Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Friday used the informal EU summit in Malta as a platform to warn of “increased provocations and military activity in the Aegean by Turkey”, as he underlined in statements to the press.
Tsipras said discussions within the Summit setting touched on the “need for international law to be adhered to, both in terms of managing refugee flows, but also, however, in terms of security issues…”
His comments came more than a week after an angry Turkish leadership threatened to annul an EU-Turkey migrant readmission protocol in the wake of a Greek high court’s decision to block the extradition of eight Turkish servicemen. Turkish authorities indicted the eight on charges of participation in last July’s coup attempt.
Moreover, a sudden surge in military activity in the eastern Aegean also erupted days after the ruling.
At one point, Turkey’s military chief boarded a missile boat to approach a couple of rock islets that constitute the “center-piece” of Turkey’s 20-year policy of claiming “grey zones” in the Aegean.
Scores of airspace violations and Athens FIR infringements by Turkish warplanes followed, along with back-and-forth statements and Ankara’s ubiquitous offer of “dialogue” to settle the issue — instead of recourse to an international arbitration body, reliance on international law, ratified treaties or use of the International Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) framework.
Tsipras said that in the summit’s sessions, and during one-on-one meetings, he emphasized the fact that “… over the recent period we’re observing increased provocations and military activity in the Aegean by Turkey. I would like to send a clear message: This path leads nowhere. Greece is determined to defend its sovereign rights within the framework of International and European Law, which is being violated by the other side. Let us not forget that Greek borders are European borders.
“Again, let me be clear: There are no grey zones in the Aegean; what there is Greece’s determination to defend European and International Law and its sovereign rights, as well as determination to calmly deal with the problems that arise; always choosing dialogue and cooperation instead of moves aimed to impress…”
In response to a press question, he said the vast majority of EU partners showed an “absolute understanding” of Athens’ positions and fair requests on all tabled issues, such as the refugee management problem and Greek-Turkish relations.
Beyond the increasingly complex situation in EU-Turkey relations, especially after last July, Tsipras also took a gibe at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), saying that “non-institutional organs with closed doors” cannot decide the fate of peoples.
The IMF has taken the strictest position amongst Greece’s institutional creditors over the need for radical reforms in the country, but at the same time urging generous and front-loaded debt relief for the country. The Fund’s top analysts have also clashed with European creditors over fiscal targets Greece must record after 2018, with the former warning of unrealistic goals for primary budget surpluses as a percentage of GDP.
