The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alexandros Yennimatas, made the following comment in response to a journalist’s question on statements from the spokesperson of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the European Programme “Natura 2000”:
“The legal status of the Aegean and, by extension, Greece’s right to exercise its sovereign rights that derive from international law, which certainly include the designation of regions with protected ecosystems, cannot be disputed.
Turkey only recently officially restated its intention to “stay on course for accession to the European Union.” It is obvious that the first thing Turkey needs to do if it wants to succeed is to respect international law and the European acquis.”
June 6, 2018