The European Commission’s annual enlargement report criticised Turkey on Wednesday over its continuous violation of Greek airspace and threats to the sovereignty of Greece and Cyprus.
“After some positive developments in 2021, relations with the EU deteriorated in the first half of 2022, due to repeated violations of Greek airspace by Turkish fighter jets in the Aegean and threatening Turkish statements regarding the sovereignty of Greek islands, and against Cyprus,” the report said.
The Commission also cautioned Ankara over its military exercises in the maritime zones of Cyprus, and the illegal obstruction of survey activities in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by Turkish warships.
“Despite international condemnation, Turkey continued with its plan to open the fenced-off area of Varosha. Tensions in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean were not conducive to good neighbourly relations and undermined regional stability and security,” it said.
The Commission report then called on Turkey to “respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all EU member states.”
This report comes as Greek Defence Minister, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on Wednesday on the sidelines of a summit meeting of alliance defence ministers.
According to government sources, the Greek minister emphasised Greece’s contributions to the war in Ukraine and condemned all revisionism that destabilises Europe.
READ MORE: Mitsotakis discusses Turkey’s ‘escalating aggressive rhetoric’ with US House Delegation.
Source: Ekathimerini.
