ISTANBUL

Former Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos warned Saturday that Europe will not survive unless it strengthens its strategic autonomy.

"Europe is in transition. Europe has to choose. Is it going to enhance its strategic autonomy? Otherwise, it will not survive," Avramopoulos said during a panel in Istanbul titled "Beyond Tension: Rebuilding the Strategic Balance in the Eastern Mediterranean."

He stressed that the bloc is "on the brink of decay" as long as it continues on this path.

"If Europe does not decide to proceed immediately to the completion of the European project by adopting common defense and foreign policy, it will not survive," he underscored.

Eastern Mediterranean countries must ‘take their destiny into their own hands'

As Avramopoulos was pointing to the significance of the Eastern Mediterranean, he called on regional countries to "take their destiny into their own hands."

“This historic geography has become a modern theater of competing interests among global and regional actors,” he said, noting that the US prioritizes NATO unity and maritime security, Russia advances its influence through energy and naval power and China views the region as strategic for supply chains while the EU seeks energy diversification and stability.

He urged Eastern Mediterranean countries to "choose strategic maturity over momentary tension, cooperation over suspicion and institutional foresight over improvisation."

"Too often, we act reactively. We wait for the incident and then we search for the escalation," Avramopoulos added.

EU-Türkiye-Greece relations

Avramopoulos addressed relations between the EU, Türkiye and Greece, highlighting that the triangle concentrates the risk and the possibilities of the region.

"Long-standing disputes remain unresolved. Maritime zones remain contested. Rules of conduct in the air and in the sea remain sensitive," he explained.

Reaffirming that technical talks and contents continue, he said that a "positive agenda" helps sustain communication in different periods, although he warned that the process "is not a strategy without architecture."

"Architecture means stable mechanisms and predictable repeats. It means tools that can withstand headlines and electoral cycles," Avramopoulos stressed.

"We need institutionalized de-escalation. We need permanent channels for incidence prevention. We need open lines of direct communication in real time. We need protocols for interactions in the air and at sea. We need confidence-building measures that are operational," he added.

Avramopoulos also warned that war rhetoric could poison the atmosphere and narrow the political space, while undermining the possibility of meaningful dialogue based on mutual respect and understanding.

"If we really want trust, we must reduce such things. The European Union should not be a spectator of that. It is affected by every regional shock. It is affected by oppression on borders and migration flows. It is affected by energy security and connectivity. It is affected by stability and by its own creativity," he added.

Avramopoulos also noted that EU-Türkiye relations remain "selectively functional" while at the same time "politically constrained."

He called on the EU to avoid "a purely transactional logic that buys time" instead of stability and "a pure declaratory posture that repeats principles without tools."

While addressing Greek-Turkish relations, Avramopoulos reiterated the need for a "partnership company" that shares "sustainable principles and shared goals with clearly defined common interests."

"Such a (Mediterranean cooperation) scheme would mobilize resources; It would align incentives. It would be the community of stability grounded in real interest and it would reduce the momentum of destabilizing forces," he added.

Gaza 'stress test' for entire neighborhood

Avramopoulos noted that no regional analysis can ignore the Gaza Strip.

"Gaza is stress test for our entire neighborhood. It intensifies polarization and hardens narratives. It increases the risk of spillover and addresses everyone's humanitarian credibility but requires a dual commitment: security for Israel and the credible political and humanitarian horizon for Palestinians," he explained.

Without a horizon, he warned, "the vicious cycle repeats itself."