Greek EU Affairs Minister Varvitsiotis to EF: EU canNot have Double Standards on Turkey + Belarus !

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- "It's Right that Europe canNot have Double Standards on Turkey and Belarus", Replied to "Eurofora" Greek Minister for European affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, who currently Chairs the CoE, on a Question concerning what happened Today at EU Council's Foreign Affairs meeting, where the necessary Unanimity Lacked in order to Impose more Sanctions to Minsk, as long as there was "No Decision" Yet, "for the Time being", in view of, at least, Parallel Sanctions also to the Notoriously Worse case of Ankara, (Both from Human Rights and GeoPolitical points of view), as EU's High Representative for External Action, Josep Borrell, revealed at a Press Conference this Afternoon, adding that he Found all that "Regrettable", But expected that "it might be Settled" by EU Heads of State/Government at the forthcoming Exceptional EU Summit of September 24-25, due to Focus mainly on Turkey, (See: ..., etc).

+ Moreover, Varvitsiotis considers "very Logic", his Cypriot counterpart, Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides' reported Statement that, Already, Back at the traditional "Gymnich" EU Meeting for Diplomacy, Earlier in Berlin, there was a Clear Collective Understanding, and even a "Political Agreement" for "Parallel" Sanctions vis a vis Turkey and Belarus.

- This "was Supported", Today in Brussels, "among others, also by Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, France, Ireland, Denmark, and Malta", etc,  as different well informed Diplomatic Sources told "Eurofora". In Consequence, even if Earlier, "all EU Countries, including Cyprus, "had Agreed on the Principle of Sanctions on Belarus" a priori, Finaly, Cyprus was reportedly obliged to "Observe that, Since the Berlin's Political Agreement could Not be Applied (in that Context of Foreign Affairs' Ministers Today), then, the Issue of Sanctions on Belarus should also be Referred to the (forthcoming) EU Summit too" (As also for Turkey" : Comp. Supra).

- Christodoulides stressed that Particularly since Turkey has just taken even a New Decision to Violate EU Member Cyprus' EEZ (there where the Most Energy Resources in Europe have been Recently Proven to exist) by Issuing a NAFTEX on 15/9 about Sending "Yavyz" Drilling Ship for illegal Search, usualy Escorted by Turkish WarShips, until 12/10/2020, as EU Parliament's Recent Resolution clearly "Condemned", with the Only Vote which was quasi-Unanimously adopted, by All its Political Groups, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/euparliamentonturkishbullyingeuropeanenergy.html), concerning EU's Most Promissing Natural Energy Resources' Hotspot, (and Also Borrell Acknowledged that this New Fact raises a Problem).

=> - In Fact, "this is Not just a Greco-Turkish Issue, But a European Issue, for Europe's own (Political) Architecture and (Energy + Defense) Security. Those who haven't understood that, canNot Understand Nothing !", clearly Concluded Today Varvitsiotis, (who had Earlier been Elected, at CoE's Assembly, as vice-President of its Biggest Political Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, See: ..., etc), Speaking to "Eurofora".

---------------------------

Turkey has Notoriously Chassed Away, by Threats from its WarShips, an Italian "ENI"'s Drilling Ship, Peacefully operating at Cyprus' Southern Coast Territorial Waters and EEZ, Delimitated by Treaties with Neighbouring Egypt, Israel, etc, in Agreement with the legitimate Nicosia's Government, (as a Video, Audio traces, and Satellite Data Revealed during a Previous EU Summit), even if Ankara did Not Dare do the Same vis a vis USA's and/or France's Drilling Ships... Moreover, it has Repeatedly Bullied, with WarShips and Military Airplanes, Both EU Member Countries Cyprus and Greece, at the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea, Either Escorting illegal Turkish "Drilling" Ships at Non-Delimitated Areas, (an act equivalent to a Violation of International Law, according to UNO's Treaty on the Law of the Sea), Or by Issuing "NAFTEX" for Turkish Military Exercises inside EU Members Cyprus or Greece's EEZ. In Addition, Ankara's Government has, Too Often, issued Grossly Provocative Statements, several times with Insults and Brutal Rhetorics, against EU Members Greece and/or Cyprus, and Even Open War Threats.

The Natural Gas Energy Resources Discovered in EU Member Cyprus, as well as in Adjacent Sea Areas of Neighbouring Egypt and Israel, at the South-Eastern Mediterranean, during Recent Years, seem Equivalent, in Geological and Volume terms, to the Huge Oil/Gas Findings at the Gulf of Mexico, which reportedly represent More than +50% of Total USA Needs, allowing Washington DC to Become, from Importing in the Past, Nowadays an Exporting Partner. While EU's older Northern Sea Deposits notoriously Periclitated, EU Members Cyprus and Greece Multiplied Friendly Agreements with Key Neighbouring Countries as Israel, Egypt, etc., Both on the Delimitation of their respective EEZ, and on various Plans to Transport Energy towards Europe Directly, i.e. withOut being Obliged to Pass through anOther Foreign Country, (be it by High-Tech Ships for NLG, by Transforming Gas to Electricity transmitted via UnderSea Cables, and/or by the EU-sponsored UnderSea Pipeline "East-Med", etc).

At a Recent "MED-7" Summit of Heads of State/Government from 7 Southern, Mediterranean EU Member States, Hosted, this Year, by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Corsica Island, was Adopted a "Joint Declaration", Denouncing Turkey's Wrongdoings (in line with Several EU Summits in Brussels, which have Already Brandissed "Sanctions", Earlier), and Calling for the EU to Face Ankara with "All Means that EU disposes", unless it Accepts a Sincere, Bonna Fides "Dialogue", on Solving its Issues with Greece and/or Cyprus by Political Negotiations, according to International Law, or, Otherwise, by Submitting the Issue to the International Court at Hague, (See: ..., etc). A somewhat Similar Position was, Later-on, Adopted also by the EU Parliament, in a Resolution voted in Brussels Last Week.

But, Turkish Government Top Officials Initialy Reacted, inter alia, by Threatening Greece to "be Eaten like Meat" if it doesn't "Shut up" (sic !), Warning French President Macron "Not to Mess up with Turkey", and Slandering France to the point to Even risk to approach African ISIS' Deadly Terrorists' Propaganda at Mali, etc., while, Later-on, After a Too Brief "Pause" for so-called Exploratory Talks with Greece, Ankara Suddenly re-Started, again, to Insult President Macron as "InCompetent", (sic !), and Even Issued 2 More "NAFTEX" for areas in EU Member Cyprus' EEZ, including for more illegal "Drillings" by Turkish Ships under escort of WarShips, etc.

These Last Turkish Aggressive Moves were also Criticized by Borrell, at his Press Conference, Today, (Comp. Supra).

Meanwhile, at Belarus, Many Demonstrators were reportedly Detained, (sometimes, However, ...Less than in Berlin or Paris, recently. See: ..., etc), But Most of them Freed, shortly afterwards, (a lot even Only a Few Hours later). While, in Turkey, Many and various alleged Dissidents have been Killed, or Arrested and Kept to Jail for Too Long Periods of Time, (to the point that, f.ex., a Woman Lawyer has Recently Died After 28 Days of desperate Hunger Strike in a Turkish Prison, provoking EU/CoE Criticism), otherwise ill-Treated in Inhuman/Degrading ways, and/or Massively Fired from their Jobs, (including Judges, Universitarians, etc), if not Forced to Numerous cases of Exile Abroad, several among them having asked -and obtained- Political Asylum in Europe.

In Addition, Belarus has Never Invaded and Occupied any Other Country, while, on the Contrary, Turkey still Keeps its Invasion/Occupation Army at the Northern Territories of EU Member Cyprus, and has Recently Invaded and Occupied 2 Times various Syrian Territories with Bloody Wars, Invaded and Killed People at 2 Different areas in Irak, Threatened EU Member Greece with War, etc.

Moreover, Turkey, at least as things stand, canNot Transport Energy into the EU, in Any Rapid, Cheap, and Secure way, withOut its usual Blackmails, while, on the Contrary, it's enough to Simply press a button, in order to Immediately have Fast, Safe and Abundant Gas transfered from Russia to Germany, at EU's Industrial Core, thanks to a Pipeline "Europa", Already installed there in the Past, whenever the Political Situation becomes better. 

Last, but not least, Belarus' Officials have Never as Grossly Insulted in Public European Countries, and/or democraticaly elected European Leaders, as Turkey has Notoriously done, Recently, several Times, (Comp., f.ex., inter alia, also Supra).

As for Irregular Migrants calling themselves "Refugees" Massively, it's Wrong to believe the Turkish Propaganda that they might have "Helped" Millions, allegedly Paying for them ...Billions $, as Ankara Officials, and some Naive or Hypocritical individuals often routinely Claim. In Fact, Turkey Imported, towards irregularly Tresspassing Massively into Europe, Too Many among its notorious Islamic Pakistano-Afghan Pals, from the Other Side of Deep Asia, (already, More than 60% such irregular residents at EU Member Greece's Lesbos Island are, reportedly, among this kind of Pakistano-Afghan origine, while such Pakis are also often Competing with Turkish Smugglers, the Most Numerous), and, More Grave, Turkey has largely PROVOKED itself a Mass Refugee Movement from Syria, by notoriously Helping Armed Gangs of Deadly Islamist Terrorists (including even ISIS, etc) to Penetrate and/or have wide Logistical Support there (by irregular Transactions, Money, "Jihadist" Extremists, Arms, etc), Even was found to Provide them with Deadly "Rockets" (sic !), Before Invading (always side by side, Together with various Armed Islamist Gangs, even Murdering helpless Women, Usurpating People's Family Homes, etc), at 2 different Times the Northern Territories of Syria, in Addition to Backing Idlib Region inside Syria, a Notorious over-Concentration of Various Armed Extremist Islamist Gangs, where Even ISIS' long-time Leader El Bagdadi was Hidding, while the ISIS' New Leader, (known as "Mawla the ‘Destroyer’", according to USA and Chinese Medias), is himself "Turkmen" from Nearby Mosul, of the kind that Ankara supported with Rockets (Comp. Supra)... In Addition, Turkey has, Already, largely PROFITED from such provoked Mass "Refugee" Displacements, at least 3 Times : First by heavily Exploiting most of those Impoverished and Defenseless People, (Initially All Closed in overloaded "Camps" surrounded by Barbed Wire and tighty Controled by the Turkish Army, so that some even Died there or became Sick by an awful Heat in makeshift Tents, while Others were often Violently Oppressed when they Revolted), Submited at various Humiliating and Badly Paid, dirty "Jobs", to the Profit of Shameless Turkish Exploiters, (as, f.ex., attest the Revelations to UK Medias by the Father of Tragic Refugee Child "Kurdi", who was Killed on 2015, together with his Mother and Sister, when a Turkish Smuggler, suddenly Opened a Hole in a Plastic Boat tresspassing Asylum Seekers in Greece, and Abandoned them at the Middle of the Sea, Running to Leave with a Rapid Motor-Boat, as they used to Often do). Second, by notoriously Blackmailing the EU, in order to Pay Turkey 3 Billions € Each Year, in full Grants, after Ankara notoriously threw, Suddenly, into Europe more than 1,5 Million of Irregular Migrants who Massively called themselves "Asylum Seekers", on 2015/2016+, (including Even ISIS Deadly Terrorists Cowardly Targetting innocent Civilian People, as some of those who Killed Hundreds in Paris' "Bataklan" Massacre, or Raped and sometimes Murdered Young Girls in Germany, as at Nearby Freiburg, or Raped Even Children Aged 10 among European Refugees from Serbia, f.ex. in Wien, and/or, reportedly, inside Refugee facilities in Greek Islands or Berlin, etc) : Something that Turkey, attempted even to Repeat Nowadays, on 2019, inter alia by Inciting Many Thousands of such Irregular Migrants Massively calling themselves "Asylum Seekers" to Tresspass EU's External Borders in Greece, along Evros River, But mostly Failed, this time, when the New Greek Government, Together with the EU, Defended Europe. Third, Turkey Obviously, also, Seeks to grossly Exploit even Ideologically and Politically such Miserous Masses of Desperate People, for the Fate of whom, on the Contrary, Ankara should be Ashamed, in reality, (at least for All the above-mentioned Facts).

On the Contrary, inter alia, Minsk's Government not only Never did against the EU Anything Similar, But it Even has, Recently, Accepted, Well Treated and Helped Many Thousands of Poor Jewish People, from Various Other Countries, who had Entered Belarus seeking to Reach an Ukranian City considered Historicaly "Holly" by them, before being Blocked near the Border by a Refusal of Kiev's Authorities to let them Enter that Country. Something for which the Israeli Government Officialy Thanked Belarus, while also reportedly Paying for those fragile People's Return soon back to their Countries of origin.

=> So that Tiny Cyprus might, Hopefully, Become, perhaps, the "David" who ...Wakes Up a good "Goliath" from a Provoked Dangerous Lethargy, if such Facts Help soon to Raise Europe's Vital Consiousness.

(../..)

("DraftNews")

-------------------------------------