"Kyriakos, my friend! We don't threaten you if you don't threaten us. There is no issue that we cannot solve" was said by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an interview the day before his arrival in Athens.
"Let us strengthen the trust between our two countries. Let's increase bilateral cooperation in every sector, economy, trade, transport, energy, health, technology, education, and the issues concerning the youth," added the president of Turkey in his interview with Kathimerini.
In this spirit, Erdogan continues: "Let us show mutual care and concern for our countries' historical and cultural heritage. Whether it is the issues in the Aegean, or the joint fight against irregular immigration, or the ongoing problems of the Turkish minority in Greece, there is no problem that we cannot solve through dialogue on the basis of mutual goodwill."
In his interview, the Turkish president also describes that for him, there are "interrelated problems that must be solved apart from the continental shelf " and that "when we resort to international justice, we must not leave any problem behind".
"I believe that the problems will be solved in the context of dialogue and goodwill. Of course, there are many interrelated problems that need to be solved in addition to the continental shelf. We must consider them as a whole. A selective approach is not correct - to talk about certain topics and not talk about others - because they are all interconnected. When we turn to international justice, we must leave no problem behind. Above all, however, we must speak about all our problems with bravery and correctly direct our public opinion" Erdogan said.
When asked about the exploitation of the energy deposits in the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean, the Turkish president speaks of "possibilities and opportunities for cooperation."
"Whether or not there are reserves is a matter that can be determined as a result of scientific research and not as a result of my personal opinion. From what we see, there have been and are being promising studies regarding this matter. The Mediterranean and the Aegean are basins rich in natural resources. In the current international context, ensuring and maintaining energy security from a strategic point of view has become a key issue. In this sense, especially in the Mediterranean there are possibilities and opportunities for cooperation....There are many issues on which we can cooperate in the Aegean as well. Everything is for the peace and well-being of the people and of our future generations."
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