“The Turkish position regarding maritime parks is illegal and produces no legal effect,” Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Hatzivasiliou said in an interview with OPEN on Thursday morning. He also called for calm, stressing that it is not easy to strike any target inside Greece, in response to a question about reports that Iran may target European countries.

Hatzivasiliou stressed that the Foreign Ministry responded to Ankara’s announcements immediately with a clear statement setting out Greece’s well-documented national positions. He said that in the coming period, the Foreign Ministry would take all necessary diplomatic steps at the appropriate level. The deputy minister reiterated Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis’ position that Greece’s foreign policy is not dictated externally and is not determined by the wishes or suggestions of third parties.

Why Turkey’s maritime parks are considered illegal

Regarding the Turkish maritime parks, he explained that they are illegal for two main reasons.

First, they extend into international waters, where no country can unilaterally establish protected zones outside its territorial waters without consultation with neighboring countries and without respecting international law.

Second, they extend into the Greek continental shelf, something that, according to Hatzivasiliou, does not affect Greece’s legal rights. “They produce no legal effects,” he said.

He also noted that the Turkish move constitutes an illegal response to Greece’s lawful initiatives involving Marine Parks and Maritime Spatial Planning, which were designed in accordance with international law and with the backing of the EU.

At the same time, he clarified that the policy of maintaining “calm waters” is not an end in itself, but rather a means of allowing the two countries to find common ground for dialogue.

“This does not mean that Greece is changing its positions or backing down from its plans. Quite the opposite,” he said, noting that all governments since the post-dictatorship period have engaged in dialogue with Turkey despite the difficulties, Turkish violations and the unresolved bilateral dispute.

The deputy foreign minister reiterated that Greece does not leave any provocation unanswered.

“There is no possibility that the Greek government will accept a threat against national interests and sovereign rights,” he said.

Praise for the Coast Guard

Hatzivasiliou also made special reference to the Hellenic Coast Guard, emphasizing that its men and women are doing an excellent job on the ground, both in protecting Greece’s national interests and in safeguarding the country’s external borders.

He noted that they patrol thousands of kilometers of coastline, carrying out an extremely demanding task that deserves recognition.

Reports of Iranian threats

Asked about reports of Iranian threats, Hatzivasiliou called for calm, noting that striking targets in Greece is not a simple or easy undertaking. He added that, at present, he was not aware of any issue involving a redeployment of forces.

He nevertheless recalled that when Greece was required to support Cyprus and Bulgaria, it responded without delay and provided a security shield to its allies, stretching from the Balkan hinterland to the Eastern Mediterranean.

“That is evidence that Greece is a pillar of stability and a security provider,” he said.

Greece–Cyprus–Israel electricity interconnection

Finally, when asked about the Greece–Cyprus–Israel electricity interconnection, Hatzivasiliou stressed that planning for the project is moving forward.

He described the participation of French company Meridiam as an important economic and commercial development and as a vote of confidence in IPTO (Independent Power Transmission Operator) and in the energy policy of the Mitsotakis government.