Foreign Ministry spokesman Gregory Delavekouras made the following statement today regarding statements from Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Turkey’s existing threat of war (casus belli) against Greece, should the latter exercise its legal right to extend its territorial waters:
“The parallel the Turkish Foreign Minister attempts to draw is skewed, at the very least.
The Hellenic Parliament’s decision concerns the exercising of a legal right, in accordance with both conventional and customary international law of the sea.
The Turkish National Assembly’s resolution contains the familiar casus belli, which falls outside the bounds of international legality and the UN Charter, continues to poison our bilateral relations, and holds to ransom the future of these relations and Turkey’s European perspective.
The Greek government remains firmly devoted to the efforts to improve Greek-Turkish relations. The problems will be resolved not by moves aimed merely at creating an impression, but by hard work, responsibility, sincerity, political will and investment in a common future of peace. Retraction of the threat of war is a prerequisite for this and an obligation on the part of Turkey.”
March 11, 2011