Greece plans to use this week's U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) in New York to emphasize its positions on disputes with Türkiye in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean while calling for continued dialogue between the NATO allies, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said.
Gerapetritis said Athens would convey a message of stability, peace and good-neighborly relations but would not compromise on what it considers matters of sovereignty and sovereign rights.
"The delimitation of the continental shelf and the Exclusive Economic Zone is the one and only dispute between Greece and Türkiye that may be brought before international jurisdiction," Gerapetritis told the National Herald newspaper.
He rejected Türkiye's longstanding positions concerning the status of some Aegean islands, including Ankara's calls for compliance with treaty provisions governing their demilitarized status, as well as disputes Athens describes as involving "gray zones."
Gerapetritis said Athens' position would remain unchanged and that Greece would continue to pursue dialogue with Türkiye despite recent tensions.
"I believe that dialogue with Türkiye should continue," he said, adding that conditions were not yet in place for substantive negotiations on maritime delimitation.
The comments come as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis prepares to attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York, where Greek-Turkish relations are expected to feature prominently in Athens' diplomatic agenda.
No meeting between Mitsotakis and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had been formally scheduled ahead of the gathering, according to Greek officials, although meetings on the sidelines of the General Assembly can be arranged at short notice.
Greek media reported that Mitsotakis is expected to address relations with Türkiye during his U.N. speech and reiterate Athens' positions on international law and regional disputes. Mitsotakis recently described Greek-Turkish relations as navigating a "stormy sea," while signaling that channels of communication should remain open.
Relations between the neighboring NATO allies have improved at times following a rapprochement launched in 2023, but longstanding disagreements over maritime boundaries, airspace, the status of the Aegean islands and Cyprus remain unresolved.
Gerapetritis further said Greece's broader message at the U.N. would focus on dialogue, diplomacy, international law and the U.N. Charter amid growing global instability.
Mitsotakis is also expected to meet U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, with the Cyprus dispute among the issues on the agenda.
Greece says it wants to maintain diplomatic engagement with Ankara while defending its positions in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, as both countries navigate a relationship marked by periods of cooperation and renewed tensions.
