The preservation of the positive climate and tranquility in the Aegean and Evros are its main objectives Kyriakou Mitsotakis in the meeting he will have tomorrow Monday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Greek prime minister sent his messages to the Turkish president, making it clear once again that Athens does not discuss sovereignty issues, while the only difference with Turkey is the delimitation of the continental shelf and EEZ in the Aegean.

THE Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his part, he argued in an interview that he is seeking a “package” solution, putting all the issues, which Turkey considers to exist, on the table, arguing that he wishes to have a discussion without a done deal.

Athens declares in every way that it wants the channels of communication between the two sides to remain open, in order to maintain “calm waters” in relations, especially in the Aegean.

However, there are many “thorns” and recently additional issues have been raised. More detail:

Thorn 1: The difference in approach to dialogue. Athens recognizes a difference, the demarcation plateau and EEZ. Ankara insists on its standard tactic of raising a series of issues and demanding an agreement on everything together.

Thorn 2: The questioning by Ankara of the sovereignty of Greek islands and islets in the Aegean, on the occasion of the creation of marine parks announced by Greece, in the context of environmental protection.

Thorn 3: The conversion of the Monastery of Chora into a mosque. Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his strong displeasure, stating that he will raise the issue with the Turkish president.

Thorn 4: The inclusion of the “Blue Country” in school books in Turkey.

Mitsotakis’ message to Erdogan

“I think we should talk more to each other, instead of talking about each other. Greece has always resolved disputes through good faith dialogue and in accordance with International Law and good neighborly relations. Greece does not threaten anyone. And I would like to repeat that we are neighbors, not enemies” pointed out Kyriakos Mitsotakis and added that “we owe it to the Greek and Turkish people and to the next generations to continue on a constructive course”.

However, the Greek prime minister pointed out that “this is not the easy road. It is a difficult road and there will be obstacles. But I see no reason why we should not try, when previous leaders of our countries have succeeded, under much more difficult circumstances. Improving relations will benefit both peoples and the region.”

At the same time, he said that “Greece and Turkey face common challenges. Migration, climate change, natural disasters require mutual understanding and cooperation more than ever.”

Asked about the issue with the marine parks and the reactions caused on the Turkish side by Greece’s initiative in the Aegean and Ionian, Kyriakos Mitsotakis commented that “there has been too much discussion about an initiative that is purely environmental” and “which is based on International Law and the Law of the Sea”. “Our countries face common challenges, such as climate change, and this should be an area of ​​cooperation,” he stressed.

Regarding the Cyprus issue, the prime minister stated that “I hope that the improvement of Greek-Turkish relations will lead to the resumption of talks on the Cyprus issue, which is also an EU matter. Regarding Cyprus, I want to be clear: a solution must be based on decisions of the UN Security Council”.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis also expressed his desire to see the two neighboring countries “cooperate in trade, in the economy, start joint ventures, work together against major challenges of our time. And I hope that the ties between the two peoples will have become stronger and will not depend on the governments on both sides of the Aegean. I hope that we will have settled our difference, the delimitation of maritime zones in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, which will release a new dynamic in our relations and peace and security in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

Finally, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the decisions of the Turkish authorities to operate both the Byzantine Monastery of Chora as a mosque and Hagia Sophia.

“I am very disappointed by the recent decision of the Turkish authorities to operate the Byzantine Monastery of Chora as a mosque, as well as by the earlier related decision for Hagia Sophia. These decisions run counter to the universal character of the monuments and our common effort to foster mutual understanding. What we need to do is work towards constantly building more bridges between our peoples.”

The program of the meeting

The meeting of the prime minister with the Turkish president in Ankara is scheduled for tomorrow Monday at 15:30.

Extended talks by the delegations and statements by the two leaders to the press will follow, around 18:00.

The Prime Minister will then attend a dinner hosted by the President of Turkey.

Its departure is expected at 20:30 to 21:00.