Greek-Turkish “clash” over… Israel – Athens responds to Fidan

Athens has responded to the attack against Greece and Cyprus over their cooperation with Israel, launched earlier by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

According to a statement by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Greece, as a member state of the European Union and NATO and an elected member of the United Nations Security Council, has consistently demonstrated its commitment to stability, good neighbourly relations and peace.”

“Both the bilateral cooperation between Greece and Israel, as well as the trilateral cooperation between Greece, the Republic of Cyprus and Israel — like all of Greece’s other trilateral partnerships — are of a peaceful nature and are not directed against third parties.”

The Ministry stressed that “Greece shapes its foreign policy independently, does not accept instructions, nor does it owe explanations to anyone. Alarmism and attempts to distort reality are not helpful, especially during this period of regional instability and uncertainty.”

Fidan: Greece–Israel cooperation brings problems and war

“Cooperation between Greece, the ‘Greek Cypriot Administration’ and Israel does not bring more trust; it brings more mistrust. It brings more problems and war,” he claimed earlier in an interview with Turkey’s Anadolu news agency.

He added: “We see that Greece is pursuing extremely dangerous policies here. There are very interesting aspects in Greece’s attempt to follow a kind of policy that no other country in Europe is pursuing on its own.”

“Neither Greece nor the ‘Greek Cypriot Administration’ need military cooperation with Israel. Greece is already a member of NATO and the ‘Greek Cypriot Administration’ has the support of the EU. What strategic logic could justify seeking this kind of cooperation is something even they cannot explain to me.”

Hakan Fidan also argued that “Israel may seek to portray Turkey as a new adversary after Iran, as it cannot survive without an enemy.”

He said Israel’s actions in Lebanon resemble those in Gaza, while Israeli attacks in Syria pose a “serious risk” to Turkey.

The Turkish minister added that Iran and the US remain “sincere” regarding a ceasefire, despite failing to reach an agreement in Saturday’s Pakistan-mediated talks, but noted that Israel “could disrupt the peace process.”

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, the Turkish minister warned that military approaches to securing key global maritime routes would be extremely complex. “Our position is that it should be reopened through peace.”

“I believe that if the nuclear issue turns into an ‘all or nothing’ situation, especially regarding enrichment, we may face serious obstacles,” Fidan warned.

Turkey must play a serious role as a “key actor” in shaping views, building systems and implementing the European security framework, the Turkish foreign minister added.

He went on to say that the NATO summit to be held in Ankara could be “one of the most important in the alliance’s history.” Fidan also said that NATO countries should view the upcoming summit in Ankara as an opportunity “to systematise NATO-US relations.”