Greece will not consent to Turkey’s participation in the EU’s SAFE initiative to boost defense readiness and related industrial capacity unless it rescinds a “cause of war” threat against the country, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis again reiterated on Thursday.
He spoke from Parliament’s podium during an off-the-agenda debate at the political party leaders’ level on foreign policy issues.
Athens has clearly and repeatedly signaled to its EU partners, as well as to neighboring Turkey, that the casus belli (threat of war) dating from a 1995 resolution passed in the Turkish grand assembly is unacceptable and must be annulled if Ankara is to join the Europe-wide initiative.
Moreover, Mitsotakis repeated Athens’ standing leitmotif, namely, that the only difference between Athens and Ankara that needs resolution is a delimitation of the continental shelf in the Aegean.
“… Greece seeks agreement with all its neighbors, based on the Law of the Sea…the country actively maintains its sovereign rights in the field,” he said.
At the same time, he sharply criticized the political opposition for its attacks against his government’s policy on Greek-Turkish relations.
“Why are some people criticizing this policy of calm waters with Turkey? Do we want tensions?” he asked.
