ANA-MPA
Turkey is called to prove that it means what it says and that it really seeks the dialogue by abandoning its illegal actions, blackmails and threats” underlined Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in an interview with the Sunday edition of Eleftheros Typos and in parallel he underlined that the commitment to the international legality should not be unilateral and instantaneous but general and continuous”, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said.
As he said Greece welcomed as first step towards the de-escalation the withdrawal of Oruc Reis and remains to be seen if the temporary suspension of the illegal Turkish actions in the eastern Mediterranean will become permanent.
However, referring to the partial opening of the coast front of Varosha as well as the Navtex that Turkey issued for military exercises on 28 October (the OHI Day which is a public holiday for Greece) do not contribute to the de-escalation.
Greece, said the Foreign Minister, has stated that is looking forward to the starting of the exploratory contacts, “The next round will be held in Turkey that should propose the dates”.
“We have stated clearly that the restart of the dialogue will be held in the clear framework of the exploratory contacts that were interrupted on Turkey’s responsibility in 2016 and on the one and only difference, the delimitation of the maritime zones and the Exclusive Economic Zone”.
On a possible meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, he said that he had a brief meeting with Cavusolgu in Bratislava but there will be a bilateral meeting if necessary but what is important for the moment is the start of the exploratory contacts.
