[ad_1]
Ankara is trying to drive a “wedge” between Paris and Athens, since, according to a Bloomberg report, during the recent conversation of French President Emanuel Macron with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the elimination of the opposition. purchase of a European set of anti-aircraft missiles in the southeast of the country. According to the same report, Macron responded to his Turkish counterpart that Ankara should clarify its objectives in Syria before allowing the development of European manufacturing systems.
Indeed, France has refused to release the supply of Franco-Italian Eurosam SAMP / T anti-aircraft missiles since 2017, and Erdogan has asked Macron to lift the same reserves. It should be noted that at the end of 2017 a SAM convoy was dispatched to southeast Turkey, which, in fact, were stationed near the Spanish patriot artillery. In practice, Macron urges Erdogan to make sure that Turkey has no territorial ambitions for Syria, which is highly doubtful the Turkish president can guarantee at a time when Ankara is behaving in its occupied zone. Syria as if it were an extension of Turkish territory.
Meetings
Yesterday, the State Department officially announced Mike Pompeo’s visit to Greece, part of his tour of the wider region, with stops in Croatia, Italy and the Vatican. In Greece, Minister Pompeo will meet with Prime Minister Mitsotakis and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dendias to renew our common commitment to promoting security, peace and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean and to celebrate the stronger relationship that has existed between de The United States and Greece for decades ”, is mentioned in the corresponding announcement.
Mr. Pompeo will be in Thessaloniki on Sunday evening. On Monday he will meet with Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and in the afternoon of the same day he will go directly to the Souda base in Chania, where he will have a meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who will receive him at the family home. Mr. Pompeo’s visit to Greece, and in fact with the strong symbolism in defense and security that Souda has, and not in Turkey, has caused annoyance to the neighbor.
Yesterday, a lengthy report from “Sabah” highlights Pompeo’s visit to Greece, but also his visit to Cyprus three weeks ago, in fact immediately after the lifting of the embargo on the sale of non-lethal weapons by Washington. The report quoted ruling party spokesman Omer Celik after a recent meeting of institutions in Ankara. “We believe that steps that undermine the neutrality of the United States will not benefit peace in the region,” Celik said.
At the same time, yesterday, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alexandros Gennimatas, trying to clarify the position of Greece on the issue of sanctions against Turkey, noted that Athens strongly supports the position of Nicosia on the implementation of the Council’s decision. of the EU. . “On the imposition of targeted sanctions on individuals and entities involved in Turkey’s ongoing illegal activities in the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus.” Finally, Mr. Dendias met yesterday with his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates in an excellent atmosphere, in a period during which the presence of fighters from the Arab country at the Souda base continues for the fourth week.
