Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias’ statement to a question from the “Naftemporiki.gr” website and journalist Michalis Psylos (01.11.2022)

JOURNALIST: Minister, thank you very much for speaking with “Naftemporiki”, especially today as we launch our new website. Greek-Turkish relations have entered a path that many fear can even lead to conflict. How justified are these fears? At a time when even the German press refers to President Erdogan as a “ticking time bomb”? Is it true that the closer the election day in Turkey gets, the worse the atmosphere will become? Will the EU and NATO finally do something to rein in Turkish provocative conduct? Lastly, how feasible is a dialogue with Turkey based on International Law today? Thank you very much.

N. DENDIAS: First of all, Mr. Psylos, I would like to wish success to the new website of “Nafteboriki”.  As you rightly pointed out, next year will be an election year in our country, in Turkey, and, let me add, in Cyprus as well, where presidential elections will be held in February. In light of this, and in the climate that is emerging, maturity, prudence, and calm are required: of course, this does not eliminate the need to maintain our resolve to defend our territorial sovereignty and sovereign rights. Greece does not wish an escalation of tension. On the contrary, it seeks to consolidate security and stability in the region. Unfortunately, we witness frequent outbursts from the other side, with the most recent example being the Turkish Presidency’s video on the occasion of the anniversary of Turkey’s Republic Day. On our part, we reject and condemn extreme statements at every opportunity, and we will continue to do so. Our country is not intimidated by provocations and threats. It would be useful to maintain communication channels at all levels, precisely in order to avoid a deterioration of the situation. And if the circumstances would allow it, which unfortunately is not the case at the present juncture, Greece would be ready to engage in a constructive dialogue, always on the basis of International Law. At the same time, it is our obligation, and we do so on a daily basis, to highlight to our allies and partners the upsurge in Turkish provocative conduct, as for example I did yesterday when I met with my Dutch counterpart. Our message to our partners and allies is simple. To avoid the situation that we are witnessing in Ukraine today, a barrier must be put up against any revisionism. I believe that this message has by now been understood. This is demonstrated by the continuous statements from our traditional partners, but also from other countries with which we have had limited contacts so far. We evaluate the outcome of our efforts positively. However, we are not complacent. We remain vigilant and continue to present our positions in international fora. Positions that are always based on International Law.