Greece Ties EU Defense Cooperation with Turkey to Policy Shift on Casus Belli

13:00 23/5/2025 - Πηγή: Dikaiologitika

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced his intention to formally request that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revoke Turkey’s longstanding casus belli—a declaration that considers a potential extension of

Greek territorial waters in the Aegean Sea as grounds for war.

The move, he said, is essential for fostering greater cooperation between Athens and Ankara and for enabling Turkey’s potential participation in European defense initiatives.

In an interview with SKAI radio on Thursday, Mitsotakis stressed the importance of consensus within the European Union when it comes to defense policy. “For the EU to sign any defense agreement with a third country, unanimous approval from all member states is required,” he explained. This unanimity, he implied, gives Greece a significant role in shaping how and when countries like Turkey are allowed to engage with European defense programs.

While Mitsotakis acknowledged that Greece is open to exploring such partnerships, he made clear that any deepening of Turkey’s involvement in European security projects would need to reflect Greek strategic concerns. Chief among them is the casus belli, a point of friction in Greek-Turkish relations since the Turkish parliament adopted it in 1995 in response to Greece’s stated right—under international law—to extend its territorial waters from six to twelve nautical miles.

“If Turkey wants to join European defense programs, it must address our concerns. We will ask our Turkish friends to withdraw the casus belli after 30 years,” Mitsotakis said. “I will raise the issue directly with President Erdogan.”

The Greek premier’s remarks come ahead of the next High-Level Cooperation Council between the two countries, a bilateral summit that Mitsotakis confirmed will take place in the coming months, though exact dates have yet to be finalized. “We are looking for possible dates. These meetings are important. We must keep communication channels open,” he noted, framing dialogue as a necessary step toward stability in the region.

Mitsotakis also dismissed the notion that specific joint projects—such as the proposed undersea electricity cable linking Greece and Israel—have been indefinitely postponed. The energy interconnection, part of a broader vision to strengthen regional energy cooperation has faced delays amid diplomatic tensions. But Mitsotakis insisted the plan is still very much on the table. “It is wrong to assume that the power cable has been shelved,” he said.

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