As long as Turkey maintains a “threat of war” option and disputes the sovereignty of Greek islands through the so-called theory of “grey zone”, Greece will not acquiesce to the neighboring country’s inclusion in the SAFE initiative, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis repeated on Thursday.
He spoke after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and following this week’s informal meeting of heads of state or government in Copenhagen to discuss how to strengthen Europe’s common defense and support for Ukraine.
The statement by the Greek leader echoes a “hardening” of Athens’ position vis-à-vis neighboring Turkey after the Union unveiled a financial instrument, SAFE, providing up to €150 billion in loans to member-states to speed up defense readiness. SAFE is an acronym for Security Action for Europe.
Third countries can also participate, something that Ankara is eager to do, a development that essentially resurrected Athens’ annoyance with a 1995 decision by the Turkish grand assembly to consider as a casus belli (an act or event that serves as a justification or provocation for war) any extension of Greek territorial waters in the Aegean beyond six nautical miles. Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which Greece and EU countries are signatories, it has a right of up to 12 nautical miles.
Asked if Europe’s intended anti-drone system also includes the European south, Mitsotakis referred to a “360-degree concept”, as denoted in European Council decisions. He also reiterated that European defense is not restricted on its eastern frontier, but includes all of the continent’s borders, “and therefore our country”.
Regardless of European-wide planning, he said national resources already protect the nation’s borders.
Finally, he said Greece will not consent to rescinding need for unanimity in approving the closing of negotiation chapters by a candidate-state, or especially for the final decision to approve membership.
