Venizelos on Turkey's latest provocations

In an interview with the Cypriot "Sunday Kathimerini" newspaper - not to be confused with the Sunday edition of the…

In commenting on Turkey's provocations on the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Venizelos said that Turkey is surrounded by problems along all its border line, while facing a "deep division" within Turkish society, with its

Opposition radically opposed to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's choices. The Greek Foreign Minister noted, that Turkey is in reality trying to export its own crisis through its current Foreign Policy.

Venizelos underlined that such a situation requires "grave attention", noting that Greece is standing by Cyprus, with the two countries designing their reactions with an effort to "avoid mistakes of the past".

When asked what could be done in case Turkey were to bring a drilling platform inside the Cypriot EEZ, Venizelos replied that such a development would consist an overt and provocative breach of international law. He also added, that all latest provocations are happening in an area where Turkey is not claiming any supposed "rights" in the Cypriot EEZ, but is only trying to question the existence of the Republic of Cyprus itself and of its governing bodies.

The Foreign Minister said that the international community's response towards Turkey's provocations "was not satisfactory, I would have liked something more". To his view, what the international community didn't say, was that Turkey must immediately refrain from breaching international law.

Venizelos warned, that under no circumstances will a moratorium be accepted; Cyprus won't be led to postponing the exercise of its sovereign rights. He added that there's already a detailed plan of common reaction in place by Greece and Cyprus, against Turkey.