Miltiadis Varvitsiotis the Greek Deputy Foreign Minister, has called on the Turkish government to stop the escalation and fueling tension with the European Union. He pointed out that the war of declarations waged by Ankara is pushing for more tension in relations.
Varvitsiotis indicated that these statements do not help to stabilize and establish good relations between Turkey and the EU. He pointed out that if Ankara is serious about its desire to approach the EU, it must stop its escalation.
It is noteworthy that the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan had previously expressed his country’s desire to improve relations with the EU. Erdogan indicated that the Turkish government sees Turkey’s future in good relations with the countries of the European continent.
Last year, relations between the two sides reached the height of tension against the backdrop of gas exploration in disputed areas between Turkey and Greece in the eastern Mediterranean, in addition to disputes over illegal immigration, after Turkey announced early last year that it would open its borders to those wishing to head towards the EU through Greece islands.
It is noteworthy that the Turkish government has issued a navigational decision to continue its activities in the eastern Mediterranean region until the end of this month, amid escalating tension between Ankara and Athens, against the backdrop of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the Turkey-occupied part of Cyprus.
According to the new decision, the survey and exploration operations for gas will continue in an area of 6 nautical miles south of the Greek island of Kastellorizo, which is a disputed area between Turkey and Greece.
