Diplomatic counterattack to internationalization of Turkey’s challenges

Of Dimitris Gatsiou

With today’s meeting in Rome, with his Italian counterpart, Mario Draghi, the Prime Minister ζει inaugurates the next cycle of four stops on the front of Athens’ diplomatic counterattack against the challenges and the revision of Turkey.

Having already contacted the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, on the occasion of the NATO Summit in Madrid, Mr. Mitsotakis sent new signals to the President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, through the interview he gave to Capital.gr.

“It is inconceivable for anyone to discuss a change of borders. So any questioning of our national sovereignty, with any excuse, is completely unthinkable and condemnable from the beginning.

It’s a debate that no one will ever even agree to have. I am not talking about Greece, I am also talking about our partners. The country’s position today is geopolitically strengthened. And in terms of relations with the United States, we had a very successful visit to the United States, which reaffirmed the strategic depth of our relations.

But also at European level, the European institutions have unreservedly supported Greece, as I would say all the member states of the European Union have done in terms of their bilateral positions.

“Everyone understands that this extreme Turkish rhetoric has gone too far and obviously can not lead Turkey anywhere,” was the typical prime ministerial aversion, as the Greek capital raises the marathon of informing partners and allies, with a strong added value. … its strong positions, international law, but also its enhanced geopolitical, energy and economic role in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans.

First stop: Rome

A few hours before going to Brussels for the Summit of the “27” leaders of the European Union, Mr. Mitsotakis makes a stop in the Italian capital for an important meeting regarding the Greek aspirations with Mr. Draghi. The two leaders, in another meeting, will put on the table:

-The consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine for European citizens and the need for a coordinated response at European level, especially in terms of energy prices.

-The food crisis.

Bilateral economic and energy cooperation.

– Developments in Libya.

-The developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, with the peak of the aggressive rhetoric of Turkey.

According to government officials, the meeting in Rome, on the eve of the European Council, is of high political and symbolic value, as the Summit will discuss the granting of candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, as well as wider geopolitics. debate on Europe’s strategy towards EU partner countries

Athens’s belief, after all, is that the Mitsotakis-Draghi meeting will contribute to building closer relations, at a time when it is estimated that there are prospects for further strengthening cooperation in a number of areas, such as energy.

“We must remind that in his meeting with Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens last September on the sidelines of Med9, the Italian Prime Minister, already before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, had advocated, like the Greek Prime Minister, in favor of easing fiscal rules.

“With the peak of the expenses required for the recovery after the pandemic, but also the demand for the increase of the defense expenses at European level”, is the message that is broadcast, while regarding Libya, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Mario Draghi had met in Tripoli in April of 2021, highlighting the need to normalize the situation in the neighboring country.

As expected, the two prime ministers will discuss developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, against the background of the Turkish aggression that the prime minister will put on Thursday in talks with his counterparts in Brussels.

Greece and Italy, as reminded by government officials, have a Maritime Zone Demarcation Agreement, which “is a model for the application of international law, as well as international legitimacy and cooperation of coastal states in the region.”