JOURNALIST: Tayyip Erdogan recently said Turkey will defend its rights in the Aegean, Cyprus and the Mediterranean till the end. Is the Turkish President just raising tensions, or might he act on this?
M. VARVITSIOTIS: The policy of tensions that Turkey maintains is misguided and leads to an impasse. The use of external tensions to cover up the domestic concerns in Turkey will prove to be the wrong policy in the end, exactly like the exploitation of refugees in Evros, which isolated Turkey from the European leadership. In the face of Turkey’s ongoing provocations, Greece will continue to be a force for stability in the wider region. Our country is committed to International Law and international legality. We are not pursuing the militarisation of our differences. But we are making it clear that the defence of our national sovereignty is non-negotiable.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned about the possibility of new provocations in Evros or a new effort to exploit refugees and migrants on the Aegean islands?
M. VARVITSIOTIS: During the recent crisis in Evros, Greece showed resolve and proved that it knows how to protect its borders, which are also Europe’s borders. We’re doing the same thing every day in the Aegean. Recently, arrivals on the islands have been limited; there are even days with zero new arrivals. And this shows that our message has been received by the other side. However, we are not letting down our guard, especially now, when good weather conditions favour such attempts to push migrants onto our islands. Moreover, after the crisis in Evros, Europe, too, has seen that, with every attempt to exploit the migration crisis, Turkey is blackmailing Europe as well as Greece. And this conduct has already been condemned categorically and unequivocally by the EU as a whole.
JOURNALIST: Over the last 24 hours, Turkey has again leaked reports that Hagia Sophia may be converted into a mosque. Will there be a reaction if this happens?
M. VARVITSIOTIS: Hagia Sophia is the sacred symbol of Orthodoxy. Characterised by UNESCO as a world heritage site, it functions as a museum. Turkey needs to respect this. Any disputing of Hagia Sophia’s status by Turkey would be taken as an insult and provocation by the international community.
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JOURNALIST: You are aware of the procedures under way on the European level to reboot air transport and travel. When do you think tourist flights will start up again? And will there be a joint policy in Europe?
M. VARVITSIOTIS: Greece was the first country to raise the issue of tourism in the EU – and it was done at the highest level, by the Prime Minister himself. The framework for tourism and transport that the European Commission presented on Wednesday is in the direction of joint cooperation among the member state on travel safety and the free movement of persons. We are trying to open the borders safely so as not to miss the summer season. I think a portion of flights will gradually be reinstated by the end of June, in combination with each country’s epidemiological data. For us, it’s important to move ahead to rebooting tourism and maintaining our country’s profile as a safe and attractive destination in what is actually a difficult year for tourism.
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JOURNALIST: On Friday, our country commenced its chairmanship of the Council of Europe. What are our priorities?
M. VARVITSIOTIS: As the Greek Chairmanship, we chose the issue of human rights during the pandemic as our priority. It will be a dynamic, relevant Chairmanship, and mainly digital. Our agenda includes individual issues that have to do with young people, vulnerable social groups, unaccompanied minors, and safeguarding cultural heritage from the impacts of climate change. Our goal is to host a large, free, open and democratic dialogue, posing important questions that have to do with democratic institutions, the rule of law and human rights in a time of crisis.
May 17, 2020