MEP and former President of New Democracy, Vangelis Meimarakis, in a statement delivered during the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, referred to the significant victories Greece achieved during the adoption of the European Parliament’s annual report on Turkey.
As he noted in his statement, following intense consultations and negotiations, cross-party support was secured for an amendment by a majority of MEPs, which refers to Greece’s legal right to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, the ongoing violations of our territorial waters and airspace, the illegal NAVTEX broadcasts and overflights, and the challenge to the Greek Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
He also referred to the systematic work that had taken place over many months in his capacity as a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Security and Defense.
As he emphasized, in close cooperation with his colleagues from the European People’s Party, as well as from other political groups, he tabled a series of amendments as early as the Committee on Foreign Affairs stage; these were adopted and formed the basis for the final text adopted today by the Plenary.
He emphasized that the final resolution is a particularly strong and balanced political text, which clearly sets out Turkey’s obligations toward the European Union, recognizes Greece’s long-standing positions, which are grounded in international law and the law of the sea, while also documenting Turkey’s serious shortcomings regarding the rule of law, human rights, democracy, and good-neighborly relations.