If Turkey wishes to come closer to Europe and open itself to the West, Greek-Turkish dialog must resume, New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview to ANT1 on Wednesday.
The dialog will concern “a single and only difference [between us], that is the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone and the continental shelf in the Aegean and the East Mediterranean,” he stressed.
Speaking ahead of a NATO Summit in Vilnius (July 11-12), which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also attend, Mitsotakis reiterated that “we do not have a lot to discuss – issues of sovereignty and demilitarization are off the table” if the two meet in Lithuania.
The ND leader and former premier strongly ruled out any joint exploitation of energy resources in the Aegean Sea with Turkey.
He also said that “Turkye should reevaluate its moves in Thrace,” in terms of the Greek Muslim minority there and influencing national elections, and asserted he would discuss the issue “openly with Erdogan”.
