Gerapetritis: Open dialogue with Türkiye, fewer violations and energy diplomacy
Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis has defended Athens' policy of maintaining open communication with Türkiye, arguing that dialogue between the two countries helps manage tensions and prevent potential crises.
Gerapetritis also said Greece would continue its policies concerning marine parks in the Aegean and energy diplomacy in the Eastern Mediterranean, while stressing that efforts to reduce tensions do not mean Athens is giving up its sovereign rights.
“The channel of dialogue must remain open”
Gerapetritis rejected calls to suspend dialogue with Türkiye, emphasizing the importance of keeping communication channels open as a means of preventing potential crises and managing bilateral tensions.
According to the Greek foreign minister, Athens' approach of lowering tensions and maintaining what he described as “calm waters” does not represent a retreat from Greece's positions.
He stressed that Greece would continue to defend what it considers its sovereign rights in the Aegean.
The Greek government's strategy of maintaining communication with Ankara comes amid a broader effort to prevent disputes from escalating while keeping longstanding differences between the two countries under diplomatic management.
Marine parks remain on Greece's agenda
Greece's planned marine parks in the Aegean remain another significant issue in relations with Türkiye.
Athens has indicated that it intends to continue its environmental and energy policies in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean despite objections from Ankara, while Türkiye has raised concerns about certain Greek initiatives in the region.
The disagreements form part of a broader set of disputes involving maritime jurisdiction, environmental initiatives and energy activities in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
Energy diplomacy in the Eastern Mediterranean
Gerapetritis also reaffirmed Greece's focus on energy diplomacy in the Eastern Mediterranean, an area where competing interests among regional states continue to shape geopolitical relations.
Athens has sought to strengthen its role in regional energy cooperation while maintaining dialogue with Ankara to prevent disputes from developing into broader crises.
At the same time, Gerapetritis has previously reiterated that Greece reserves the right to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, a longstanding and highly sensitive issue in Greek-Turkish relations.
The latest remarks underline Athens' dual-track approach: maintaining open channels with Türkiye to reduce the risk of escalation while continuing to pursue its stated positions on sovereignty, marine parks and energy policy.
