CoE Chair, Greek alt.Foreign Minister Varvitsiotis at PACE: Turkey anew Fires up SEMed EU Energy Hub

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Ankara's new acts These Days "again Fired up" an already "Hotspot" at unique EU Energy Resources in South-Eastern Mediterranean, Violating the Latest EU Summit's and even UNO's Resolutions, Denounced CoE's Pesident-in-office, Greek Minister for European Affairs, Militiadis Varvitsiotis, who was the invited Key-note Speaker at the Opening of CoE Parliametay Assembly's (PACE) Permanent Committee"s session (of Equal Status with its Full Plenaries), Today in Strasbourg.

+ This was the 1st move in a Long Series of various also Other CoE's Rejections of Akara's Latest Negative Activities, anew in Cyprus, even at Caucasus' Nagorno-Katabach, Against Opposition inside Turkey itself, etc., where CoE Assembl'y's MEPs quasi-Unanimously Rejected Turkish MP's failed Attempts to Block Public Debates, and/or Resolutions, Reports, etc., by Strasbourg's PanEuropean, 47 Member Countries-strong Organisation, (See Infra).

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 - "Everybody has Felt, during the Past Few Months, the Tension that has occured in the South-Eastern Mediterranean", he reminded. And also, "Felt Relief after the Meeting of Greek and Turkish Foreign Ministers Dendias and Cavusogloy) Last Week in Bratislava, when they (had) Decided that the Preliminary Talks wlll Immediately Start", he added. speaking on "Recent Developments".

    + But, Meanwhile, "Unfortunately, a New (Turkey's) illegal "NAFTEX" was Issued Last Night (Sunday, 11.10.2020), that Announced illegal Survey, South of Castelorizo, on Greece's Continental Shelf, just 6,5 Nautical Miles from the Greek Shores, is an Action that, actualy  Fires up, again, the Situation in the Region", he Denounced.

    + Earlier, Ankara had Also Issued anOther NAFTEX for its "Barbaros" (sic !) Drilling Ship, illegaly inside EU Member Cyprus' EEZ, escorted by Turkish WarShips, from 15/9 up to 12/10 included...

    + "Together with the Opening of the Varoshe Seafront in Cyprus, these are 2 Signs, which occured during the Last Few Days, that (Turkey is) are actualy Violating International Law and all UN Security Council Resolutions", Varvitsioties pointed out.  

    +"Also, these Actions are Contravening the Latest Resolutions of the European Council (on October 1st), which reaffirm its Commitment to a Comprehensive Settlement of the Cyprus' Problem, within the UN Framework,  in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions 550 (precisely on Famagusta) and 7089", (See : ...., etc)

    => - In Consequence,"Also this Time, We (CoE) have to Call on Turkey to Immediately Cease All illegal Actions, through which it is Systematicaly Undermining the Peace and Security in the Region", Cocluded CoE's President-in-office, speaking at PACE's Opening.

 - "EU has a Strategic General Interest for Stability in the Eastern Mediterranean", (where are Currently located the Biggest Potential Energy Resources of Europe, after the Decline of Northern Sea's deposits), have clearly Stressed from the outset EU's 27 Heads of State/Government, on October 1st Summit in Brussels.

    + From these and other Recent Events clearly results that "We (CoE) have Faced, during the Past Few Weeks, since our (CoE's) Last Meeting, several Incidents that actually show that there is a <<Heat>> in the Region, Not Only at the Periphery of Europe, But also Among Member States of the CoE", Varvitsiotis noted.

        - If on Belarus, "the situation has Not Dramaticaly Changed", until this October 12, nevertheless, on Nagorno-Karabah, "We (CoE) Welcomed a Cease-Fire", (after Many Soldiers and Civilian People Killed recently), with "Our full Commitment to a Peaceful Solution of the Problem", and "the Implication of the Minsk Group", (France, Russia, USA), he noted, inter alia.  

    + Later Today, 47 Member States (including Russia)-strong CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly, Voted, with a Large Majoriy, in favour of Holding a Public Debate on the "Armed Conflict" in that area, clearly Rejecting a Turkish Attempt to Block any such Discussion in Strasbourg.

    => During the Long CoE's Debate which Followed, Many MEPs from Various Countries and Political Horizons, strongly Denounced, inter alia, particularly Turkey's Notorious move to Export at the Caucasus a lot of Foreign Armed Gangs of Islamist "Jihadist" Terrorists from Non-European Countries, such as Syria and/or Libya, etc.

    These Same Days, indeed, at least a Number of them (reportedly coming from Syria) already Started to Attack Russia's Chechnya Region, Killing several Poicemen, before they were subdued. And several COE's MEPs clearly Warned that Similar Risks may, sooner or later, Threaten even Directly the EU itself, in one way or another, (f.ex. at EU's External Borders in Greece, Italy or France, etc, Facing Turkey and/or Libya, etc).

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    ++ Replying to a MEP's Question about what Europe should do in order to Stop the "Negative" role of "Turkey in too Many Conflicts" in the area : Syria, Iraq, Libya, Cyprus, Greece, Nagorno-Karabach, etc., Varvitsiotis, naturaly, did not deny those Facts, but reminded that, as CoE's Chair, he was obliged to keep a quasi-Unanimous stance.

Therefore, on this point, as Minister in charge of European Affairs, he referred to a relevant Today's Statement, at EU's Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels, of his collegue, Greece's Foreign Minister, Mr. Dendias, that, Indeed, "in All Problematic Situations throughout the Area, (Cyprus, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Greece, Irregular Migrants/Mass Asylum Seekers, Eastern Mediterranean energy, Nagorno-Karabach, etc), we Find Always Turkey ! And, that's the Problem..."

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    +++ Turkey was clearly Isolated Also in 2 Other CoE Assembly's Votes, where a Big Majority of MEPs also Rejected Ankara MPs' Attempts to Hinder even anOther Debate, (this time with Resolution) on a "New Crack Down" against "Opposition"'s Human and elementary Democraic Rights inside Turkey :

 - "Not Only Aggressing several Neighbouring Countries, Turkey Also Oppresses those People who dare Contest such acts, Inside its own Population", Critical CoE's MEPs denounced.

+ AnOther Failed Ankara's attempt vainly searched to Block a CoE Assemly's projected Move on the Recent illegal Opening of Occupied Famagusta "Ghost Town"'s Seafront, in a Provocative Violation of UN SC's Resolutin 550, which clearly Reserves that Protected Area for the Return of its Lawful Owners among the Original, Over-Millenary Population of Greek Cypriot Refugees, obliged to leave since the 1974 Ankara's Military Invasion and still persisting Armed Occupation of the Northern Territories of Cyprus. PACE's MEPs, indeed, Also Voted, quasi-Unanimously to Examinate that Topical Issue of Both Political and Human Rights' value.

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("Draft-News")

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