Greek PM Mitsotakis sends double message to Erdogan from Prague

A double message that the Greek government will not leave the Turkish provocations unanswered, wherever and if they manifest themselves, but also that Athens always remains in favor of a Greek-Turkish dialogue, as long as the Turkish leadership abandons the extreme rhetoric against Greece, was sent yesterday by the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis from Prague and the informal Summit of European leaders .

In the background of a two-day event, which was overshadowed by the unprovoked attack of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the leaders’ dinner at the European Political Community Summit, Mr. Mitsotakis warned that “if Turkey wishes, as it states, a productive relationship with the European Union should realize that it has to change course, otherwise it will not find any allies within the EU”.

Sanctions on persons

In view of the European Council on October 21 and 22 in Brussels and when asked about it, the Prime Minister reminded that the framework of European sanctions against Turkey is always on the table, but clarified that “we hope we don’t have to implement it”.

However, Kyriakos Mitsotakis did not fail to provide an interesting dimension, listening to the heavy, as it was called by some, climate for Turkey among European leaders for Ankara’s reluctance to comply with Western sanctions against Russia, opening the debate about imposing sanctions on Turkish entities and individuals who continue to export European products to Russia through Turkey in violation of the Western sanctions in force.

For the rest of the Greek mission, they speak of Turkey’s irritation and embarrassment and characterize the said incident at the leaders’ dinner at the European Political Community Summit as indicative of the challenges that our country faces every day in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, but and useful as 42 leaders of member states of the Union and non-member states had the opportunity to perceive for themselves the Turkish provocation and the attempt of the Turkish leadership to distort reality.

EU intervention for energy

On the energy front, hopes are multiplying in Athens for a substantial, as well as drastic, European intervention aimed at containing international gas prices ahead of the European Council on October 21 and 22 in Brussels. “A common ground is forming in the Council that there must be a common, active European intervention in order to lower the prices of natural gas, and the proposals being processed by the European Commission are moving in this direction.

I am optimistic that at the next European Council, and after the relevant processing has been done at the level of the Council of Ministers of Energy, we will be able to decide on such an intervention”, emphasized Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who appeared satisfied with the fact that the Greek proposals to impose a ceiling on the international price of natural gas are now at the center of processing by the European Commission.