A minor concern?
Developments in Greek-Turkish affairs do not seem to be provoking much concern among senior members of the ruling PASOK party and opposition New Democracy. The few passing references being made by certain deputies to the ongoing dialogue between Athens and Ankara suggests that they believe a change in the legal status of territorial waters, the continental shelf, and national air space in the Aegean – corresponding to Turkish demands – no longer tops the agenda of Greece’s foreign policy. Indeed we can draw the conclusion, from the behavior of the leadership of both PASOK and ND, that an effort is being made to present the issue of control in the Aegean to the public as an «artificial» legal-diplomatic issue which does not actually pose serious problems for national sovereignty. Moreover, the government is attempting to attribute press reports and criticism on the subject of Greek-Turkish dialogue to ignorance or even to political expediency. But then this is not surprising for an administration that considers all its decisions and positions to be a de facto representation of the general national situation. So, from the point following the 1996 crisis over the Imia islets, when that the government decided to display exceptional «realism» in the face of Turkey’s activities in the Aegean, we are to conclude that its «policy» should be regarded as beneficial for the country, without any further discussion…
