Greece’s actions in Aegean not Türkiye’s concern, says Greek premier

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has made a statement that could potentially disrupt the recent spring-like atmosphere between Ankara and Athens.

Addressing the complexity and challenges of the relationship with Türkiye, Mitsotakis asserted: “Marine parks will be built in the Aegean. What Greece does within its territorial waters is not Türkiye’s concern.”

Despite meeting with President Erdogan four times in the past year and exchanging warm messages, Mitsotakis’s latest remarks seem to contradict the recent positive trend in bilateral relations.

Speaking to Action24 television, the Greek leader emphasized that, for Greece, there are no gray areas in the Aegean.

Expressing his preference for dialogue with Türkiye, Mitsotakis acknowledged the difficulties and complexities of their relations.

“Marine parks will be built in the Aegean. What Greece does within its territorial waters is not Türkey’s concern. We already have marine parks in the country, and we will establish these new ones to protect marine life from overfishing and to create sustainable fishing grounds. As I have told Erdogan, sovereignty issues have been resolved, and we will not revisit this debate,” the Greek leader reiterated.