Turkey criticized the "unrealistic" statements made by Greece's foreign minister that target Ankara on an almost daily basis.
“The anti-Turkey statements made by Greek Foreign Minister (Nikos) Dendias almost every day are populist and unrealistic claims that do not serve peace and stability,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç said in a statement.
“This provocative discourse is neither compatible with good neighborly relations nor with the spirit of the consultative talks we have relaunched with Greece,” Bilgiç added.
He underlined that Dendias’ remarks are further proof that Greece opts for tension by seeking help from third parties and creating artificial alliances against Turkey, rather than resolving bilateral issues and developing relations through honest and meaningful dialogue.
In addition to its constant false claims, Bilgiç stated that Greece continues its maximalist provocations that increase tensions in both the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, which goes against international law.
“We reject Greece’s characterization of our country’s will to defend its rights and interests as a threat and its attempts to create an unrealistic perception in this direction. If there is a threat in the region, this threat arises from the unilateral actions of Greece that increase the tensions.”
Ankara invites Athens to return to its senses and respect international laws and treaties, he added.
Earlier, Dendias reacted to Turkey's statements on Greece's arming of demilitarized islands in the Aegean, in breach of international law, at a press conference he held in Athens with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
He proposed that Turkey cancel the agreement with Libya on the determination of maritime jurisdiction areas as a show of goodwill, asserting that Ankara was following an aggressive policy in the region.
Turkey and Greece have been at odds due to several issues. Turkey, which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, has rejected maritime boundary claims made by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration. It has stressed that these excessive claims violate the sovereign rights of both Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Instead of opting to solve problems with Turkey through dialogue, Greece, on several occasions, has refused to sit at the negotiation table and chosen to rally the European Union to take a tougher stance against Ankara.
Although Turkey and Greece had agreed on the general principles of the deconfliction talks in October which were hailed by NATO's Stoltenberg as a "safety mechanism that can help to create the space for diplomatic efforts to address the underlying dispute," further talks were obstructed by the Greek side.
The two Mediterranean countries also expressed their willingness to hold exploratory talks in September, yet no concrete steps have been taken.
