Athens counterattack to Turkish threats and revisionism with documents and composure

By Penelope Galliou

And Athens is pulling new diplomatic “weapons” from the drawer of the history of Turkish expansion, in order to further strengthen her unshakable arguments against Turkish provocation which goes on and on escalates. In the context of its internationalization strategy Turkish revisionism and in the effort to deeper understanding of the problem, by the general public, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs published 16 maps depicting, in a vivid and unequivocal way, the Turkish illegal, unilateral actions and accusations, as mentioned in a relevant announcement. This is, after all, the line of confrontation from the first moment Turkish absurdity against our country. The deconstruction with evidence and unshakable arguments that based solely on international law, the Law of the Sea and the rules of international legality, against all kinds of unhistorical arbitrariness and myths used by Ankara. In this context, the new strict and clear message of the government to Turkey is included that “nothing absolutely and in no way can harm our sovereign rights and our national sovereignty”.

The maps start from the status quo that was enshrined in the Treaties of Lausanne (1923) and Paris (1947).

The following are the Turkish claims, which began with the illegal licensing of the Turkish state oil company (TRAO) for the exploration of oil fields in areas of the Greek continental shelf in the North Aegean in 1973, including the attempted robbery by Greece and the responsibility for half of the Aegean in the 1980s, the theory of the “gray zones” in the 1990s, the escalation of new licenses in the Eastern Mediterranean, the acceptance as an official doctrine of the “Blue Homeland”the “Turkish-Libyan memorandum” and reach to the Turkish theory about the demilitarization regime of the Aegean islands.

“The maps document the extent of Turkish revisionism aimed at overthrow of the status qu“violating international law and international law of the sea, threatening peace, security and stability in our region,” the foreign ministry said.

Turkish ambassador: “Greece is right”

Ankara’s absurdities are provoking reactions even inside, with Athens finding an unexpected supporter within the Turkish diplomatic corps. This is the honorary Turkish ambassador Yalim Herald who in the clearest way, took the side of Greece in this endless aggressive absurdity of Ankara against our country, stating in an interview that “Greece is right”.

With a rich diplomatic biography, Yalim Eralp, who served as an advisor to Mesut Yilmaz and Tansu Ziller and, among others, served in the Turkish Permanent Mission to the United Nations and NATO, at the Washington embassies, said in an interview with while he argued that objecting to this would make Turkey an “aggressive state”.

As a scholar of international law, the Turkish ambassador referred to the Treaty of Lausanne, stressing that “Whether we like it or not, Lausanne has given Greece islands outside the three-mile zone. “It’s not enough. Because if you say that, others will say go and take the occupied islands,” he said.

New threatening crescendo Erdogan with reference to the Asia Minor catastrophe

Despite the constant denials of his untold allegations, Tayyip Erdogan did not leave his domestic nationalist audience disappointed again and from Smyrna where he went with his far-right government partner Devlet Bahceli for the EFESS 2022 exercise, he launched new direct threats against Greece.

With a new crescendo of aggression called on our country to come together to avoid the consequences of the Asia Minor catastrophe and threatened:

«We call on Greece to gather its minds, to stay away from dreams, statements and actions that will lead her to results that she will regret as it happened a century ago. Come together! Turkey will not relinquish its rights in the Aegean. “She will not stop when she manipulates the use of the rights given to her by international law on the issue of the militarization of the islands,” he underlined.

In his delirium he repeated the militarization of the Greek islands and during the popular tactic of distorting reality he called on Greece to act on the basis of international conditions!

“On this occasion, I once again call on Greece to stop militarizing the islands with a demilitarized regime, to operate in accordance with international treaties. I’m not kidding, I’m serious. “These people are determined, and when these people say something, they follow what they say,” he said.

He also referred to the Eastern Mediterranean announcing the continuation of excavations and drilling for hydrocarbons, in accordance with UN applications and international customary law as he said. “In our areas of jurisdiction we will not allow and have not allowed any plan or action to take place,” he stressed.

In the “bender” of his absurdity, the Turkish president also raised the issue of minorities, accusing our country that although it is a member of the EU. ignores its values, international law and continues to exert pressure on the Turkish minority in Western Thrace, Rhodes, Kos.

“We faced the challenges of Greece calmly. But we see that this calmness of ours was misunderstood on the other side. Turkey does not violate anyone’s rights and justice. “But she does not allow her rights to be violated,” he concluded.

G. Economou: Absolutely and in no way can affect our sovereign rights

In the repeated and escalating outbursts of Tayyip Erdogan and his government officials, the Greek side insists on opposing the composure that stems solely from its commitment to international law but also the upgraded defense power of the country as it rests. ready to defend its national sovereignty which nothing and in no way can hurt.

With a statement by the government spokesman responding to Erdogan’s new extremes Strictly emphasizes that “Unhistorical allegations and vain myths can neither challenge nor, let alone, substitute International Law and international treaties. In general, absolutely nothing can in any way harm our sovereign rights and our national sovereignty. For this We call on Turkey to stop its tactics of provocation and to realize that the only way is to communicate responsibly and honestly, in the context of international law and with the utmost respect for sovereignty. “

At the same length and placement of the Deputy Minister of Defense Nikos Hardalia who noted that “Opposite us, we unfortunately have a Turkey which shows, a constant intensifying provocative behaviorwith aggressive rhetoric, with threats of use of military force, with unbelievable and non-existent theories for claiming land or sea, actions which are a blatant violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter and are in no way compatible with good relations and friendship. “Undersecretary of Defense Nikos Hardalias remarked and clarified” to this certainly counterproductive stance, Greece responds with prudence and composure, without being carried away by the extreme rhetoric and provocative actions of Ankara, confirming the action its sovereign rights under the rules of international law “.