Competent sources estimate that throughout the last period and despite the verbal aggravation of Turkish officials towards Greece and Cyprus, the de-escalation in the field is clear, however this does not mean that Turkey is changing its policy.
By Penelope Galliou
Firmly oriented towards the observance and the principles and values of International Law and the Law of the Sea, Greece insists on pursuing peace and stability in the wider Mediterranean region by remaining a pillar of stability, in the face of Turkish provocation and Ankara’s illegal claims. At a time when Turkey repeats its non-existent and illegal disputes over the sovereignty of Greek islands and at the same time decides to escalate the tension in the field of the Eastern Mediterranean, warning about investigations of the new floating drilling rig “Abdul Hamit Khan” and perhaps recalling the turbulent summer of 2020 , when he has taken out the research paper Oruc Reis in the Aegean, at the limits of Greek territorial waters, for hydrocarbon research.
Competent sources estimate that throughout the last period and despite the verbal aggravation of Turkish officials towards Greece and Cyprus, the de-escalation in the field is clear, however this does not mean that Turkey politics is also changing. Besides, the internal impasses of Tayyip Erdoğan and his government are so many and reflected so ominously in the polls, that both the Turkish president himself and his colleagues in the seats of the Turkish government will take full advantage of the nationalist outbursts to attract and to maintain the respective Turkish audience.
In any case, and while the question remains as to the area where the Turkish drilling rig will move, i.e. inside or outside the Turkish continental shelf, experts and analysts estimate that the summer of 2022 has nothing to do with the corresponding hot summer of 2020, putting forward the strengthened international position of Greece and its very important agreements with the USA and France, which make it a strong ally and partner and a pillar of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Greek side, however, is clear that it will continue on the path it is following throughout the crisis in Greek-Turkish relations and the escalation of Turkish challenges, with Nikos Dendias during the “Law of the Sea” Conference held in Kastellorizo to focus exclusively and firmly on the observance of international Law.
“Greece has always been a strong supporter of International Law and an international order based on rules. We are making every possible effort to promote the benefits of an attitude of adherence to international law in interstate relations, in accordance with the principles enshrined in the UN Charter” noted the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He explained that “Greece is against any threat or use of force to resolve maritime disputes, being firmly committed to the principle of peaceful resolution of international disputes. We consistently develop our policies and actions based on International Law and in particular UNCLOS, which reflects customary international law.”
On this basis, as Mr. Dendias reminded, “Greece has concluded Agreements on the demarcation of maritime zones with its neighbors. Greece and Italy concluded in June 2020 the Agreement on the delimitation of their maritime zones. Two months later, in August 2020, Greece and Egypt signed an Agreement providing for the partial demarcation of their exclusive economic zones. Both agreements were concluded in full compliance with the relevant provisions of UNCLOS.”
However, contrary to the observance of International Law and all the conditions that govern it, Ankara insists on arbitrarily using the occasion of its strong annoyance with the American “block” in the market and upgrade of the Turkish F16s, if Turkey does not stop uses them for violations and overflights in the Greek islands. The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu insisted on his non-territorial claims for the sovereignty of the Greek islands stating that “it is not possible to say “yes” to a procedure for Greek airspace. What do you mean when you say Greek airspace? There are islands which Greece says are its own, islands and islets whose ownership status is not clear and which have not been ceded by agreements,” he claimed.
On the other hand, the Turkish Foreign Minister made it clear that Turkey will continue to violate Greece’s airspace, as it recognizes 6 nautical miles of airspace for Greece and not 10. He also warned that even if Turkey receives from the US F- 16 will not obey.
Vice Prime Minister Erdogan was equally provocative, Fuat Oktai, announcing drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean to begin in August.
With a strong symbolic character choosing the occupied territories, where it was found, the vice president Fuat Oktay, during his speech on the anniversary of the invasion of Turkish forces in 1974 in Cyprus, stated that Turkey “plans its new drilling rig to start its work in Mediterranean next month. We resolutely defend our rights, as well as the rights and interests of our Turkish Cypriot brothers in the Eastern Mediterranean against any provocation and illegal action” he said while defiantly noting that “hydrocarbon sources in the Mediterranean are not only the game of the Greek Cypriots” and expressed Ankara’s extreme position on Cyprus, as it claimed that “Varosia is the territory of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”. Let them know this,” he concluded.
Against Ankara’s new warnings, Athens, always mindful of Turkish revisionism, declares its full readiness and determination against any Turkish plan, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, made clear in an interview: “Turkey is leaning towards revisionism. One would not think that Turkey’s general behavior over the last extended period of time is one that is consistent with international law and consistent with the treaties. We should always be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. In any case, the Turkish side has several times exceeded the dug-in” he commented.
View the news feed and get the latest news.
