Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is determined to bring Turkey’s provocations to the agenda of the European Union and the next summit in June an dis confident to secure EU’s support against Ankara’s plans to drill off the Greek islands.
On Wednesday, Mitsotakis sent letters to the President of European Council Charles Michel and to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, government spokesman Stelios Petsa revealed today.
The leters were sent “following the provocative and illegal Turkish actions in the Eastern Mediterranean, culminating in the publication in the Turkish government gazette of applications for exploratory drilling and extraction of hydrocarbons by the Turkish state oil company, the spokesman added.
“It is becoming clear that a potential escalation on Turkey’s part will not lead to a Greek-Turkish crisis but to a crisis in EU-Turkey relations overall,” Petsas noted.
During a meeting with the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mitsotakis said “during this tense time – which I want to clarify is not something Greece wants and which it is definitely is not fuelling – I am absolutely certain we will have the absolute support of the European Union so that we may, I hope, overcome this period in time.”
He added that Greece’s clear message is “this is not a tension we are causing, it cannot automatically lead to a de-escalation of the situation we are experiencing and to an improvement in our relations with Turkey.”
Sakellaropoulou said that in terms of Greece’s sovereign rights, “it is evident that everyone of us would respond that we will always protect them, respecting International Law.” The president added that “with any other presidents I have spoken with – as I did earlier with the president of Portugal – their support is firm” for Greece.
Responding, Mitsotakis said, “I can assure you that the EU’s institutional support is Greek rights is a given, and has never been doubted.”
He added when the EU leaders paid an on-site visit to the Evros region borders with Turkey, they saw that “Greece has assumed the protection of both Greek borders and European ones, a mission it will carry out fully.”
“Greece will face all challenges with firmness, self-confidence and always in line with International Law, as it has always done and as it will continue to do,” he said.
