The position that the normalization of Greece's relations with Turkey presupposes respect for international law, was expressed by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, in an interview with the newspaper “Vradyni tis Kyriakis”.
“Prospects for normalization of our relations with Turkey would exist on the condition that Turkey respects international law, stops threatening our country with war if it exercises its legal rights, and violates basic provisions of the Charter of “United Nations”, said Mr. Dendias.
As he noted, Greece wants to maintain open channels of communication with its neighbor, however, regarding issues of national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, there can be no compromise and retreat.
“Despite the climate of tension that Turkey continues to cultivate both in the field and in terms of rhetoric, we consider it expedient to maintain open channels of communication with the neighbor. “We advocate, however, a conditional consultation with Turkey under International Law and the Law of the Sea, always in the context of the full protection of our sovereignty and our sovereign rights”, the Greek Foreign Minister underlined.
Mr. Dendias argued that “the policy of today's Turkey has nothing to do with the policy of rapprochement with Europe.”
Referring to Turkey's “neo-Ottoman expansionist policy”, he argued that the neighboring country was taking “completely unacceptable actions” that “violate any notion of international law and common sense”.
One of the most typical examples among many was the harassment, last September, by Turkey of the research vessel “Nautical Geo”, which was located in a demarcated Greek exclusive Economic Zone, 10 nautical miles east of Crete, claiming that the “This point is a Turkish continental shelf,” he said.
Referring to the regional cooperation schemes in which Greece participates, Mr. Dendias noted that “Greece does not want to exclude Turkey from the regional cooperation schemes, of course, provided that Turkey meets the terms and conditions for participation in these schemes.”
“We know, after all, that a significant part of Turkish society is still looking forward to its European perspective. “Greece's 'consent' to irrational neo-Ottoman demands is unthinkable,” he said.
Asked about the exploratory talks and the possibility of a joint Greek-Turkish appeal in The Hague, the Greek Foreign Minister said that the framework set by Greece for the exploratory contacts was clear.
“There should be no research activity within the Greek EEZ and in accordance with the directions given by the European Council itself, to continue substantially where we left off in March 2016, ie to make progress on the issue of defining the EEZ and the Continental Shelf in the Aegean and in the Eastern Mediterranean. “We always have an honest, constructive disposition for exploratory contacts,” he explained.
However, as he said, “at the moment, unfortunately, through [Turkey]'s fault, we have a 'deaf' dialogue.”
“As far as the possibility of appealing to the International Court of Justice in The Hague is concerned, the Greek firm position is that we can discuss the Continental Shelf and the Exclusive Economic Zone. We do not discuss anything else. If and when there are convergences, then at a later stage there will be either a negotiation or an agreement on a joint referral to The Hague. That was it and it always remains the framework. It is clear, it is limited “, concluded Mr. Dendias.
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