M. Varvitsiotis: Greece does not play games of polarization and artificial tension with Turkey

“Greece does not play games of polarization and artificial tension with Turkey,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis in an article in the newspaper “TOMANIFESTO”.

“Against a rhetoric of other times and illegal and unhistorical demands, our country responds with calmness and determination”, points out Mr. Varvitsiotis. It proposes international legitimacy, historical truth and strong political arguments, which prove its position. As the Prime Minister said, “History can not be rewritten”. to impose his own narrative is wrong “.

The Deputy Foreign Minister clarifies that the calm and sobriety of Greece should not be misinterpreted and perceived as complacency or inaction and adds: “On the contrary, by pursuing an active foreign policy, we seize every possible diplomatic channel and “.

He says there is constant information from the allies and pressure to realize that the threats are directed against the European borders themselves. “In NATO, we point out that Turkish revisionism is a living issue of security, endangering its entire southeastern wing.”

He adds that Greece is deepening strategically important alliances with powerful countries, such as the USA, France, Egypt, Israel, countries that have a say in international developments and especially in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“At the bilateral level, we systematically communicate our positions with maps and data, which disprove historical inaccuracies and dangerous false news”, he notes and clarifies that Greece’s primary weapons are “dialogue, international law, the peaceful settlement of disputes”.

“That is why we do not indulge in a vicious competition of abusive statements, nor do we encourage sterile confrontations for reasons of impression and internal consumption, which torpedo peoples’ relations. Greece does not play games of polarization and artificial tension. Greece speaks with its alliances, with its substantiated positions, by strengthening its deterrent capacity “.

Mr. Varvitsiotis emphasizes that Greece sends a clear message both to its neighbor and internationally: “That its national sovereignty is not under negotiation. And that it will always protect its national interests at all costs.”

“It would be good, then, for Turkey to follow the path of diplomacy and realize that it is in its interest to stop the challenges towards our country. Otherwise, at a time when Greece is gradually consolidating its position as a pillar of stability. “By expanding its footprint in the region, Turkey will be on the sidelines as an apologist for a revisionism that has no place in the 21st century.”

Source: AMPE