The complete translation of the text: Title: ‘Nikos Dendias: Greece would welcome a Turkey's coming closer to Europe’.Journalist's introduction: “The Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, comments on the tension with the Turks regarding the continental shelf and the EEZ in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean”. JOURNALIST: What is the importance of the current Portuguese presidency for Greece in terms of foreign policy issues? N. DENDIAS: It is particularly important because, first and foremost, it coincides with the commencement of exploratory talks with Turkey. EU-Turkish relations are at the heart of the Council's agenda and will be discussed on 25 March. As such, the Portuguese presidency is called upon to play a pivotal role, and not just with regard to EU-Turkish relations. The situation is highly volatile throughout our region, e.g. the issue of Libya in Northern Africa. Furthermore, we will soon have a new US government, and it remains to be seen how European-US relations will develop. This is why we are particularly pleased that a relatively small country, similar to us in size and mindset, will be holding the presidency. JOURNALIST: With respect to the future of the EU after Brexit and the positive initiative for simultaneous vaccinations in all Member States, are the EU's prospects better than they were a year ago? N. DENDIAS: I believe that the EU is one of the greatest endeavours in human history. I have frequently travelled to Germany, Poland and France, and every time I passed by Auschwitz, I would reflect on how many young people lost their lives there and on the battlefield. We have achieved a Europe that has been living peacefully since 1945. What’s more, we succeeded in creating a family and moving forward together. There are problems, many problems, but — I must stress this once again — this endeavour, unique in human history, requires time to mature. I feel immensely proud of the European Union. At the same time, I feel profoundly sad about Brexit. Being a staunch European, I cannot comprehend Brexit. I can understand it at a psychological level, but not beyond that. It remains to be seen how the United Kingdom will view itself in 10, 20 or 30 years’ time. JOURNALIST: Considering Europe as a plan that brought about peace, do you believe that the process for Turkey's accession, the possibility of Turkey becoming an EU Member State one day, could contribute to a change in Greek-Turkish relations? Or is competition between the two countries so fierce that resolution would not be possible, even if the two countries were part of the same team? N. DENDIAS: I must admit that the “magic” of the EU does not involve merely signing a treaty, but joining a cultural value system, a specific way of approaching and comprehending matters. The EU is much more than just a treaty. Consequently, if Turkey were to join the EU one day, this would mean that it would have previously endorsed and fully accepted this unique European experience. In my humble opinion, which I believe is shared by most Greeks, this would mean a great era for Turkey, a great era for peace, and a great era for the EU. However, I must reiterate that this would mean that Turkey would have accepted and adopted the European acquis in its entirety. I am sorry to say that I do not see that happening. Furthermore, Turkey’s distancing itself from the European process in recent years saddens me. Let us hope that, with time, Turkey will be able to clearly grasp the benefits of remaining close to Europe and — who knows — it may become a full member of the EU at some point in the future. JOURNALIST: Do you believe that there are prospects for negotiations between Greece and Turkey on the issue of territorial waters, or is an agreement impossible due to diametrically opposite starting positions? N. DENDIAS: There is one great divergence between us and Turkey, and it concerns the continental shelf and the Exclusive Economic Zone in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. That is all. It is not a difficult issue to resolve. We have already resolved it with Italy, we have resolved it with Egypt, we will resolve it with Albania and, should an agreement not be reached due to technicalities, we will seek recourse with The Hague in order to resolve them. It would be an easy issue to resolve with Turkey, as well. We would discuss the matter and, if no agreement was reached, we would also go to The Hague to resolve it. However, there is a major problem in the case of Turkey: it does not accept the legal framework of reference, which is none other than international law and the law of the sea. At this point, I would like to refer to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which is part of the European acquis. It was the EU as a whole that signed the Convention, not each separate state. Consequently, if Turkey agrees to converse with us and, in the case of disagreement, seek recourse to The Hague in order to use international law as a point of reference, then (the matter) would be easy. It is clear that when Turkey tries to resolve the issue using conditions such as equity, this leads us to highlighting that Turkey wishes to interpret matters and, on the basis of such an interpretation, to use the casus belli, a threat of war against us, should we exercise our legitimate right to extend our territorial waters. In this case, the matter is impossible to solve. JOURNALIST: With both Greece and Turkey being NATO members and in view of the new US government, do you believe the two countries could benefit from a new approach promoted by the USA, or is NATO rather removed from the issue? N. DENDIAS: NATO is a military alliance and a successful one, in fact. However, NATO faces a problem when there is dissent among its member countries. This poses a tremendous difficulty. NATO adopts an attitude of equal distances, which, in this case, is unfair towards us. We are not to blame when another party violates international law, and this violation has a victim. In practice, equal distances is tantamount to injustice against the victim of the violation of law. That said, I must praise the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who understood fully well what was going on and made a major effort to improve the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean. I will not forget his final speech at the NATO Council on Turkey's misguided use of its membership in the Alliance. I hope the new Biden administration, which includes officials with long experience in key issues, achieves what the outgoing administration could not, despite Mr Pompeo’s efforts. I must once again stress that much remains to be done with regard to Turkey's actions and the way it uses the Alliance and its membership. Greece would welcome a Turkey that follows the rules, respects international law and comes closer Europe.
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