Greece Acknowledges Turkey’s “Positive Action” to De-escalate Tensions

Greek Government spokesperson Stelios Petsas called Turkey’s decision to de-escalate tensions in the southeastern Mediterranean a “positive action” in an interview with Skai television on Tuesday.

Petsas stated that he welcomed “…the fact that we have this statement on Turkey’s side and from the spokesperson of President Erdogan, because it showed that an illegal Turkish Navtex is in practice being withdrawn.

“Consequently, this is a good thing. Beyond that, we have said that we wish to have open channels of communication with Turkey and to discuss the issue that has for many decades now vexed both sides, which is the delimitation of the maritime zones,” he added.

Regarding this perennially thorny issue, “which naturally requires a certain processing in order to progress,” he said, Greece has indicated in every possible way that it wants an active de-escalation on Turkey’s side with respect to its delinquent recent behavior in the Eastern Mediterranean, adding that this was a “positive action” on the part of Turkey.

“The framework that there can be for discussion is to pick it up where we left off with the exploratory contacts, which were interrupted and which cannot, naturally, take place either under a regime of threats or of faits accomplis, or with by actively disputing the issues that are the object of the discussion,” Petsas added.

Commenting on recent Turkish actions, the government spokesman said that the escalation had to “do with matters relating to drilling activity in the Eastern Mediterranean, matters that relate to the illegal Turkish-Libyan memorandum but also the major issue of recent days, which is the conversion of Hagia Sophia, a World Heritage monument, into a mosque.”

This, Petsas added, created a rift between Christians and Turkey and, if such actions were to continue over the coming period, there would be no foundation for resuming exploratory talks held in good faith and with respect for international law and the rules of good neighborliness.

Referring to the role of the international community, Petsas noted that it had roundly condemned the illegal actions that were contrary to international law and had called on Turkey to stop such provocative actions “so that we can have what we all desire: a good ‘neighborhood’ and good relations.”

This did not only concern Turkey’s relations with Greece, he pointed out, but also those with Europe, with which Turkey has had a strategic relationship for many years. “The European side is no longer on its own but shares the same spirit as all international organizations, all the major countries outside Europe, including the United States and Russia.

“Therefore, we have a general call to Turkey to stop these provocative actions, which do not promote the relations it should have with Greece and Europe,” Petsas added.

Regarding the actions taken by the Greek side, he noted that Athens had used the three tools at its disposal: “international law, which is on our side, our allies, which are on our side and which we activate when necessary, and our own power to do what is needed to defend our sovereign rights.”

He noted that Greece had conducted itself with calmness, self-confidence and a readiness to defend its sovereign rights throughout the recent period, stressing that the situation required seriousness and not “tricks” or “gimmicks.”

“This is about something serious, a strategic relationship between two neighbors and two regions, when we are talking about Europe, which must live together, not for a few months or a few days but for many, many years.

“Therefore, it is in the interests of all for this relationship to be good and it is not in the interests of the two sides to have a constant tension, a constant effort to question the status quo,” Petsas concluded.

Comments

Μπέος: «Εύστοχα χαρακτηρίστηκε φτύσιμο στα μούτρα των μελών της ΕΕΑ»

Καρφιά προς την Επιτροπή Επαγγελματικού Αθλητισμού έριξε με δήλωσή του στα social media ο Αχιλλέας Μπέος. Με αφορμή την απόφαση του CAS για την υπόθεση ΠΑΟΚ-Ξάνθης, ο δήμαρχος Βόλου θυμήθηκε τις ενέργειες της επιτροπής στην περίπτωση του Ολυμπιακού Βόλου το 2011 όταν εκείνος ήταν ο ισχυρός άνδρας της ομάδας. Επίσης εξέφρασε την απορία του για το ότι κανείς μέχρι σήμερα δεν έχει υποβάλλει την παραίτησή του. Αναλυτικά όσα έγραψε ο Αχιλλέας Μπέος: «Η απόφαση του Διεθνούς Αθλητικού Δικαστηρίου (CAS) για την υπόθεση των ΠΑΟΚ–Ξάνθης, αναμφίβολα είναι ένα ηχηρό χαστούκι γι αυτό που στην Ελλάδα ονομάζουμε Επιτροπή Επαγγελματικού Αθλητισμού, που υποτίθεται αξιολογεί, κρίνει και αποφασίζει αντικειμενικά και με βάση το ισχύον Δίκαιο και στην πραγματικότητα αποδεικνύεται ένα εργαλείο άσκησης μικροπολιτικής και ικανοποίησης αθέμιτων επιθυμιών και επιδ...

Ten Unforgettable Things to Do Around Syntagma Square in Athens

Syntagma Square, Athens. Credit: Public Domain Syntagma Square has literally been the very heart of Athens ever since the city became the capital of the modern Greek state. With the Greek Parliament building and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier looming over it, it is rich with history and is the place where most major events of the last two centuries have taken place. Its name in Greek means “Constitution Square,” a name granted by Greece’s first modern royal, King Otto, on September 3, 1843, after an uprising of the people. This was a smart political move, since the royal palace overlooked the square. In 1934, the royal palace was turned over to the Greek Parliament, and ever since that time, Syntagma Square has been the place where all public protests and demonstrations have taken place. Syntagma Square home to historic demonstrations and protests In December of 1944, just after the departure of the occupying Nazi troops, a people’s rally at the square was marred b...

Inside the Magnificent Minoan Palace of Knossos in Crete

The Minoan palace at Knossos. Credit: Gary Bembridge /Wikimedia Commons/ CC-BY-2.0 The Palace of Knossos, located about five kilometers (three miles) south of Heraklion on Kephala hill, was the largest of all the Minoan palaces in Crete. It was also at the core of the highly sophisticated civilization that flourished on the island over 3,500 years ago. The discovery of the Minoan Palace of Knossos The discovery and subsequent excavation of the palace dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century. Before then, Knossos had only served as a place mentioned in Greek mythology. The first modern scholar to take a serious interest in the area was the German Heinrich Schliemann, who in 1870 had excavated the site believed to be Troy. Schliemann was certain that a major Minoan palace lay hidden near Heraklion, but the Ottoman authorities who still ruled the island at the time denied any permission to dig there. Years afterward, the British archaeologist Arthur Evans, inspired b...

The Fascinating History of Thessaloniki’s Iconic White Tower

The White Tower. Credit: ΣΟΛΑΚΙΔΗΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΙΟΣ /Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 4.0 Residents of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city, often use its White Tower as a point of reference when giving directions in the beautiful seaside city. That’s because the tower is by far Thessaloniki’s most iconic monument. The ancient city, located in northern Greece, has a rich history stretching from antiquity to the modern era, but is most noted for its importance during the Byzantine period. During that time, Thessaloniki was a competitor with the great city of Constantinople in terms of its wealth and influence. The White Tower was a witness to many of the city’s most important historical events, and its role in Thessaloniki changed as did the ownership of the city itself throughout the millennia. Studying the history of the White Tower means learning the history of Thessaloniki. The Tower’s strategic location along the Thermaic Gulf made it perfect for guarding the city from thre...

The World’s Oldest Living Olive Tree is on Crete

The most ancient olive tree in the world, in Crete. Credit: Dimitra Damian/Greek Reporter The oldest olive tree in the world is located in the village of Ano Vouves of Kissamos in Chania, Crete. The ancient tree is 3000 years old, as determined by the international scientific community. The ancient olive tree in Vouves has a trunk with a circumference of 12.5 meters (41 feet), and a diameter of 4.6 meters (15 feet). It belongs to the local tree variety of tsounati, and was grafted at a height of 3 meters onto a wild olive tree. Because of the grafting, its trunk has been so beautifully shaped by nature that it resembles a sculpture. In 1990, after a unanimous decision in the prefecture of Chania, the Vouves Olive Tree was declared a Natural Monument of great importance due to its status as the world’s oldest tree of its kind. The oldest olive tree still produces high-quality olives The fruits of the ancient olive tree make the best olive oil in the world, making the area...

Rolls-Royce Names Panos Kakoullis New CFO

Rolls-Royce aircraft engine. Credit: Mark Kobayashi Hillary/ CC BY 2.0 British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce will name Panos Kakoullis as its new CFO, Reuters reported on Monday. Kakoullis will start in his new role on May 3. The company hopes that the Greek-British Kakoullis, former head of audit and assurance at Deloitte, will successfully guide the company through the coronavirus pandemic. As the the second-largest maker of aircraft engines, Rolls Royce has taken major hits due to the dramatic decrease in air travel caused by the coronavirus. Airlines pay the company by the number of hours each plane is in flight. Accordingly, as the travel industry has come to a standstill, Rolls Royce faced severe financial difficulty in the past year. Rolls Royce CEO Warren East highlighted Kakoullis’ over 30 years experience at Deloitte in a statement: “Panos delivered significant transformational change at Deloitte, streamlining and simplifying the business and we look forwa...

The Greek Who Taught the Japanese to Eat Feta Cheese and Olive Oil

Credit: Facebook/ Thanasis Fragkis Pioneering businessman Thanasis Fragkis was the very first person to introduce olive oil and other traditional Greek products to Japan more than a decade ago. Olive oil, wine, feta cheese and Greek yogurt, relatively unknown food items to this Far Eastern country, are now being enjoyed as the great gourmet delicacies they are. Speaking to Greek Reporter from his home in the town of Mito, around 120 km (76 miles) north of Tokyo, Fragkis was justifiably proud of his achievement. “We have taught the Japanese to eat olive oil, cheeses, including feta, yogurt that were not part of their diet. They hardly knew of olive oil,” he says in wonderment. Originally from the town of Kymi on the island of Evia, Fragkis emigrated to England, where he met his future wife, who is Japanese. “When we got married we thought ‘you are Japanese, I am Greek, what is the point of living in England?’. Greece was a difficult place to start a business in at the ti...

Θεσσαλονίκη: Εκατοντάδες μερίδες φαγητού σε αστέγους από τοπική επιχείρηση εστίασης

Στη Θεσσαλονίκη, μια επιχείρηση εστίασης αποδεικνύει εμπράκτως τι σημαίνει ευαισθησία και κοινωνική ευθύνη. Πρόκειται για το εστιατόριο του Στέφανου Σαράτση που έχει αρχίσει αυτή την προσπάθεια τους τελευταίους δύσκολους μήνες. Συμπαραστάτες του γνωστοί και άγνωστοι πολίτες που βοηθούν όσο μπορούν.

Άποψη

Best Nude Beaches in Greece — and the Entire World

Plaka beach on Naxos. Credit: Carlo Pelagalli/Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 3.0 Greece is a country that appeals to almost any traveler, from its towering seaside cliffs to its nearly countless pristine beaches. It is also favored by naturists who want to feel free to be sunbathe and swim in the nude. Greece actually has too many nude beaches to count, with travelers knowing that if they desire that experience, they are never too far away from a nudist beach anywhere in the country. It is not an uncommon sight for women to sunbathe topless, even at conventional beaches in Greece, which is emblematic of the free-spirited nature of the country. Here we have collected some of the best spots for nude bathing all across the nation. World naturist bathing map A global guide to topless and nude sunbathing. Credit: Pour Moi swimsuit company website. A British swimsuit company named Pour Moi has now created a global map for naturists to know where nude bathing is legal — or at leas...

Qoutes

Search This Blog