Greek PM warns Turkey against crossing ‘red lines’
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has renewed his criticism of Turkey’s activity in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, while warning Ankara against crossing “red lines.”
“We will not permit any Turkish activities that would infringe upon Greece’s sovereign rights,” Mitsotakis said in an interview with The Globe and Mail, a daily newspaper published in Toronto, referring to a recent maritime boundaries agreement signed between Turkey and Libya’s internationally-recognized government.
The pact seeks to create an exclusive economic zone from Turkey’s southern Mediterranean shore to Libya’s northeast coast. Greece and Cyprus, which have long had maritime and territorial disputes with Turkey, say the accord is void and violates the international law of the sea.
In the same interview, the Greek premier suggested that if Athens and Ankara cannot solve their dispute about maritime zones in the Mediterranean they should turn to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to settle the disagreement.
“We are ready to talk with all our neighbors, including of course Turkey. And if no agreement can be reached, we are even open to international jurisdiction,” Mitsotakis said.
“But the red lines cannot be crossed by anyone,” he added.
