Greek Foreign Minister Accuses Turkey Of Undermining Stability, Security In Region- Athens

ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th June, 2020) Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias accused Ankara of undermining security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and violating the sovereignty of Libya, Syria, Iraq and Cyprus, according to a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

The statement was made following his visit with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell to the town of Kastanies in Greece's Evros region, which borders Turkey.

"Today, following a brief respite due to the pandemic, Turkey has once again declared that its land borders to Europe are open. At the same time, its coastguard escorts boats laden with migrants to the Greek islands. But it also persists in undermining security and stability, as well as peace, in the Eastern Mediterranean. It has caused problems to all its neighbours. It has been continuously violating the sovereignty of Libya, Syria, Iraq and our EU partner, the Republic of Cyprus," the press release said.

According to the minister, less than four months ago, Ankara started a disinformation campaign actively encouraging people to cross the border with Greece and alleging that these borders were open and that more than a hundred thousand had already crossed into the European Union.

"This deplorable attempt to blackmail the EU into concessions, failed," the press release added.

The minister went on to say that Ankara was violating Greece's national airspace and territorial waters nearly every day, including overflights of inhabited areas in Evros and the Aegean Sea by armed warplanes. In addition, Turkey continues its drilling operations in what Cyprus claims to be its exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean and violates the UN arms embargo in Libya "in pursuit of its neo-ottoman aspirations."

At the same time, Dendias said that Greece was always open to dialogue, noting it was not prepared to "discuss under duress or help legitimize Turkey's persistent violations of legality."

"Greece has repeatedly stressed, at the highest level, its willingness to discuss this issue in good faith with Turkey and remains ready to do so. But, strictly in the framework of international law and international law of the sea. But, this can only be considered if Ankara heeds the international community's and the EU's calls to de-escalate tension, abstain from unilateral acts and return to legality," the press release added.

According to the minister, Ankara's disguising of the 19th and 20th centuries gunboats as modern drilling ships painted in red and white colors would not fool the international community. Dendias called on Turkey to abstain from its illegal gunboat diplomacy.

Relations between the two countries have long been strained by border tensions and Turkey's oil and gas exploration plans in the Mediterranean. In the latest standoff, the Turkish Petroleum Corporation announced plans to receive drilling rights in areas considered by Greece to be a part of its continental shelf and Athens slammed the move. Turkey's ambitious drilling plans were spurred by the signing of a controversial deal on maritime boundaries between Ankara and Libya's Tripoli-based government, which Athens said was yet another attempt to usurp Greece's sovereign rights. Greek Minister for National Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos said earlier in June that his country was ready for a military conflict with Turkey.