Nikos Dendias: Turkey’s SAFE participation prohibited due to “aggressive stance” and “illegal actions”

During his visit to the country, Nikos Dendias met with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis, and Cyprus’s Defense Minister, Vasilis Palmas. The Greek Defense Minister discussed cooperation between Greece and Cyprus in both Defense and Security matters with his counterpart and President Christodoulidis. Special reference was made to SAFE, primarily to condemn Turkey’s “aggressive stance” and “illegal actions” against “a member state of the European Union”. Based on this, as the two Defense Ministers agreed, “any participation by Turkey cannot proceed.”

Read more: New Erdogan provocations: “Cyprus is held hostage by an imperialist game”

Moreover, from Cyprus, he called on EU states to contribute to prohibiting Turkey’s inclusion in the program and the “obvious understanding of protecting the European space.”

Nikos Dendias: The response on SAFE

Nikos Dendias responded to a journalist’s question about the SAFE program: “In this context, there are value-based principles. Value-based principles must be clear. And there is a clear commitment from the European Commission regarding the way contracts between the EU and third countries will be introduced for discussion. The European Commission itself, through a direct statement, has committed that these proposals will come to be voted on unanimously. With common understanding from all states. This is obvious. Why is it obvious? Because if someone threatens the EU itself, it is evident that they cannot participate in the mechanism to address precisely this aggression.

Therefore, in this context, we expect all European countries – I repeat all European countries – to align with the obvious understanding of protecting the European space, but not only geographically the European space. European values, European Democracy, the European approach to protecting human rights.”

Achieving stability, understanding and security

Nikos Dendias’s official position was the subject of agreement in his meeting with Vasilis Palmas. The two Defense Ministers were absolute regarding prohibiting Turkey’s participation in SAFE. Indeed, they discussed both cooperation concerning only Greece and Cyprus in Defense and those involving other states. Additionally, they discussed how they could make a difference in achieving stability, understanding and security in Cyprus and the Mediterranean during the Republic of Cyprus’s assumption of the EU Council Presidency.

The meeting was attended by Chief of National Guard General Staff Lieutenant General Emmanouil Theodoros, Cyprus Ministry of Defense General Director Anna Aristotelous, Greek Ambassador to Nicosia Ioannis Papameletiou, officials from the Cyprus Defense Ministry, and staff from the National Guard General Staff.

“We look forward to deepening cooperation”

After completing his discussion with Vasilis Palmas, Nikos Dendias headed to the Presidential Palace of Cyprus to meet with Nikos Christodoulidis. After his welcoming remarks, he asked to learn how the President of the Republic of Cyprus views the election of Tufan Erhürman in the occupied territories. Specifically, he said the meeting represents for him “a tremendous opportunity, on one hand, to understand various things related to the complexity of the situation. Indeed, the election in the occupied part of the Turkish Cypriot community leader might be a change, and it would be very interesting for you to tell me how you see it from the Cypriot side.”

Furthermore, he reiterated points from his discussion with Vasilis Palmas. Specifically, “how we can deepen our cooperation in the defense sector, exactly as you said regarding defense industry issues and the Greece-Cyprus, Cyprus-Greece ecosystem. And the Cyprus Presidency is a tremendous opportunity for us. We therefore look forward to this, we look forward to deepening cooperation.”