The spokesman for the Turkish “Justice and Development” Party, Omer Celik, announced his country’s readiness to continue the negotiation process with Greece according to mutual respect.
This came in a press conference held, on Monday, at the party’s headquarters in Ankara.
Celik confirmed that the statements of the Athenian foreign minister against Ankara were “very strict,” and that accusing Turkey and its people would enter the history of diplomacy “as an example of impropriety.”
He explained that Greece has committed brutal acts such as sinking boats and forcing more than 80,000 refugees to return to Turkish territorial waters within 3 years, expressing his regret at the commitment of international institutions and the European Union to remain silent about these practices.
He pointed out that the Greek coast guard tried to commit a massacre against asylum seekers by pouring petrol on them and trying to burn them .
Directing his speech to Greece, he added: “You buried the values that you advocated, such as democracy, human rights, and international relations, in the waters of the Mediterranean, first save them and then try to talk about other issues.”
He continued, “We are ready to continue the negotiation process with Greece, in smart language, in the concept of state, and in accordance with mutual respect.”
On the Russian-Ukrainian tension, Celik affirmed his country’s desire to settle this crisis through diplomacy within the tripartite contact group between Moscow and Kiev and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Separately, Celik stressed Turkey’s standing by Palestine, stressing that Ankara “will continue to take the necessary positions in order to protect the rights of the Palestinian brothers.”
