Today the Turkish drill ship “Abdulhamid Han” set sail.

Over the past few days, we saw that Ankara’s provocative behaviour is often accompanied by an excess of verbalism, as the launch of its mission in the Eastern Mediterranean was accompanied by a grandiose ceremony with nationalistic flourishes, led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Beyond the hyped-up rhetoric and the various dimensions of Turkey’s overt revisionism, Athens was concerned about where the Turkish ship would conduct its operations.

Obviously, the Greek side is obliged to be, as it is, in a constant state of readiness, and to combine a clear and fine line of composure with a firm demonstration of decisiveness.

Under no circumstances will our country’s stance be determined by the actions of Turkey, nor will Greece allow itself to be exploited by Erdogan’s games, that aim at his domestic political audience.

Yesterday’s provocative statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu reflected Ankara’s intentions and its repeated violations of international law.

Greece cannot follow such practices, yet it will make it perfectly clear that there is no room or time for revisionism or for risky actions in the region.

Our country is a member of both the EU and NATO.

It is a pillar of stability, with alliances and a firmly rooted democracy.

Athens will carefully monitor the course of the drill ship, with the certainty that our red lines will not be violated.

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