An event of paramount importance for our country’s foreign policy, like today’s visit to Athens by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, should not have been the subject of petty politicking.
Even before the meetings between the Greek Prime Minister and the Turkish President, as well as between the Ministers, took place, opposition officials and opposition media outlets were professing to have ascertained the alleged failure of today’s historic visit.
This perfunctory criticism levelled at Greek foreign policy supports a peculiar neo-isolationism and upholds inertia and inaction as the highest of principles. In fact, during the recent visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, to Republic of Korea, his interlocutors there emphatically stressed that the main problem they are facing with their northern neighbours is the lack of channels of communication.
These critics do not want to see the constructive atmosphere that prevailed during the consultations that took place, because they do not want to admit that these consultations were prepared thoroughly and in detail. They pointedly ignore the fact that there were preparatory visits and consultations between the two sides.
This scripted criticism not only takes direct aim at the country and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but also insults the diplomats and other Ministry staff who made painstaking efforts to ensure the success of today’s visit.
Shame on them.
December 7, 2017