In an absolutely clear manner, the US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barak, signals the intentions of the Trump administration regarding Greek-Turkish relations. In his interview with “Kathimerini,” he makes it clear that a new dynamic is now beginning to create a new framework in Greek-Turkish relations. He also reveals that necessary discussions have taken place with his “very good friend” Kimberly Guilfoyle and President Donald Trump about how the USA could function as a unifying force between the two countries and serve as a bridge for creating “a new regional order, a new way of cooperation.” Cyprus has also been included in American plans, which “must be included in the solution,” he characteristically states, because “you cannot have an abscess in the center of an otherwise healthy body.”
At the same time, he indirectly but clearly presents the plan to integrate Turkey into corridors that will connect the West with the East and the Caspian with the Mediterranean. As he says, “the Spice Route, the Silk Road connected the East with the West through three or four different routes,” emphasizing that Greece and Turkey “are the gateway” for transporting minerals and “this gateway must be opened.”
Avramopoulos on Barak’s statements about Greek-Turkish relations to parapolitika.gr: They move in a positive direction – Respect for international law is essential
Former Foreign Minister and former European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, speaking to parapolitika.gr, believes that Tom Barak’s positions move in a positive direction, while setting respect for international law as an essential prerequisite for any initiative. According to Mr. Avramopoulos: “The recent statements by the American ambassador in Ankara, Tom Barak, are careful and initially sound positive, as they reflect Washington’s willingness to contribute to stability and cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is natural for the United States to worry about the potential destabilization of NATO’s southeastern flank, but also about the region’s return to the center of international attention due to energy and geostrategic developments. However, any initiative that is developed must have respect for international law as its starting point and foundation.”
What stance should Greece maintain within the new circumstances being developed? As Dimitris Avramopoulos argues, whatever dialogue develops should not concern matters of national sovereignty: “Greece can discuss an American proposal, provided that the dialogue will not concern matters of national sovereignty and will be conducted exclusively on the basis of international law and good neighborliness. Stability cannot be built with balancing acts, but with rules and clarity of positions. I believe Greece can view positively any sincere effort at de-escalation and communication, as has happened in the recent past. At the same time, it remains firm in the position that security and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean can only progress with respect for sovereign rights and international legal order.”
