Giannis Maniatis urges EU action against Turkish provocations

Giannis Maniatis, Vice-President of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and PASOK MEP, has called on the European Commission to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action against ongoing Turkish provocations. Addressing Executive Vice-President and Special Envoy for Cyprus Raffaele Fitto, Maniatis highlighted significant maritime and airspace violations.

Data presented indicates that by July, there were nearly 2,000 violations of Greek territorial waters and 646 violations of national airspace. These tensions have stalled critical infrastructure projects, such as the underwater electricity cable intended to connect Greece and Cyprus, due to Turkish activities within the Greek Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Maniatis also raised alarms regarding the Turkish Parliament's imminent legislative ratification of the revised ‘Blue Homeland’ doctrine, which challenges Greek and Cypriot sovereignty. Furthermore, he criticized the commencement of work on a natural gas pipeline intended to connect Turkey directly to the occupied territories in Cyprus, describing it as a move that undermines resolution efforts. The MEP urged the Commission to clarify if it will propose targeted sanctions against Turkey or exclude it from the European defense architecture.