Gerapetritis Warns Ankara: “We Are Ready to Respond on the Ground – The 12-Mile Right Is Ours”

Athens hardens its message without closing the door to dialogue: George Gerapetritis says Greece has “all scenarios ready,” rules out any discussion on demilitarizing the islands, insists on Greece’s unilateral right to extend territorial waters to 12 nautical miles and says the cable project will move forward.

Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis sent a clear deterrence message to Ankara amid renewed tensions in Greek-Turkish relations, while stressing that Athens remains committed to keeping channels of communication open.

Speaking on SKAI television, Gerapetritis said the Greek government does not currently assess that there is an imminent risk of an incident on the ground. At the same time, however, he made clear that Greece has contingency plans in place for any escalation and is prepared to respond if necessary.

“Our assessment is that there is no danger on the ground. Of course, we are always vigilant. We have all scenarios ready for any tension, for any increase in pressure.”

He then delivered one of his strongest warnings:

“Obviously, we are ready to respond on the ground.”

The message from Athens is therefore twofold: dialogue and restraint on the one hand, deterrence and the protection of Greek sovereign rights on the other.

“There are warmongers everywhere”

Gerapetritis acknowledged the deterioration in the atmosphere surrounding Greek-Turkish relations, but warned against rhetoric capable of pushing the two countries toward an uncontrolled escalation.

“First of all, we should point out that there are many people who are historically ignorant and warmongering, who will come out and attempt to create an atmosphere of hostility and vanity that is genuinely dangerous for security and prosperity in the region.”

The Foreign Minister stressed that he was not referring exclusively to Turkey.

“To be fair, they do not exist only in Turkey. They exist in Greece as well; they exist everywhere.”

For Athens, he suggested, the task of responsible government is not to compete in aggressive rhetoric but to ensure that Greece possesses the diplomatic, military and economic strength required to deter a crisis.

“Real power is not about words”

Gerapetritis placed particular emphasis on what he described as Greece’s growing “real power,” contrasting it with bellicose rhetoric.

“Real power is not about words. Real power lies in expanding the country’s diplomatic footprint, in defence resilience and in a strong economy.”

According to the Foreign Minister, Greece has strengthened all three pillars over the past three years.

“We understand that this kind of heightened rhetoric, which we often see coming from circles in neighboring Turkey, is also due to the fact that Greece has acquired real power, a voice that is heard more than ever before.”

He followed with an unusually pointed remark:

“The person who shouts is not always the strongest. It is probably the weaker one.”

12 nautical miles: “We have never relinquished this right”

One of the most significant parts of the interview concerned Greece’s right to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles.

Gerapetritis reiterated that Athens considers such an extension a sovereign right deriving from the international law of the sea and stressed that Greece alone will determine whether and when to exercise it.

“We have repeatedly said that the extension of territorial waters to 12 nautical miles is a prerogative of the Greek state deriving from the international law of the sea. We have never relinquished it.”

He continued:

“The Greek state will exercise it at the time and in the manner it considers appropriate. Just as we did in the Ionian Sea and up to Cape Tainaron, it will become a reality when the Greek state considers it appropriate.”

Gerapetritis refused to provide a timetable, but emphasized the fundamental point:

“Obviously, I cannot give you a timetable on this issue. It is, however, a unilateral right.”

The formulation carries particular geopolitical weight. Athens is not announcing when it may act, but it is equally making clear that the exercise of the right is not subject to negotiation with Turkey.

No negotiation over the demilitarization of the Greek islands

Gerapetritis also rejected the logic behind Ankara’s demands concerning the defence status of the Greek islands.

Athens does not consider the defensive protection of its islands an issue to be negotiated with Turkey.

The Foreign Minister pointed directly to decisions already taken to strengthen Greece’s military posture:

“We were not afraid to create a force structure that strengthens our islands, despite everything that was being said.”

The broader message is clear: maintaining dialogue with Ankara does not mean accepting Turkey’s agenda concerning the demilitarization of Greek islands.

For Athens, dialogue may address bilateral disputes recognized by Greece, but it does not turn Greek sovereignty or the defence of Greek territory into bargaining chips.

The cable: “Of course the laying will take place”

The Foreign Minister was equally firm on the issue of the cable project, which has emerged as another sensitive point in the wider geopolitical contest in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Gerapetritis rejected the argument that Athens is acting under a “fear syndrome” when faced with Turkish objections.

He listed a series of recent Greek initiatives as evidence:

“We were not afraid to proceed with maritime spatial planning. We were not afraid to establish marine parks. We were not afraid to create a force structure that strengthens our islands despite everything that was being said. We were not afraid to extend our territorial waters. We were not afraid to conclude delimitation agreements with neighboring countries.”

And he added:

“I assure you, therefore, that the present government is not driven by any fear syndrome.”

His assurance that the laying of the cable will proceed is particularly significant in this context: Athens is signaling that its policy of avoiding unnecessary escalation should not be interpreted as abandoning projects or exercising self-restraint under pressure from Ankara.

Dialogue with Ankara — but not at the expense of sovereign rights

Despite the tougher language, Gerapetritis strongly defended the government’s decision to maintain open channels with Turkey.

“Of course there are channels of communication. This is precisely what we established three years ago through the structured Greek-Turkish dialogue and the Athens Declaration.”

For the Foreign Minister, communication between Athens and Ankara becomes more important — not less — during periods of heightened tension.

“Our conviction is that this dialogue should continue. I believe that talking to your neighbor, particularly a neighbor with whom you have historical differences, is a necessity.”

He rejected calls for Greece to walk away from the negotiating table.

“Those who believe that by closing down the dialogue, by refusing to sit down and talk, we gain something are, I think, profoundly mistaken.”

And he encapsulated his approach in a particularly stark warning:

“Never close the door to dialogue. Closing the door to dialogue essentially creates a legacy of war rather than peace.”

Athens’ message to Ankara: restraint backed by deterrence

Gerapetritis’ intervention lays out an increasingly clear Greek doctrine as tensions with Turkey rise: Athens wants to prevent a confrontation, but it will not allow the pursuit of dialogue to become a policy of self-restraint.

Greece’s right to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles remains intact. The defence of the islands is not being placed on the negotiating table. The cable project will move forward. And if tensions move beyond rhetoric and onto the ground, Athens says it has prepared for that possibility as well.

The Foreign Minister summed up the first half of that message in five words:

“We have all scenarios ready.”

And the second in an even more explicit warning:

“Obviously, we are ready to respond on the ground.”

Source: pagenews.gr