Mitsotakis says Greece, Turkey should go to Hague court if agreement is impossible

Mitsotakis says Greece, Turkey should go to Hague court if agreement is impossible

In a no-holds-barred interview with To Vima's political reporter Dimitra Kroustali, PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis indicated that Greece sees resorting to the International Court of Justice as a way to resolve existing disputes with Turkey.

He said that he offered an olive branch during his meeting with Tayyip Erdogan but that Greece will in no way compromise its sovereign rights.

The PM said that Athens is using all diplomatic tools and alliances and that Greece's position on issues such as the Turkey-Libya EEZ accord is supported by the US, the EU, Egypt, Israel, most Gulf states, and a large part of Libya itself.

Yet he said that Greece at the same time is bolstering its military deterrent force by upgrading its F-16 and Mirage fighters.

Asked about going to the International Court of Justice the PM said he would like to exhaust the possibilities for dialogue and CBMs and that he seek an understanding with Turkey on three levels- dialogue, exploratory talks between the two sides, and political dialogue.

Hague may be a one-way street

"We must state clearly that if we cannot agree on the sole dispute that Greece recognises - delimitation of the continental shelf of the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean -  that should be adjudicated by the International Court of Justice. If we believe as we do that right is on our side then we have nothing to fear from such a development," Mitsotakis said.

As for whether the Greek people and political system are prepared for such an eventuality the PM said, "When we go to the Hague to resolve our dispute with Turkey we must be absolutely certain that right is on our side and ready to accept...