Numerous publications in the German press about the visit of the Foreign Ministry. Analena Burbok in Greece and Turkey. Reports on Turkish claims in the Aegean.
The newspaper Die Welt notes that “Foreign Minister Analena Burbok called on Greece and Turkey, NATO member countries, to settle their escalating differences” and argues that “in the Ukraine war it was once again shown how strategically necessary Turkey is for the West”. As Burbok belongs to the co-ruling party of the Greens, the German newspaper’s envoy in Athens points out: “For years, the Greens have been asking for a tougher line towards Ankara. After the Turkish attack on northern Syria Burbok – who was then head of the Greens and not in the government – demanded an end to German arms exports. For the federal elections, the Greens had devoted an entire chapter to Turkey in their program, asking, among other things, to end the refugee agreement between Ankara and Brussels. So far none of this has happened. The governing coalition probably continues the path of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was seen as Erdoğan’s advocate in the EU.”
The difficult mission that awaits Analena Burbok in Turkey is referred to Kölnische Rundschau: “Before her first visit to Turkey, Foreign Minister Analena Berbock revealed how contradictory German policy is towards Ankara. He criticized President Erdogan’s association with authoritarian leaders such as Kremlin leader Putin and Iranian President Raishi, citing ‘fundamental differences’. But almost at the same time he was glorifying Turkey as an ‘absolutely necessary partner’. Burbok is visiting Istanbul exactly one week after the deal on Ukrainian grain exports was celebrated as a success. Erdogan and his ministers know how important their country is to the West, and they will try to underline it. With less than a year to go until the elections, foreign policy offers an opportunity for positive valuation in the eyes of voters. Burbok Cavusoglu’s counterpart is sure to take advantage of the presence of the (high) guest from Germany, to intensify his criticism of the West.”
“The Gray Wolves keep an eye on the Aegean”
Detailed article on Erdogan’s ambitious diplomatic agenda on the television network’s website ZDF, which also refers to the claims against Greece: “Every now and then Turkish fighter jets penetrate the Greek airspace. Turkey openly threatens the Greeks with violence if Athens does not withdraw its troops from Greek islands in the Aegean opposite the Turkish coast. Ankara invokes international treaties of the previous century. Through Twitter, Erdogan warned the Greeks not to dream, which they may later regret. These resonate with voters. The president responds to the nostalgia of many Turks for the revival of Ottoman greatness.”
A publication of the Rheinische Post entitled “The Gray Wolves watch over the Aegean”. Among other things we read: “For months now, the Turkish government has been questioning Greek sovereignty over 22 Aegean islands. The new element is that even Crete, the largest Greek island, is considered Turkish. The Gray Wolves map shows ‘where the borders have been drawn for Turkish national consciousness’, Gray Wolves chief Yildirim said via Twitter. But Foreign Minister Cavusoglu is also exaggerating the dreams of a Great Turkey”.
The columnist notes that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had asked Erdogan to take a position on Bahtceli’s claims, but “so far Erdogan is silent. He is not expected to distance himself from Bakhceli, with whom he has co-ruled since 2018. Without the MHP, Erdogan lacks a majority in Parliament. He urgently needs the votes of Turkish nationalists for the spring parliamentary and presidential elections. Observers therefore estimate that in the coming months Erdogan will continue to incite confrontations with Greece”.
“Greece, a (border) experience” is the title of another of her reports Rheinische Post, which puns on the words “limits” and “borders” to cover the Burbock visit by focusing on Piraeus, Frontex and the debate on illegal refoulements. “Burbok is aware of the conclusion of OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office,” reports the newspaper’s envoy in Athens. “The finding accuses Frontex that its employees have been involved in the illegal machinations of the Greek coast guard and have abandoned people seeking asylum on the open sea, in rickety boats. It is even alleged that Frontex has supported the Greek ‘pushbacks’ with European taxpayers’ money. After the visit, Burbok says that European values apply to Europe’s external borders, which are also monitored by Frontex: ‘If we look elsewhere, then our values will sink into the Mediterranean. Individual incidents must be investigated’.
For the same issue the informative website Tagesschau.de of the first program of German television (ARD) notes: “Frontex is accused of indifference to the violent pushbacks of refugees into the sea by the Greek coast guard. During her visit to Athens, Foreign Minister Burbok said that this is ‘not consistent with European law’.
“Burbok honors the victims”
THE Tageszeitung (TAZ) notes that “Foreign Minister Analena Burbock commemorated the victims of the German occupation. The Green politician visited the prisons in the building of the German administration during occupation, where thousands of resistance fighters and civilians were imprisoned and tortured in the period 1941-1944. He then laid flowers at the Holocaust Memorial.” However, as the Berlin newspaper notes, “Berbok repeated the German rejection of the Greek compensation claims. He said the new German government ‘has not changed its stance from a legal point of view’. Greece, like Poland, is still demanding reparations and requesting the opening of relevant negotiations. On the contrary, for the German government, the issue is considered over.”
DW – Giannis Papadimitriou
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