greece

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has repeatedly declared that dialogue is inconceivable before Turkey withdraws its forces from the area. He clearly ruled out the concept of diplomacy at gunpoint.

In addition MED7 leaders urged Greece and Turkey to dialogue. The seven leaders led by Emmanuel Macron are not prepared to accept Turkish hegemony in the Mediterranean.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told Reuters the Western alliance was considering so-called deconfliction measures to prevent naval accidents in an increasingly congested region, although he did not go into details.

Greece can steadily and hopefully proceed to gain its proper role as a stable force in the Southeastern Mediterranean and in Europe.

Before the decision to turn the museum of the Christian Basilica of Hagia Sophia into a mosque and yesterday’s NAVTEX (a navigational warning), since May, 2019, there were a series of provocative actions by Turkey

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French President Emmanuel Macron issued a stern message to Turkey criticising its activity in Libya but other EU states are not on board and there is no solid EU front against Turkey.

In the pre-coronavirus period he unsuccessfully tried to open many fronts at once but did not achieve the victories that as self-styled sultan he very much desired.

The wealthy states of Northern Europe and especially Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland continue to stubbornly refuse to adopt bold economic measures in the midst of a deadly pandemic.

Erdogan can do anything in the darkness that surrounds him but that is also his Achilles’ heel – the prospect of being destroyed by his megalomaniacal nature and abuse of the tools he believes he has at his disposal.

State services are mobilising, the country’s infrastructure appears prepared to manage the situation, and competent civil servants are in a state of readiness.

Provocative statements from Ankara certainly stir concerns and Turkey in the 21st century appears to be adopting an ever more aggressive stance toward its neighbours.

In direct opposition to the UN Convention Ankara has steadfastly maintained that islands have no EEZ, a position that was rejected by the US, France, and the entire EU among others.

The MOU expropriates a large chunk of Greece’s EEZ with the specious argument that islands such as Crete (which is much closer to Libya than any EU state or Turkey) have no EEZ.

In a rare diplomatic move Vice-President President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosted a reception for the Greek prime minister which naturally was attended by Greek-American leaders and wealthy potential donors.

These are trying times for the world. Greece needs more than ever new alliances and collaborations that are sufficient to ensure its forces and capabilities.

No one can ignore the fact that a new energy map in which Greece will have a leading role is being drawn up.

By opening a corridor for the procurement of gas EastMed is expected to contribute decisively to safeguarding the energy sufficiency and security of EU member-states.

'The new pipeline will increase the geopolitical weight and surplus value of Greece and Cyprus in the Mediterranean and give strategic depth to our cooperation with Israel,'the Greek PM said.

Mitsotakis described EastMed as a very important energy project, which is the result of a key trilateral collaboration that extends beyond the energy sector.

In the face of Turkish provocations which are no longer limited to Greek-Turkish affairs, Greece has every reason to maintain the stance of a calm force.

Inspections were conducted at restaurants, cafeterias, bars, internet cafes, refreshment bars at theatres, and nightclubs.

The Act reaffirms the importance to the US of maintaining its strategic partnerships with Israel, Greece and Cyprus.which are cooperating on the EastMed gas pipeline from the Mediterranean to Europe.

Since the Battle of Navarino in 1827 Greece has never been alone. Most recently during the 1996 Imia crisis the US intervention to defuse the situation was definitive.

The aim is to block Ankara’s attempt to create de facto situations – by delimiting EEZs in an illegal manner - that threaten the interests of regional countries and international players.