Turkey keeps getting closer to Spain; opens honorary consulate in Cordoba

Turkey opened an honorary consulate in the city of Cordoba in Spain, reported Turkish news agency Anadolu.

According to the media report, the opening, which took place on Tuesday, was attended by Turkish Ambassador to Madrid Burak Akcapar, Cordoba Mayor Jose Maria Bellido Roche, and appointed Honorary Consul Juan Pablo Cortes, as well as business representatives and academics.

The news comes just off the heels of meetings between the foreign affairs ministers of Greece and Spain, where the thorny issue of Spain’s military agreement with Turkey was discussed.

Greece has expressed concern over the 17 November visit to Turkey by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez where he agreed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to enhance their countries’ collaboration in the defence industry.

This despite the potential for Turkey to use any military equipment supplied by Spain against Greece.

Spain has been opposing Greece’s request for EU sanctions against Turkey since the very beginning of the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean over gas exploration activities.

Greece says Turkey had been violating the international law by conducting gas exploration activities in its territorial waters.

Greek government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou said it “goes without saying” that EU member states are bound by the decisions of the EU Council on matters concerning “relations with Turkey and the latter’s provocations and infringements of the international law”.

“The socialist Spanish prime minister should have taken into account the overall stance of the European Council,” the Greek official said.

Meanwhile on his visit this week to Athens, Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares assured his Greek counterpart that his country’s military agreement with Turkey will be implemented within EU guidelines and not at the expense of Greece.