Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.
Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias spoke about neo-Ottoman tendencies in Turkey and how it no longer aspires to join the EU.
Speaking online in the context of the annual event of the Mediterranean Dialogues (MED) initiative, which took place under the auspices of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and specifically in the panel on "Shared Prosperity and Migration", he accused Turkey of not respecting the International the Law of the Sea.
Dendias reminded the paternal that an EU candidate country is threatening war with Greece, which simply wants to exercise its legal right under the UN Charter Law of the Sea and the possibility of extending Greece's maritime territory to 12 miles.
"We have been in a crisis with Turkey for the last 18 months. Never before, at least since the change of government, have we had such a long period of constant tension," he said.
"We do not have to face the Turkey of the past that aspired to join the EU and serve the same European values as all, but a country that is taking many quick steps backwards with neo-Ottoman tendencies."
Regarding Greece's energy potential, Dendias referred to the location at the crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa.
"It's geographically a place through which gas and oil pipelines can pass and make it an energy crossroads, while at the same time facilitating the development of all the economies of the wider region, giving them access to other markets," he stressed.
He noted that Greece is very careful about what can happen in the paradise we live in, the Aegean, the Ionian and the Eastern Mediterranean.
"We are trying to strike a balance between energy needs and environmental protection," he said.
Drawing a near similar conclusion to Dendias, associate professor of International Law and Foreign Policy at Panteion University and Member of Parliament of the ruling New Democracy Party, Angelos Syrigos, said earlier this week that Merkel’s failure to “tame” Turkey is while they occupy the EU presidency.
"In the five months of the German presidency, four months have been the greatest tension that existed in the Greek-Turkish relations since the invasion of Cyprus,” the MP said, among other things, as reported by Greek City Times.