Greek PM: “NATO does not need more tension between Greece and Turkey”
The last thing NATO needs amid the Ukrainian war is another source of tension between Greece and Turkey, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told Washington Post journalist David Ignatius during an open discussion at Georgetown University on Monday.
Mitsotakis, who is on an official two-day visit to meet with US President Joe Biden and address the US Congress in joint session, said that he has conveyed to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the message that “this is not a time for aggressive moves, it is not a time to project revisionist views of history. Let’s find a framework to address our issues and not engage in activities that provoke one another.”
The premier also noted it is unacceptable that a NATO member state systematically violates another’s airspace, as Turkey does of Greece, but insisted on keeping communication open, to sustain a positive agenda and to recognize the points on which each country disagree.
He also said that the issue of Turkey’s disagreement about Finland’s and Sweden’s intention to apply for NATO membership will be resolved soon.
“This is not the time to use the NATO membership of two friendly countries as a bargaining chip. This is going to backfire if Turkey goes down that path. It is wrong as a matter of principle but also as a matter of tactics,” he said.
