Diplomatic sources late on Tuesday pushed back on comments by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, stressing that delimiting the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf remains the only outstanding issue between Greece and Turkey.
“Revisionist positions and proposals are entirely unacceptable,” the sources said. “Greece is committed to international law and aims to pursue a structured dialogue with Turkey, always guided by national interest and grounded in these principles.”
They noted that the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne “clearly defines the minority in Thrace as religious,” adding that Greece grants its members full equality before the law and citizenship.
Addressing Turkish lawmakers earlier on Tuesday, Fidan said Turkey sought its “fair share” in the eastern Mediterranean and supported examining “all differences in the Aegean as a whole.”
He said Ankara backed a solution “within the framework of international law and good-neighborly relations, in a substantive and constructive manner,” adding that Turkey wanted the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean to be “a region of prosperity and stability.”
Referring to the Muslim minority in western Thrace as “Turkish,” Fidan said Ankara was “taking steps to protect its rights… taking reciprocal steps when necessary.”