Türkiye: Greek premier's remarks against Ankara a distortion of facts

Türkiye has criticised Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' remarks against Ankara at the United Nations General Assembly as "yet another example of distortion of facts and hostile narrative against Türkiye."

The Turkish delegation's statement came after the Greek premier on Friday told the UNGA in New York that Türkiye "continues to play a destabilising role in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Caucasus."

"The current negative atmosphere" in Ankara-Athens relations is a "deliberate choice of Greece," the Turkish delegation said.

"They have chosen provocative actions and escalatory rhetoric almost on a daily basis, as opposed to co-operation and good-neighbourliness. It is the Greek side that has frozen the bilateral and NATO Confidence Building Measures talks."

The delegation added that claims about Türkiye challenging the territorial integrity or unity of Greece were "false propaganda".

"However, Türkiye does challenge Greece to enter into an honest and meaningful dialogue in accordance with international law to address not one but all legally interrelated Aegean disputes."

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'Double standard'

The Turkish delegation also pointed out that Greece has been threatening Türkiye with the unilateral extension of the six nautical-meter territorial sea limits in the Aegean Sea since June 1995.

"This grave threat has recently been reinforced with increasing militarisation of Eastern Aegean Islands contrary to international treaties," the delegation said.

The delegation further said Ankara has implemented the sanctions mandated by the UN Security Council.

It is a "double standard to accuse Türkiye of not imposing sanctions, while Greece itself circumvents other sanctions through the practice of tanker-to-tanker oil transfer operations," they said.

On the issue of Northern Cyprus, the delegation stressed that "Türkiye will continue to support Turkish Cypriot people and their inherent rights, namely sovereign equality and equal international status."

The delegation also called on Greece to stop migrant pushbacks in the Aegean Sea.

Greece's "degrading and life-threatening" attitude towards irregular migrants has been documented not only by Türkiye, but also by many international and non-governmental organisations, they said.

In contrast to his own claims, Mitsotakis hailed Ankara's role in the deal between Kiev and Moscow that enabled grain exports from Ukraine as "an important contribution to global food security.”

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