The Deputy Minister of Sports, Yannis Oikonomou, speaking on Saturday morning on the SKAI show “Kalimera”, with George Autias, emphasized that “Greece has become very strong militarily, geostrategically and geopolitically, negotiating from a position of strength with Turkey.

The Prime Minister is seeking a leap, to reach an agreement with the Turks at some point on the one difference, which we recognize as existing. He is pursuing this because throughout the previous period he managed with his policy to greatly strengthen the country -strategically, geostrategically, geopolitically – and now with confidence and from a position of power he tells the Turks that what they said about demilitarization, about “Blue Homelands”, is not they go nowhere.

Greece is committed to its national interests, it has its national lines and they do not cross anywhere. It is to our advantage, in order to avoid tension, to attempt to resolve in the manner prescribed by International Law – and nothing else – the only difference we recognize. If the Turks retreat in this direction, we believe that this will be a gain for both countries. In order to go to The Hague, many steps must be taken.

The Turks must also realize that The Hague can only deal with one issue – this difference that we recognize and nothing else – and put aside all the rest that they used to say from time to time. The steps taken by the Greek State are careful, calculated and calculated, always in the direction of defending national interests, our sovereign rights, our national lines. Appeal to The Hague is a permanent principle of Greek foreign policy.

The fact that today our Homeland, Greece, the Government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis can discuss this way out – a positive way out – is mainly due to the fact that our Greece has become very, very strong. The country has become very strong. We do not discuss with Turkey anything else that may affect our sovereign rights, the permanent principles of Greek foreign policy and those that are not subject to negotiation based on International Law and the Law of the Sea, those that apply throughout the world.”