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Former Foreign Minister and President of the “Pratto” movement, Nikos Kotzias, writes in an article in the special edition of Euro2day.gr and the New York Times, the measures that can be taken to tackle the wave of provocations, illegalities and intimidation from Turkey .
My deepest wish was and is the peaceful coexistence and cooperation between Greece and Turkey. Sometimes this seems to be possible.
In other times, such as today, the image of a Turkey that is anything but seeking peace and cooperation is created. The relationship between Greece and Turkey has become asymmetrical. The relative balance of power between the two countries in times of crisis has been upset.
Turkey has eight times the population, at least five times the GDP, and a much more powerful war machine. It also has a greater disposition to tensions and “adventures”, since it functions in the larger sphere as the main destabilizing factor. It carries out or directly participates in military operations in Libya, Syria, Iraq, in Artsakh, while carrying out an illegal military occupation in Northern Cyprus and often creates the conditions for hot episodes against Greece, both in the Aegean and in the eastern Mediterranean. Greece seeks to cover itself with “the backs of the EU”, something that a number of powers, such as Germany, Spain and the Netherlands in particular, do not allow, while others, for their own reasons, such as France, want and practically persecute.
The balance comes mainly from collaborations in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Alliances that are not directed against third parties, but that seek peace and the development of relations in the region. I call the “NATO paradox” the fact that the relationship between Turkey and Greece does not evolve as a relationship of partners, much less one of allies. Turkey carries out military operations on several fronts. In some of them, such as Syria, it cooperates more with NATO rivals, such as Russia and Iran, than with its NATO partners.
And Greece feels threatened by Turkey many times more than anyone. NATO, as a “security community”, is not in a position to safeguard Greek interests against the country’s adversary, since it is a member of Immigrants in incidents against the Greek police forces on the Greek-Turkish border. In February 2020, thousands of immigrants attempted to violently cross into Greece with clear push and encouragement from Turkey. The instrumentalization of the refugee is a new example of Turkey’s growing aggression towards Greece.
Turkey, which has to some extent interrupted its relations with the West, uses a twofold method to further its objectives:
1. It moves aggressively towards the countries of the region when three conditions are met: A. There is a lag in the presence of the great powers, especially when they are busy with other problems. B. To be able to legitimately invoke international law, generally to systematically violate it. C. Have good relations with the third country, such as Greece, and estimate that it has a lot of scope to obtain the benefits in which it hopes. This appreciation is reinforced if he has a weak and phobic government against him, like the current Greek, from which he can obtain, without fighting, what he wants.
2. Turkey has systematized the way of violating international law and promoting its illegal activities. To achieve them, it initially “warns” that the application by Greece of international law and the rights derived from it is a cause of war. Then it turns gray and defies these Greek rights. It then disputes Greek ownership of the area itself, usually in terms of islands, including residential areas and sea zones. Later, he questions his Greek character by speaking of “open issues” and that he has the right to claim them. In the “final phase” it shows these islands and its own maritime zones. The duration of this movement was initially about three decades, then a few years and, with the current Greek government, a few months. Turkey is doing the same on other issues. Thus, for example, he calls for the demilitarization of the islands of the North Aegean, although at his own request the ban (agreed in Montreux in 1936) was lifted. It affirms the same for the Dodecanese, although it is not even part of the Treaty of Paris (1947). The most scandalous thing is that it “demands” the expulsion of the Greek army from the Greek islands, while illegally occupying territories with its army in Cyprus, Iraq and Syria. Immediate action is needed, such as: • Ensuring that Turkey understands the multi-faceted and multi-faceted costs it will incur if it continues to implement a policy the way it does.
• Inform the public opinion of the member states of the UN Security Council, the EU. and NATO, for the violations of human rights in this country and of international law on their part.
• Cooperation of the forces of the European Parliament, which with an overwhelming majority proposed measures against Turkey to impede its provocative behavior. Support for the democratic forces within Turkey. Development of relations with Turkish society and strengthening of cultural, economic and other cooperation with it.
• Seizure of your equipment and promotion of your illegal military activities. Sanctions on European companies involved in the provision of know-how and the financing of illegal activities in Turkey.
• Withdrawal of all Turkish ships sailing in areas where their presence is a challenge for Greece and International Law. End the illegal occupation of Cyprus and resolve the Cyprus problem on the basis of the decisions of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly, guided by international law and the transformation of Cyprus into a “normal” state.
• Development of communication between Athens and Ankara. Turkey’s commitment to substantive exploratory discussions on the EEZ / Continental Shelf.
• Promote a pact of non-aggression and non-use of force in relations between Turkey and Greece, although this should be evident for both countries, but it does not seem to be.
• After fulfilling the above measures to promote peaceful cooperation between Greece and Turkey and throughout the Eastern Mediterranean region, the signing of a friendship agreement between Cyprus, Greece and Turkey.
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