Diplomatic sources say Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has sent a letter to the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell regarding the recent illegal activities of Turkish fishing vessels in Greek territorial waters around Farmakonisi. .
In a letter sent on Tuesday to European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Synas and the European Commissioner for the Environment, Marines and Fisheries Virginius Synkevicius, Dendias said the Greek Coast Guard vessel was killed in January. He referred to an incident in which he was harassed on the 5th. Turkish patrol boat. At the time, Greek ships were approaching and attempting to identify three Turkish fishing vessels that had entered Greek territorial waters southeast of Pharmakonisi to fish.
“The above repeated Turkish practices create a dangerous security environment and increase the risk of ‘accidents’ that Turkey may use to escalate tensions between Greece and Turkey,” the sources said. quoted Dendias.
The letter also noted the lack of cooperation and the often aggressive attitude of Turkish fishing crews towards both Greek Coast Guard vessels and Greek fishing vessels, contrary to the Greek fishing vessels’ legal fishing activities.
Dendias also referred to the aggressive rhetoric of Turkish officials, according to sources, highlighting the possible consequences such developments could have for the wider region and Turkish-European relations. against Greece. ”
In conjunction with the affairs of national sovereignty in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean, Dendias, in his letter, suggested that Turkey could implement its revisionist policies and challenge the status quo by using illegal and illegal means. He pointed out that it was very clear that they were using unregulated fishing. area.
Sources said he also stressed that the EU must take action if Turkey continues the above practices and imposes financial costs on Turkey, banning illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. demanded the implementation of EU rules to combat A third country that refuses to comply could be labeled as ‘uncooperative’ and its fishing products banned from her EU market.
Such a reaction from the EU side would send a strong message to Turkey and positively demonstrate the EU’s solidarity with member states that have to deal with sovereignty and threat disputes on an almost daily basis, Dendias said in the letter. Stated. war.