Gerapetritis: Sovereignty issues not included in any dialogue about Greek-Turkish issues

Sovereignty issues are not included nor will they be included in any dialogue that takes place about Greek-Turkish issues, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said on Friday in Parliament.

 “The issue of sovereignty, including the extension of territorial waters, is a matter that concerns only the Greek state and will be exercised in the appropriate manner,” he said, answering a relevant question by the MP of the “Spartiates” party Alexandros Zerveas. In his question to the minister, the MP had raised the issue of an interview granted a few days ago by the “head”, as he said, of ELIAMEP, a Greek think-tank.

“With all due respect, ELIAMEP does not co-determine any foreign policy. Foreign policy is carried out by the government, under the mandate and guidance of the prime minister, through KYSEA and implemented by the minister of foreign affairs. And there is absolutely no discrepancy between the staff of the ruling majority and the members of the government. Absolutely none,” Gerapetritis noted, emphasising that Greece’s territorial waters will be extended in the manner prescribed by international law, in the context of the exercise of Greek sovereignty, and everyone in the government agrees to this.

Previously, the “Spartiates” MP had stated that ELIAMEP is an important think tank, which influences the formulation of Greek foreign policy. He also mentioned that there are different opinions within the government, while he referred to what former premier Antonis Samaras has stated in relation to the Greek-Turkish dialogue.

“Dialogue is a necessary element of diplomacy. It is obvious that we are not going to agree on everything and we have a completely different starting point than Turkiye. It goes without saying that for any discussion, which concerns the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone and the continental shelf, this will only happen with the absolute condition that there is full respect for international law and that this constitutes the only difference that will be put on the table,” pointed out the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Responding to criticism of the government for not expanding territorial waters as provided for by International Law and as is the country’s unilateral right to do, Gerapetritis underlined that the borders of Greek territory were last defined in 1947 and that the first expansion of Greek territory since that time took place when the present parliamentary majority was in power, by the previous government in 2021, with the extension of territorial waters to Cape Tainaro.

“Therefore, it was the government of New Democracy which expanded Greece and is doing so every day, increasing its diplomatic capital and being today at a level where it can discuss with all international partners on terms of equality, if not power, while it is in the Security Council of the United Nations Organisation and in the inner core of the EU and does not have any phobic syndrome at all,” emphasised the foreign minister and urged Parliament “not to have phobic syndromes because the present government is not afraid, it has the power and the self-confidence to properly support national interests.”