In the latest incident of ongoing provocations towards Greece, and as a response to the European Commission’s progress report on Turkey’s accession course, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement claiming the Greek islands of Imia were Turkish territory. “The Kardak [Imia] Rocks and their territorial waters and airspace above them are exclusively under Turkish sovereignty”, the statement read.
The statement continues by accusing the European Commission of taking sides on matters of dispute between EU members states and third countries. “The support given as “carte blanche” by the EU to member states in their disputes with third countries do not contribute to the resolution of those issues within the framework of good neighbourly relations and international law. Such a stance also contradicts the EU’s own values.
Statements with regards to the Cyprus issue within the report is nothing beyond repeating the EU’s already known views based on wrong premises on the Cyprus issue. These expressions reflect the attitude of the Greek Cypriots which is the basic reason for the failure of the negotiation process and it sets yet another example of the exploitation by the Greek Cypriots of EU membership in its efforts for deadlock. The fact that the EU insists on this unilateral and distorted understanding reveals that it not only lacks strategical evaluation about the Eastern Mediterranean but also that it does not have the capacity to develop a long-term vision for the region”