JOURNALIST: Will we have a “hot” summer in the Aegean? What do you think is the reason for Ankara's tense rhetoric and the escalation of provocations with overflights and other actions?
N. DENDIAS: The extreme rhetoric of Türkiye’s political leadership and the provocative conduct in the Aegean, with overflights over Greek islands, are indicative of the intention to escalate Turkish revisionism. In the face of increasing Turkish provocation, we demonstrate restraint and calm, deciding how and when to respond by presenting compelling arguments rather than making sensationalist moves. We refuse to be drawn into a pointless confrontation. We are strengthening our ties, bilaterally with strategic partners such as the US and France, but also with others. In addition, we keep all allies and partners informed on Türkiye's unacceptable conduct on a regular basis. And we state clearly to everyone that we are prepared to defend our national interests. Against any threat. And let me make one last remark on this point: we have repeatedly stressed that we are in favour of a constructive dialogue with Türkiye on the basis of International Law. And we mean it. But we are not the ones who tear down the few remaining bridges of communication and make provocative moves on a daily basis. We present on the maps the points of Turkish unlawful conduct. We do not 'draw' on the maps of the Aegean, changing the borders according to the fads of the moment. These moves would be merely whimsical if they were not so dangerous.
JOURNALIST: Berlin calls on Greece and Türkiye to “come to an understanding with each other through dialogue”. Are you generally satisfied with the stance of our partners and allies towards Türkiye's aggressive conduct?
N. DENDIAS: In his recent meeting with the German Chancellor, the Greek Prime Minister made special mention of the growing tension in the region as a result of Turkish provocations. Kyriakos Mitsotakis briefed Mr. Scholz in detail on Turkish provocative conduct, as well as on the aggressive rhetoric of the neighbouring country, which, as he stressed, undermines stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. For my part, I intend to raise these issues directly with my German counterpart, Ms. Baerbock, when we meet in Athens in a few days' time. And of course, we expect Germany, as well as all our European partners, to demonstrate the required solidarity with both Greece and Cyprus. We have expressed our support and solidarity with our partners when they face external threats. It is true that the public statements of some of them leave something to be desired. And it is clear that they cannot place the aggressor and the victim on an equal footing. Surely, as you will have seen from the recent statements of the German government spokesperson, our constant contacts are bearing fruit. But a change of stance on the part of our partners cannot be achieved overnight. Fostering relationships, on a personal level as well, is of particular importance. That is why, since I took office almost three years ago, I have been making constant efforts to strengthen bilateral ties with our European partners, relations that had been neglected before. I should recall that I met with Ms. Baerbock in Berlin when her party was in the opposition and not a government partner. We had a constructive exchange on the issue of arms exports to Türkiye.
JOURNALIST: What is your planning regarding the possible extension of territorial waters in the Cretan Sea or even in the Aegean Sea?
N. DENDIAS: First of all, let me recall that in January 2021 the Hellenic Parliament passed into law the bill I introduced acting in the name of the Mitsotakis government for the extension of the territorial waters in the Ionian Sea to 12 nautical miles. And I mention this because, as I have already underlined, the adoption of this law constitutes a collective act of historic importance, both in terms of symbolism and in terms of safeguarding our national rights. It was the first time since 1947 that the Hellenic Parliament was called upon to vote for an extension of national territory. What Greece has stated for decades that it has the right to do but has been hesitant to do so for various reasons is now a reality. At the same time, our country reserves the right, under Article 1(2) of this law, to extend its territorial waters to other parts of Greek territory whenever it deems it necessary. To put it another way, Greece has the inalienable right to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles anywhere and anytime it wants, confirming, once again, that respect for International Law and international legality is an inviolable principle for our country. I would like to stress, however, that Greece is fully exercising its rights, aiming to strengthen its security and consolidate cooperation in the wider region.
JOURNALIST: When will the special agreement with Albania be signed referring the issue of the delimitation of the EEZ to the International Court of Justice in The Hague? How do you view the fact that your counterpart suddenly raised the issue of the “Cham property”?
N. DENDIAS: You ask two questions. One concerns an existing issue which we have agreed with the Albanian side to refer to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The other concerns an issue that does not exist. Let us take things one at a time. The submission of the special agreement with Albania to the International Court of Justice in The Hague constitutes the legal part of the existing political agreement between Greece and Albania on the delimitation of the EEZ, which was concluded in October 2020. The drafting of this text is being carried out in the context of direct consultation between the competent services of the two countries. During my recent visit to Tirana, we discussed with the Albanian side on ways to speed up the legal procedure so that we can submit the special agreement to the International Court of Justice as soon as possible, resolving a years-long outstanding issue. At the same time, however, we are providing a clear example for all the countries in the wider region of how disputes between states should be resolved: always on the basis of International Law, and in particular the Law of the Sea. In this regard, we welcomed the recent Italy-Croatia agreement, which was based entirely on the International Law of the Sea. Regarding the second part of your question, I shall content myself with reiterating that it is a standing position of our foreign policy that Greece discusses only issues that exist, we do not discuss non-existent issues. And as we are all well aware this applies not only to our relations with Albania, but also with other neighbouring countries.
JOURNALIST: Alexis Tsipras accused the government of "criminal willingness" in sending equipment to Ukraine, putting Greece "in the high-risk zone", while Türkiye, he said, "dramatically upgrades its role in the region". How do you respond to SYRIZA? Is there currently an understanding between the government and the Opposition on major foreign policy issues?
N. DENDIAS: Greece pursues a principled foreign policy, and this is what we did in the case of Ukraine. From the very first moment we unequivocally condemned the Russian invasion. And we did so without any hesitation whatsoever, because this was dictated by the principles that we consistently serve, such as commitment to International Law and the United Nations Charter. And of course, I have to stress that we were not alone in this. The overwhelming majority of our partners and allies who comprise the democratic world, to which Greece has consciously chosen to belong, took the same stance. I hope that there is no political force in the Greek Parliament that would want our country to take a stand against these principles or make concessions by playing the role of the “evasive neutral'. To answer your second question, I would like to believe that there is room for understanding with the Opposition on the major issues of our foreign policy. After all, this is the reason why, during my nearly three years as Minister of Foreign Affairs, I have consistently sought dialogue with the opposition parties. I am always ready to brief them on any issue that falls within the Ministry's responsibility, to discuss with them, to listen to their thoughts, concerns and proposals. Because, after all, that is what the nature of the serious challenges we face demands.
JOURNALIST: The Turkish Ministry of Defence accuses you of having "expansionist aspirations" and criticizes Greece for the way it has treated and continues to treat Muslims. What is your response?
N. DENDIAS: As regards the Turkish Ministry of Defense’s allegations, I would prefer not to engage in a personal tug-of-war of statements. However, let me repeat something I said recently: Türkiye's side, with its recent statements, is being exposed in the eyes of the international community, with the result of convincing even the most skeptical that Turkish aggressive behaviour is a reality. On the other hand, I believe it is absurd to discuss how Greece treats Muslim monuments on its territory, considering that only two years ago, Türkiye decided to change the status of Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, by converting it into a mosque, and even boasting about it, despite international reaction and concerns. Since then, cases of repeated vandalism of the monument have been frequently recorded, in fact by Turkish experts. In the context of a modern understanding of culture, Greece respects, preserves and promotes its cultural and religious heritage, regardless of the period of history it comes from. Let me remind you that I visited the Alevi religious centre in North Evros, known as the Tekke of Roussa last December. I also hosted a joint dinner for the Metropolitan Bishops of Thrace and the locum tenens Muftis. As far as the Muslim minority is concerned, they are Greek citizens who enjoy the same fundamental rights as other citizens in the country, for which no one can criticize us. Furthermore, in contrast to what has happened to the Greek minority in Istanbul, and on the Gökçeada (Imvros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos) islands, the flourishing of the Muslim minority in Thrace constitutes irrefutable evidence.
JOURNALIST: Why do you believe Iran chose to escalate by seizing two Greek-flagged ships? How will the government react in the future?
N. DENDIAS: I'm not going to go into a hypothetical discussion as to why Iran chose to take such an action. We consider it to be a flagrant violation of International Law and international maritime safety rules, putting international trade at risk. We, for one, immediately summoned the Iranian ambassador and made a demarche, calling for the immediate release of the ships and their crews. In addition, we have taken all necessary steps at diplomatic level. We have informed our partners and allies, the European Union and, in close coordination with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, which is in charge of operational issues, the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Right now, our top priority is to ensure the crews’ health, safety and immediate return to Greece and we are working on this in close cooperation and coordination with my Cypriot counterpart, Mr. Kasoulides, as well as with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy.
June 4, 2022