The next steps in Greek -Turkish, looking for new balances after Greece’s approval of marine spatial planning, is planning Athens, as the first “measured” reaction of the Turkish side does not discount the overall “response” to Greek initiatives.
Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis He met in Constantinople and had a private dinner with his counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in the context of his five -day visit to the city. The two countries’ foreign ministers are expected to meet again in Antalya at the Ministerial Council NATO to May 14-15.
These meetings seek to give a climate of regularity to relationships, despite the serious problems that have emerged in recent weeks. At the same time, they are intended to form the framework to determine and agree to the date of convergence of the Supreme Cooperation Council between the two countries.
The dinner of the two Foreign Ministry took place a few hours before Fiesta preparing for Saturday in the occupied territories, with Erdogan’s visit, where the Turkish president is expected to put an end to the debate on a federal solution, demanding a two -state solution and at the same time “pulling out”.
It is obvious that the events and statements from the occupied territories affect the climate in Greek -Turkish as well.
The prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakisin an interview (in the Vidcast “Direct” of the website protothema.gr and to journalist George Eugenides), had set the framework of the next moves, pointing out that Greece is fully exercising its sovereign rights and that it would be sought to become the Supreme Council of Cooperation and its Supreme Council.
“There is no issue and a special reason, because this meeting should be shifted or, worse, postponed. I insist: The more we talk, the better things are, even if we disagree. And we can strongly disagree, but we must be able to disagree civilly and in no way need the disagreement to automatically lead to rhetoric or, worse, to militarize the key issue we have with Turkey, “the prime minister said.
In its design Athens It is the convening of the Supreme Council not to be shifted indefinitely and to be done before the summer, as otherwise the image of a mechanism that is inactivated, something the government does not want. Both bilateral contacts as well as the regular convening of the Council give a picture of regularity and are at the same time useful in order to keep the channels open at a high level and to work to decompress potential tensions.
Although the first reaction of the Turkish Foreign Ministry was mild and the discussion and interplay played a role in this Caracetite and Fidan In Brussels, Athens is concerned, as it is estimated that the pressure on the interior by the Turkish government from the opposition is likely to launch movements on the field.
Once the Greek was approved DYS On Good Wednesday, in Turkey there was a “hysterical” reaction from the media and opposition parties, who accused the Turkish government and the Erdogan that they accepted the executives imposed by Athens in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. The main point of criticism is that the Greek BSE legitimizes the “Map of Seville”, that the “illegal occupation” of the islands and islands of the Aegean is accepted and, above all, the issue of the expansion of Greek territorial waters to 12 nm. , despite the fact that these potential boundaries of the coastal zone are not reflected on the map released.
The publication of the Greek DYS It was the last of a series of moves that have caused a frenzy in the Turkish press and the opposition, as well as the nationalists who support the Erdogan government.
The announcement of the Greek equipment program, the design of “Achilles’ shield”the defensive reinforcement of Cyprus And the deepening of defense relations with the US, Mitsotakis’ visit to Israel, Chevron’s interest in the plot south of Crete, in an area overlapping the Libyan side of the Turkish -tired Memorandum, as well as the role of Greece and the role of Greece and the role of Greece and the role of Cyprus. It is quite burdened with the climate on the Turkish side.
OR Anchor had announced, something confirmed by Fidan Thursday, that she has completed her own NSS (marine spatial planning)which captures all its claims in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, in the context of “Blue Homeland” and is expected to submit it to the UN competent services.
A critical test, however, will be the restart of re -launching the Crete -Cyprus cable to set up, as well as the institutionalization of marine parks, issues that, as the prime minister said, will proceed normally.
According to information, however Sea parks They will be re -examined by the Ministry of National Defense, so it will take a reasonable time to finalize them, while a higher source of the Foreign Ministry emphasized that the return of research to the cable should not be immediate. Athens is obviously wanting to sit down the “dust” raised by the approval of the MSS and to move on slower pace on these two issues, which can cause tensions on the field, at a time when such destabilizing situations are undesirable.
The government estimates that there is no rush for the next steps as initiatives such as the one with Chevron, but also with the MSS, they deny those who considered, on the opposite side of the Aegean, but also in the interior, that Greece accepts the heterogeneous interpretation of the Athens Declaration, Rights of Greece.
This creates several problems on the issue of electrical interconnection, which cannot be postponed indefinitely, as it is a major project of European interest, involving significant economic and business interests and is a project of geostrategic importance.
It is important, however, if the process of designing all the maps that accompany the MSS and their deposition in the Commission is completed, to begin its practical implementation. Because this will give him validity and credibility over the field, as by then he will only remain a theoretical imprint, even in a community context, of Greece’s claims to the sea zones, a significant part of which Turkey is challenging and claiming. Athens is also co -ordinated to adopt the straight line lines and the closure of the bays used to engage the MSSF.
Despite the expectation that with the approval of the MSSs and with the disclosure of the corresponding Turkish planning there would be a founding difference that could lead to an appeal to international jurisdiction, it is obvious that the obstacles that existed so far for such a development remain. And the fact that Greece has officially approved a map that reflects its maximum of its claims in marine zones makes it even more difficult for public opinion, resolving the dispute, either through negotiations or through the Hagi International Court of Justice, as it does not justify it.
Turkey’s positions on the non -exercise of Greece’s right to expand the territorial waters of up to 12 nm, for islands of “unspecified sovereignty” and for zero or reduced influence of the islands, are obviously not even a starting point for discussion or negotiation.
Turkey’s reaction to another front is expected with interest, as it has been raised in a struggle to overthrow the decision of the “Turkish states” of Central Asia to open embassies in Nicosia and to sign a joint declaration with the EU. (April 4), which adopts the resolutions of the UN 541 (1983) and 550 (1984), which relate to the Cyprus issue and condemn the proclamation of the pseudo -state.
The summit was attended by the leaders of Kazakhstan, her KyrgyzhisTajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbek, while Embassies in Nicosia opened Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. These movements were a serious blow to the prestige of his own T. Erdoganwho has invested politically and diplomatically in the so -called Turkish states, and his government has been strongly criticized by the opposition, which spoke of Turkey’s “defeat”.
So much Mr. Erdogan as well as the X. Fidan They have stated that they are being made, outside the public sphere, to overturn this situation and in the coming days a series of movements are planned.
On May 1-2, in Nicosia, with “host” “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”, The delegation of the Council of Elders, one of the institutions of the Turkish States Organization, met in order to mitigate the impressions of the opening of the embassies in Nicosia.
On Saturday on his visit to the occupied territories, Erdogan will inaugurate the new “Presidential Palace” and the “government” buildings in occupied Nicosia, which were built with the assistance of Ankara. The Turkish president will thus show his full support for the pseudo -state and is, of course, expected to repeat the position of “two states” and attack foreign actors who intervene and support the Republic of Cyprus, essentially targeting his arrows in Israel.
In the interval of May 1-4, in the Occupied Airport, the large Turkish Teknofest technology exhibition is held, which takes place every year in Constantinople and another Turkey city. This year, it was decided to take place in occupied Nicosia as a sign of support for the TRNC and its integration into Turkey.
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