Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday criticized Greece for its «insincere» and «dishonest» stance, referring to the Greek military presence on Aegean islands that Turkey believes should be demilitarized.
«At least 16 of the 23 Aegean islands, which should have been demilitarized according to the agreements, are armed by Greece,» he has recalled, adding that Athens «violates the rights of the Turkish minority» in the Greek region of Western Thrace.
Cavusoglu has stressed that Greece perceives the Aegean as a «Greek sea» while ignoring Turkey’s rights and interests, while also blocking the way to resolve the dispute under international law.
In this way, he explained that, within the framework of these possible talks, Greece seeks to impose «its maximalist understanding», while Ankara’s objectives are focused on protecting the rights of both the Turkish population and the citizens of Northern Cyprus, a de facto state recognized only by Ankara, which comprises the northeastern part of the island.
The Turkish foreign minister also stressed Greece is «very uneasy» about Turkey’s growing regional influence. «But an intelligent neighbor would be pleased with that and use it to its own advantage,» he has argued.
However, Athens has «lack of strategic vision» regarding ties with Ankara, in addition to the fact that in the country has increased the presence, as he has defended, of the so-called «anti-Turkey lobby», as reported by the Anatolia news agency.
Cavusoglu also criticized Greece for being a «safe haven for many terrorist organizations, such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) or the Gulenist Terror Organization (FETO).
The Foreign Minister concluded his appearance by assuring that Athens has also failed to respond to the Turkish government’s call for the establishment of a joint center for the purpose of combating terrorism.
