In an effort to resume dialogue between the Greece and of Turkey in the context of the International Law, the Nikos Dendias He is traveling to Ankara at noon, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs responsible for economic diplomacy, Kostas Fragkogiannis, as well as the ministry’s senior officials, in order to meet with the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu.
«I’m not overly optimistic, but at least there should be an opportunity to talk, within the bounds of reason and the law. Because if we’re going to talk within the framework of arbitrariness, there’s no point in talking,» the foreign minister has emphasized in this regard. At the same time, he had made it clear that Greece is not afraid of dialogue and that It advocates a constructive dialogue based on fundamental principles, such as international law. In fact, he had emphasized: «We believe that we are in the right and that we have nothing to fear.”. Dialogue is not self-indulgence. »When you speak, you state your positions, set your red lines, but you don't give in.".
The visit is taking place in the wake of international criticism of Turkey—from both the United States and Europe—over a range of issues, such as its withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, the photo featuring the president of Commission at the Turkish Presidential Palace and the ensuing reactions, the most notable of which was that of the Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, the enforcement sanctions from the USA for those S-400, as well as his decisions European Council on March 25–26, at which a two-pronged approach to EU-Turkey relations was adopted: on the one hand, a positive agenda, and on the other, the prospect of taking measures should Ankara resume its non-compliant behavior. The short-term deadline for Turkey is June, when the 27 EU heads of state and government will reassess EU-Turkey relations and Turkey’s conduct in light of the European Council’s statement of March 25–25 March.
Before his trip to Ankara, Nikos Dendias will welcome his counterparts from Cyprus and Lebanon to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this morning for the trilateral meeting of the three countries.
Immediately afterward, the foreign minister will depart for Ankara, where at 3:00 p.m. (Greek time) he will meet with the President of Turkey and then with his Turkish counterpart. The meetings follow two rounds of talks exploratory contacts within two months and the political consultations at the highest official level between the two foreign ministries that followed.
Following the one-on-one meeting between Nikos Dendias and Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, broader talks will take place between the two delegations. The two sides are expected to discuss issues related to bilateral relations as well as regional and international matters. Specifically, they are expected to discuss bilateral relations—both political and economic—as well as international developments, with an emphasis on EU-Turkey relations, including the migration and refugee, as well as regional developments, with a focus on Libya and Syria. Furthermore, they are expected to discuss the Cyprus in view of the upcoming informal five-party conference, under the auspices of the United Nations, in Geneva.
Following the conclusion of the meeting at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, joint statements will be issued (around 7:00 p.m.). Finally, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu is expected to host an «iftar» dinner in honor of Nikos Dendias to break the fast, marking the start of Ramadan.
