Erdogan did not repeat his rhetorical outbursts – Mitsotaki ‘nails’ and the Biden and Michel signals

Of Dimitris Gatsiou

Athens is counting the positive imprints left by the first day of the NATO Summit in Madrid, having completed, before the Allied meeting in the Spanish capital, a round of briefings on the challenges and the neighbor’s review speech.

The Greek capital stands not only for the fact that the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, did not repeat before the leaders the well-known rhetorical outbursts of the recent period, but also for the signals that the neighbor’s leader received from the President of the United States. , as well as by the President of the European Council.

“The leaders discussed their continued support for Ukraine and its defense against Russian aggression, as well as the importance of removing Russian barriers to the export of Ukrainian grain. They also discussed the importance of maintaining stability in the Aegean and Syria.

“President Biden reiterated his desire to maintain productive bilateral relations, and the leaders agreed on the importance of constant close communication between governments.”

This was stated, among other things, by the announcement issued by the White House, at the end of the Biden-Erdogan Fourth, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit. And the Greek diplomatic sources, who had their radars focused on this “appointment”, stand on two conclusions:

– First, that the President of the United States of America advised Mr. Erdogan to avoid challenges and stressed the importance of stability in the critical region of the Southeastern Mediterranean.

– Secondly, that in the whole discussion nothing tangible seems to have emerged regarding the F-16s and the supply of ammunition to the neighboring country.

It was preceded by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, who, during his meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, essentially conveyed to the Turkish President the climate that prevailed for Ankara at the last European Council.

“I express my deep concern about recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. Disputes can only be resolved peacefully and through de-escalation. Maintaining open channels of communication is vital,” Michel wrote on Twitter.

The Prime Minister, in his own intervention in the work of the Summit, remained firm in the position of the strategy he had given the previous days regarding his intentions.

He focused on the crucial issues of the Summit, although he reserved two nail-biting reports on the neighbor’s leadership.

In particular, Mr. Mitsotakis stressed that the sanctions decided must be applied by all members. At the same time, he noted that the Russian invasion has made it clear that NATO’s mission to defend territorial integrity and international law is no longer a blank slate.

The Turkey-Sweden-Finland memorandum

At the same time, government sources, commenting on the Turkey-Sweden-Finland memorandum, note that it is essentially a reflection of Ankara and does not in any way harm Greece’s interests, nor can it affect EU-Turkey relations. At the same time, they report that:

-The Sweden-Finland commitments within the EU for arms exports are still in force.

– Licenses for the export of weapons systems are a national decision and not a European one.

-Sweden and Finland do not play a major role in Ankara’s armaments programs.

– Any support of Sweden-Finland to the Turkish request for participation in the Common European Defense and Security and in the form of Permanent Structured Cooperation has a symbolic character.

-Sweden and Finland are bound by the positions of the European Union and the Conclusions of the European Council, which clearly record the Turkish provocation and European support for Greek sovereignty and sovereign rights over Ankara’s territorial claims.

“Greece, as a member of the EU, has the ability to monitor developments and exercise its rights and protect its interests,” is the message.