The Greek government appears wary of reports of an impending Turkish bill on the so-called “Blue Homeland,” with the Foreign Ministry making clear that it does not comment on information that has not yet been officially confirmed.
“Greece will assess the exact content of the bill and will respond accordingly. We are gathering the necessary information, but we are not making any moves that could expose us without having a full overview of the bill’s content,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Lana Zohiou said. “We are prepared for all possible scenarios and will take appropriate responses and actions depending on the content of the bill.”
Asked about the issue, she said that channels of communication with Turkey remain open at all times. “We are taking precautions, we are gathering the necessary information, but we are not going to make any moves that could potentially expose us,” she reiterated.
“We are firmly in favor of dialogue,” she noted, but added that the Foreign Minister has repeatedly stated that there is no convergence on the scope of discussions regarding the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the continental shelf, and therefore no prospect of an appeal to the International Court of Justice.
“We should wait for the provisions of the bill calmly. When we have a clear picture, we will respond,” she said. “The ‘Blue Homeland’ is an unsubstantiated doctrine. The legal regime in the Aegean is clear. Greece is in favor of dialogue, with the aim of resolving the dispute over the delimitation of the EEZ and the continental shelf.”
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