Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said that dialogue with Turkey is important, but not under duress. He emphasized that Athens may resort to taking the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), if Turkey does not agree to hold talks.
“We need dialogue, but not when held at gunpoint. What threatens my country’s security and stability, threatens the well-being and safety of all EU member states,” Mitsotakis said in an article published in the London Times, Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and France’s Le Monde newspapers.
He added that the EU should impose “meaningful” sanctions against Turkey, unless Ankara pulls its maritime assets from disputed areas in the eastern Mediterranean. “If Europe wants to exercise true geopolitical power, it simply cannot afford to appease a belligerent Turkey,” Mitsotakis noted.
The Greek PM pointed out that Turkey still had time to avoid sanctions and should take a step back.
“They should stand down, return to the table, and pick up from where they left off when they quit exploratory talks in 2016. If we cannot agree, then we must seek a resolution at the Hague,” he said, referring to the ICJ.