Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told lawmakers on Tuesday that “all outstanding issues in the Aegean must be examined as a whole,” during a debate on Turkey’s state budget in parliament. He said that any resolution should be pursued through “substantive and constructive dialogue” grounded in international law and principles of good-neighbourly relations. Fidan added that Ankara’s goal remains to turn the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean into “a region of stability and prosperity,” something he described as a clear priority of Turkey’s president.
Fidan reiterated that Turkey seeks to maintain a positive agenda with Greece. He also referred to Western Thrace, stating that Ankara would continue what he called initiatives to protect the rights of the “Turkish” minority there whenever deemed necessary.
On Cyprus, the minister said Turkey’s priority is to enhance the international standing of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and to end what he described as a “humanitarianly unacceptable embargo” on Turkish Cypriots. Regarding the Eastern Mediterranean, he stressed that Turkey supports “the principle of fair sharing” of maritime resources and will continue to take what it considers necessary steps to safeguard its rights and interests.
Greek diplomatic sources responded by asserting that the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone and the continental shelf is the “single and only” dispute between Greece and Turkey, and that any revisionist claims or proposals are categorically rejected. They said Greece remains committed to international law and intends to continue structured dialogue with Turkey on that basis, guided by the national interest. The same sources noted that under the Treaty of Lausanne, the minority in Thrace is clearly defined as a religious minority, whose members enjoy full equality before the law and the state.
