Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made a pointed dig at Greek domestic politics on Wednesday, telling Ta Nea that ant...

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made a pointed dig at Greek domestic politics on Wednesday, telling Ta Nea that anti-Turkey rhetoric functions like aspirin for Greek politicians. "Without Turkey, Greek domestic politics could not exist," he said, after delivering a speech at the European Policy Centre in Brussels. Fidan acknowledged that relations between Athens and Ankara have improved since May 2023, when both governments agreed to prioritize confidence-building measures and de-escalation. "At least we no longer have dogfights. The Aegean has become a calmer place over the last three years," he said. But he argued Greek governments "know how to approach the issue but cannot shoulder the political cost" of a genuine settlement. On Turkey's long-standing casus belli declaration, Fidan pushed back against the Greek interpretation. He described it as a 1995 Grand National Assembly declaration, not a law, and insisted Turkey has never officially labeled it a "casus belli." The declaration states that if Greece extends its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles without first resolving the dispute with Turkey, Ankara would take every necessary measure to prevent it, though Fidan argued that falls short of a threat of war. Fidan also urged Athens to move quickly while Erdogan is in power, saying only the Turkish president has the political legitimacy to push a deal through. "I advise my Greek friends: while he is still there, seize the moment and cooperate with him," he said. On the Greece-Saudi Arabia interconnection cable, Fidan said Turkey raises no objections but wants written notification with coordinates whenever survey ships operate in disputed waters. He also confirmed that Erdogan told Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis in New York that Turkey would prefer Greece buy electricity from Turkey directly, rather than fund a 2,000-kilometer cable at a cost of over two billion euros in EU money. #GreeceTurkey #Aegean #Fidan