Turkey’s show of power intensifies its isolation, says Greek Foreign Minister Katrougalos

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Foreign Minister George Katrougalos on Monday expressed his conviction that Turkey’s actions are symbolic and the situation is under control, in an interview with radio News247.

He noted that this show of power by Turkey in the Southeast Mediterranean was not only counterproductive but actually intensified Turkey’s isolation, since these actions acted as a boomerang and were condemned by all the international community.

• Katrougalos explained that the situation was under control, which proved “how well programmed Greek diplomacy and all our actions so far have been.”
• He said that Turkey, with the expedition of the ship Fatih to Cyprus’ EEZ “is attempting to react to the significant progress there has been made in the eastern Mediterranean in terms of pushing ahead, via the law of the Sea, to delineate EEZs and establish cooperation among the states, with the EASTMED pipeline as a prime example.”

Turkey was trying to create a distraction, he added, but was failing and intensifying its isolation with these actions.
He said that the actions the neighbouring country are symbolic because they “can’t proceed with real drilling alone,” adding that “their effort is a message to say ‘we are also here’ and mostly to dispute the Cyprus Republic’s legal acquis with the concession of plots for financial exploitation to major multinational companies”.

• On the Turkish provocations in the Aegean, Katrougalos said that this is part of the effort to create grey zones, noting that this is not possible when the whole of the international community condemns them as illegal.
• He said that Greek diplomacy will not stop the effort for political dialogue, while referring to his next meeting with his Turkish counterpart in Athens, he said that such a meeting foresees the lack of provocative moves.

In this context he said that the sea routes with Turkey are proceeding and may be implemented in the summer while on the Economic Forum he said that it depends on how conditions develop.

• “Greece does not claim anything and is not willing to give away anything. It operates according to international law and is a factor of stability in the region. Turkey operates in a destabilising manner,” he said.

Asked about the acquisition of the S-400 missile system by Turkey, Katrougalos estimated that this will decide its relationship with NATO and expressed the view that the strategic dilemma facing Turkish president Recept Tayyip Erdogan is whether he will enhance his relations with Russia or chose to maintain the balances. He also estimated that if Turkey proceeds with the acquisition of S-400, it will not change the balance in the Aegean, as it will not be accompanied by the acquisition of the F-35 and revealed that Greece discussed buying the F-35 but not at present.

Source: ANA-MPA 

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