Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described the Aegean Sea as a paradise on earth that can be turned into an area of economic prosperity, noting that Agyra is considering all problems related to Greek-Turkish relations as a package. At the same time, he called the EU’s accession of Cyprus a historic mistake, while saying that in the Magnificent Island, Turkey is seeking a solution that “reflects the current operational reality.”

“We prefer to look at all the problems as a package, including the problems in the Aegean, the issues in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the issues concerning the Turkish minority. We prefer to look at them all together and, if possible, away from the spotlight. We don’t find it right to over-politicize the issues,” he said, asked by a journalist about the Greek-Turkish dialogue, during a conversation with Turkish media representatives, and took swipes at Athens, saying that “in Greece’s domestic politics, issues related to Turkey can be politicized to an excessive degree.”

He made a special reference to the Aegean Sea. “We want to move forward with a positive agenda, with a mutually beneficial approach (kazan-kazan). Without compromising our national interests, we aim to resolve existing problems through formal channels and eliminate uncertainties. The Aegean Sea, which is a paradise on earth, must be transformed into an area of economic prosperity for our countries. This is our goal. Can this be done? It can,” he said.
This is our goal?

“I believe that this goal can be achieved with solutions when there is the necessary maturity on both sides. Our searches and discussions with our Greek counterparts are, after all, in this direction. At the moment, there are plans to convene the Supreme Cooperation Council between our countries in the context of the Greek Prime Minister’s visit to Turkey in January or February,” he added.

On the Cyprus issue

Asked about the statement by an opposition MP that Turkey’s road to the European Union passes through a federal solution in Cyprus and that the current government is blocking the road to Ankara, Hakan Fidan noted that he did not agree with the claim.

“In such matters, the art called diplomacy and strategy is put into practice. While you continue to safeguard your interests on one issue, you should not deteriorate your position on other points, on the contrary, you should improve them. Depending on the nature of the problem, you should make the right moves and develop the right methods.”

In the same context, he called the accession of Cyprus to the EU a mistake. “The historical mistake committed by the European Union on the Cyprus problem was to include Cyprus in the situation it is in. This has prompted certain institutions of the European Union to take certain positions. However, this does not change the reality on the island. Turkey has a past there, the Turks have a past there. That is, there are the massacres that were experienced there. Then there is the ‘peacekeeping operation’ (as Turkey calls the invasion). Then there was Türkiye’s positive approach to the proposals put forward by the international community. There is a referendum on the island… Given these realities, we are not talking about the solution with the EU, but with the United Nations. As long as there is no increased tension on this issue, as long as there are well-intentioned efforts, I believe that the EU will not want to enter an area of serious crisis, adding to the existing problems.

“What we need to do here is to show that we are open to benevolent solutions. We want a solution that reflects the current operational reality on the island. That is, we are not imposing any solution. Therefore, the claim that we are blocking Türkiye’s way is completely unrealistic,” he said.