PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be briefing the leaders of the Greek political parties throughout the day on the rapid developments regarding the Turkish provocations in the eastern Mediterranean and the moves of the the survey vessel Oruc Reis, which has entered into the Greek continental shelf overnight.
The Prime Minister is expected to inform the leaders by phone today on the ongoing crisis, similar to what what was caused by caused by Ankara on July 21st. The Head of the Diplomatic Office of the Prime Minister, Ambassador, Eleni Sourani has already conveyed to the diplomatic advisor of SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, Vangelis Kalpadakis, the situation and the reactions and initiatives made by Athens.
SYRIZA stressed the need to “prevent” any violation of the Greek continental shelf. “Turkey must comply with international law, stop illegal actions and sit at the dialogue table to resolve the dispute with Greece in relation to the continental shelf / EEZ,” Koumoundourou said, adding that the major opposition party expects the government to take the necessary steps to prevent any Turkish research vessel from attempting to violate the Greek continental shelf, as has happened in the past.
The Greek government has already made a series of diplomatic moves during the night communicating with European partners, as well as the heads of international organizations. Aiming to internationalise once again (second in such a short time) the Turkish delinquency against Greece, the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, was quick to inform the European Commission and NATO, in an effort to make all the institutional and transnational bodies aware of the new Turkish threat.
Speaking with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, Mr. Mitsotakis briefed him in detail on the Greece-Egypt agreement regarding the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone, as well as on the worrying developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, while the Greek Prime Minister indirectly but clearly stated in his telephone communication with the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg the organisation had to reel in Turkey and adopt a clear stance and not “sit on the fence”.
