Nikos Dendias spoke in a televised interview on Open about Greek–Turkish relations, the criticism he himself receives from Ankara, the extension of Greece’s territorial waters, and the foreign policy pursued by Donald Trump.

The Minister of National Defense sent a message to Turkey, stating that the extension of territorial waters in the Aegean is a unilateral sovereign right, without specifying when the country will exercise it. As he said, “We have done it in the Ionian. Greece reserves for itself the right to extend its waters. When we do it is a matter of weighing the national interest. It is a matter of choice, but it is a sovereign right—a unilateral right.”

Subsequently, the minister spoke in favor of dialogue with Turkey; however, he stressed that “we cannot tolerate the casus belli as an axis of discussion. We cannot negotiate it. International law provides for the right to extend territorial waters, and it is a hard issue of sovereignty. We cannot discuss it. Greece does not claim or demand, but we cannot remain indifferent to violations of international law that attempt to prevail through the imposition of the strong. And we are not weak.”

Regarding the criticism directed at him by Ankara and the scenarios that he has a personal agenda, he said that “these are not serious. Interference in the internal affairs of a country is not customary. Fidan and others are mentioned as potential successors to Erdoğan. We could turn this back and say they do it for internal reasons, but we don’t, because we are serious. Our asset is calmness in our responses. There is not one person’s policy and another’s policy; we have a single national stance, and I am convinced that the other parties also agree with this.”

As for the positions occasionally expressed by Kostas Karamanlis and Antonis Samaras on Greek–Turkish relations, Mr. Dendias said: “I have unlimited respect for their views, and I won’t hide from you that I speak with both of them. Of course I speak with Mr. Samaras; I spoke to him the other day on the occasion of his name day.”

Regarding the foreign policy pursued by Donald Trump during his year in office in the United States, the defense minister said: “There is broader news coverage about the ‘Monroe Doctrine.’ I do not believe that President Trump wants to impose a doctrine of his own. His remarks in Davos confirmed such an approach.”

As for his meeting with the Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, and the barbs he directed at Turkey, Mr. Dendias stated: “I neither interrupted him nor disagreed. We have an understanding with the State of Israel. We do not create understandings in order to turn them against others; if anyone violently attempts to change the rules, we are not responsible for that. Hopefully the time will come when Turkey will also be part of such an understanding. No country wants to exclude Turkey.”