International law cannot be à la carte for Turkey

If Turkey feels so confident about the compatibility of its actions with international law, let it accept that its positions are judged by an international judicial mechanism, the Minister of Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulidistold told CNA, adding that “international law cannot be ‘à la carte’ for Turkey.”

Asked to comment on the statement made by the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, in connection with the statement of the EU Foreign Ministers on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, Mr. Christodoulidis also pointed out that yesterday’s statement of the 27 EU Foreign Ministers makes clear that abstaining from unilateral action is a precondition for continuing the EU’s dialogue with Turkey.

“The statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry proves and confirms, among other things, Ankara’s long-standing contempt for the international community’s calls, and especially the EU’s, for its conduct more broadly, and more specifically for ending its illegal actions in the East. Mediterranean,” noted Mr. Christodoulidis.

He added that “if Turkey really wants dialogue, as the Turkish Foreign Ministry claims in its statement, it has only to accept the proposal of the Republic of Cyprus to start good faith negotiations for the demarcation of our maritime zones west and north of Cyprus.” “Our proposal has been repeatedly welcomed by the EU itself, most recently with the joint statement of the 27 Foreign Ministers, and is now the declared position of the 27th,” he said.

The same applies, of course, the Minister said “for the constant invocation of the International law on Turkey’s part, trying to justify its illegal acts, especially those in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone. If Turkey feels so sure for the compatibility of its actions with international law, let it accept that its positions are judged by an international judicial mechanism. International law cannot be ‘à la carte’ for Turkey.

“But also at the general level of Euro-Turkish relations, the 27th Statement reiterates the EU’s well-known position that Ankara’s illegal actions negatively affect these relations, which everyone wants to see improved. Yesterday’s 27th Foreign Ministers’ Statement is clear in this regard as well; that the abstention from unilateral actions is a precondition for the continuation of the EU dialogue with Turkey,” concluded Mr. Christodoulidis.

Source: CNA