Spokesperson of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hami Aksoy issued a written statement in response to a question regarding the “Philia (Friendship) Forum” Held in Athens on 11 February, with the participation of the Foreign Ministers of Greece, Egypt, France, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and the Greek Cypriot Administration.
“It is not possible for any forum not including Turkey, the key country in its region, and Turkish Cypriots, to constitute an effective and successful mechanism of cooperation and friendship with regard to the challenges in the region” Aksoy noted.
“The baseless accusations and slander against Turkey voiced by the Foreign Minister of Greece during the press conference held at the conclusion of this forum, which is allegedly “not pitted against anyone”, demonstrates that this initiative is in fact an attempt to form an alliance built upon hostility towards Turkey, rather than “friendship” as stated” he said.
“Those who caused destabilization in Libya by embracing putschists for the sake of their own maximalist demands and narrow agendas, who are trying to create a terror corridor that can potentially divide Syria and Iraq, and who have remained silent for years regarding the occupation of Azerbaijani territories should not exceed their limits and criticize Turkey’s humanitarian and fair policies in the region” Aksoy stressed.
“This attitude displayed towards Turkey is hostile, especially at a time when attempts to establish a sincere and inclusive cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean are being conducted through Turkey’s proposal for an international conference. It also undermines the EU’s efforts in the context of the Union for the Mediterranean” he added.
“The Greek/Greek Cypriot duo’s attempts to prevent the EU from setting up a positive agenda with candidate State Turkey, and their conduct of politics by relying on others, threatens peace and stability in our region. We call upon this duo to act with common sense and invite the other countries attending this forum not to fall victim to the schemes of others” Aksoy concluded.
Source: BRTK - Bayrak Radyo ve Televizyon Kurumu https://brtk.net