”We warmly welcome to the Ministry of National Defence the new Minister of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus Mr Savvas Aggelides, paying his first official visit in Athens.   I would like to wish him on behalf of all of us success in the  important mission he was tasked.

I would like to assure him that Greece is not far from Cyprus, that we will be next to him in his duties, that we will jointly plan the common future of the Nation, continuing  the defensive cooperation, that has now reached a very high level with excellent dynamics.

Greece and Cyprus share exactly the same views concerning security at the area of the North – Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East.  We note the concurrence in our views on the current emerging threats and security challenges.  

We work hard in order to build a stability axis with countries of the Middle East, through tripartite and quadripartite cooperation that has already started with Israel, Jordan, Egypt and  Lebanon expanding at the same time this cooperation to Balkan countries such as Bulgaria, Rumania etc.  

Greece and Cyprus respect the international treaties.  Our power, our responsibility and liability toward  the international community  is just  to constitute stability pillars in this sensitive area and observe the international treaties, as Greece and Cyprus always did.    

At this point, I would like to make an unambiguous distinction between the strategic temperance and the appeasement policy the full failure of which, I would like to remind you, cost the humanity the  World War that ruined Europe mainly and I speak of 1938.    

We should not  focus, though, on Turkey only and on  the out of date diplomacy practices, which apart from the blackmailing recently include the hostage not only of the two Greek members of the Amy, the officer and the non – commissioned officer, but also of  pastor Branson, whom the Turkish Court sentenced to a lifelong imprisonment, issuing at the same time a Presidential decree that enables the President to exchange suspects, accused or condemned.  

This logic turns us  many years back.  The solution to overcome these challenges is the cooperation and best use of the quiet strength  of all those reasonable countries of the region having the strong and expressed will to cooperate and contribute towards  progress.

I consider a historical step the decision  of  the European Union Summit yesterday, that strongly convicts Turkey’s activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and  the Aegean Seas, in Cyprus  as well as on the two Greek officers issue, who are in utmost security Turkish prisons as all the other European citizens.       

The conclusions  of the European Council are certainly clear and strong manifesting full solidarity to Greece and Cyprus, what is of more importance though, is the unanimity of the European leaders on the issue of the hostages, being a very positive sign of drawing away from the logic of the supposedly  bilateral disputes.

I would also like to emphasize the significant role of the mutual cooperation between Greece and Cyprus in forming initiatives on European Union security and defence, aiming further to the common European defence, that is the first priority and necessity of today but mainly of tomorrow.  

I have repeatedly stressed both in European Union and NATO that the lines separating defence and security are indiscernible if not inexistent.  Greece and Cyprus belong, therefore, to that category of countries which in a systematic way, gazing  the future shape a course that will secure the stability, the progress and the welfare of the generations to come.

Dear Minister,

I would like you to know that all the Greek people, the Greek Armed Forces will be on the side of Cyprus, as all the international community does.  I believe that we should in concert remind the fact that in 1974 there was an illegal invasion and occupation condemned by the United Nations Organisation Security Council.    

A solution to the Cyprus issue means  the  return of the refugees to their homes, the unity of Cyprus, though not through the various ‘’Ahnan plans’’ abolishing the national sovereignty of Cyprus.  We will be together both  in the good days to come resulting from energy resources exploitation and in bad situations.  

I wish you the Champion Leader to be with you.’’

Replies to questions of journalists:

On the strengthening of the defensive relations between Greece and Cyprus:

S. AGGELIDES: This is an end in itself, it is self-evident  in each meeting that the exchange of views is followed by actions and this is going to continue on this field too.  

P. KAMMENOS: I would only  like to add  that there is already a  plan for a series of exercises in which Greece did not participate so far, but now it will , as well as for  a series of exercises in which Cyprus did not participate so far and now it will, especially with our neighbourly countries.   

On the two Greek officers:

P. KAMMENOS:  I think that the decision of the European Union Summit Meeting yesterday speaks in fact of being in hostage.  I am sorry to be confirmed, I would rather prefer to be wrong from the first moment, being a simple boarderline incident, that would end as the boarderline incidents usually end, that is following talks between the two Brigadiers  the officers would be set free, as we did the day before yesterday in an other boarderline incident during which the Greek Justice worked at once.  In compliance with the flagrante process the individual who  illegally entered our country  was judged  and set free.     

It was unfortunately confirmed that they are hostages and allow me to note that I used this term from the first moment when I realized that in the context of  the efforts made at Brigade level, Armed Forces leadership and other services too, the communication channels we maintained with Turkey were closed.   It was obvious that Turkey will follow the process that followed with the United States of America, on pastor Branson’s case.  That is why I spoke of being hostages.  I would be happy if I were wrong.  From this point on, a ‘’plan b’’ is not announced in public.     

On the Turkish drilling machine:

S. AGGELIDES:  The energy policy of the Republic of Cyprus continues unrestrained and there is not any negotiation of the sovereignty rights of the Republic of Cyprus.

Concerning either statements or actions made  from  time to time by the Turkish side, be sure that the proper preparations are made to react respectively in any activity.

P. KAMMENOS:  I wish the Turks the new drilling machine to be lucky.  They can use it in their own territorial waters and in their EEZ.  I wish them success in their research. 

On the other hand if they bought a drilling machine to challenge the public opinion again, to set in dispute the international law, we would like to remind them that the exploitation of our undersea  wealth  – here but also in Cyprus – is guaranteed by the international community.  Companies from all over the world participate in this project.  Companies  from the European Union, the United States of America, Israel, China, other Asian countries.   If they intend to challenge the international public opinion once again, I believe that this would be to the wrong direction. As far as our position on the defence of our sovereignty rights is concerned, I am going to say  in the Cyprian dialect that we are not afraid of anyone ‘’ because it is protected from Heaven by God.   The Greek Nation will vanish, when  all the world is perished.’’

On the Chinook, on which the Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff was aboard and on the articles about military sketches in the cell phones of the two Greek officers:

P. KAMMENOS:  First of all the cell phones were searched in the presence of a Greek expert.  The international process was followed  on searching and  setting in operation  the cell phones and absolutely nothing was found.  Some scenarios or articles are not going to be commented by us.  Moreover, there are various articles in our newspapers which I think are not worthy even of a disproof.  In respect to the harassment of the helicopter the Chief HAGS was aboard, there was no harassment, the truth is that two F-16 did came from Turkey but before they even entered the Greek airspace two F-16  from Crete intercepted them, escorted them, they received calls from  the Turkish side to cross check the trace of the helicopter  the Chief HAGS was aboard, they did not manage it, descending from 32 thousand feet to 2 thousand feet, and from this point on the Greek aircrafts escorting them obliged them to leave the Greek airspace.                                                                         

It is clear  that the last aircraft to be landed it will be Greek.  Anyone  violating  the national airspace will be intercepted, whereas for anyone violating  the Greek territorial waters the procedures provided by the International Law will be followed, on the basis of which Greece always acts.     

On the Italian drilling machine owned by ENI:

P. KAMMENOS:  Concerning the Italian ship I would like to say once again that the Turkish  actions rather  expose Turkey more to the international community preventing the exploitation of the natural wealth of the Cyprian Economic Zone, of a European country, preventing at the same time European companies from implementing the contracts they have signed, neither refusing nor disputing, though, the contract signature.  In case Turkey has decided to dispute ‘’INIOHOS’’ exercise, you realise that it disputes  apart from the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Egypt, Cyprus which participate as observers,  as well as the international community as a whole.

S. AGGELIDES:  None of the contractual terms has been violated between the Republic of Cyprus and ENI  and the only thing I can assure you of is that a Cyprian Republic representative, in the context of a contact with the company, received the assurances that ENI is going to continue this project in compliance with its contractual obligations on the one hand, and on the other to  defend its own interests on all the oil blocks  in the Cyprian EEZ.

On the fear for an ‘’accident’’:

P. KAMMENOS:  On the  ‘’accident’’ you mention,  when the Greek airspace is violated aircrafts approach and engage in such high speeds that there is always a danger for an accident. The same can happen at sea.  In this  case  if the ship ‘’slipped’’ and rammed the Coast Guard ship,  those who watched the video – we presented the video in the United States of America and in the European Union  countries – realised  that  it was a provocative action.  They take the initiative for actions like these, resulting in what took place in the European Union yesterday.  The international community as a whole condemned these actions and I think  it is the first time that things are so clear for Greece.   

Allow me, concluding, to thank the military reporters, the journalists accredited to the Ministry of National Defence,  because you handle the issues of the Ministry of National Defence with responsibility, you do not reproduce  news that the Turkish propaganda is eager to circulate, or fake news not signed with your own identity as unfortunately other colleagues not having the expertise do .  I would like to ask the Mass Media representatives to rely on the military reporters, who can exercise as much criticism as they wish, we are here to give them answers.  They should better leave to the experts, to you, the National Defence matters not reproducing news which intend to serve a hybrid war in which we should all have common stance and line.