still talk about peace and diplomacy when the islands are militarized just below our noses? From the moment you militarize them, you change the status of the islands. “A change in the status of the islands also means opening the debate on their status of sovereignty,” Mevlüt ÇavuÅŸoλουlu said threateningly along the line drawn by showing the maps.
Violations by Turkey have become a daily occurrence. On Friday, an unmanned aircraft made two overflights over the island of Kandelioussa. In this climate, the Greek side has adopted, now in a coordinated, harsher language against the aggression of Ankara, with Nikos Dendias stating from Belgrade where he was:
“Turkey openly challenges Greek sovereignty in the Aegean islands, through non-existent allegations. I must make it clear that we categorically reject these allegations. We remain steadfast in protecting our interests. “Our interests in accordance with international law, international law of the sea, the Charter of the United Nations.”
However, last week with the statements of Kemal Kilicdaroglu it became clear that even if Tayyip Erdogan leaves the presidency next summer, Greece will not get rid of Turkey. Despite their opposition, in a mood of nationalist supremacy, he did not hesitate to call on Tayyip Erdogan to proceed with the questioning of the sovereignty of the Greek islands. The president of the “Good Party”, Meral Aksener, is moving in the same direction, just as hard.
