Foreign Minister Gerapetritis to update political leaders on Greek-Turkish relations

Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis is set to brief the leaders of Greece’s political parties next week regarding key foreign policy issues, according to a statement from the ministry of foreign affairs.

This follows recent remarks by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who reiterated Ankara’s intention to defend its interests in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. Fidan also referenced a so-called “Turkish minority” in Western Thrace and “Turkish communities” in the Dodecanese, emphasizing that minority issues are among the topics Turkey prioritizes in its dialogue with Greece.

In response, diplomatic sources reaffirmed that the Treaty of Lausanne explicitly recognizes only a Muslim minority, rejecting Turkey’s persistent claims of a non-existent national minority in Thrace and the Dodecanese as inconsistent with the principles of international law, as reported by national broadcaster ERT.

Greece also raised concerns with the Turkish delegation about research activities related to electrical interconnection projects, clarifying that sovereignty issues were not part of the discussions.

Regarding the ongoing activities, an Italian vessel is currently conducting work on the Cyprus-Greece electrical interconnection project in waters off Cyprus.