Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sparked fury in Turkish media after statements he made on the sidelines of the ...

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sparked fury in Turkish media after statements he made on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara, where Turkey is hosting the alliance's second day of meetings. Turkish network A Haber called his remarks a "crossing of limits" and labeled them "scandalous declarations." The statement drawing the most outrage was Mitsotakis saying his country still faces "an open war threat from Turkey" in the event Greece exercises its right to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles. A Haber anchor Haktan Usal said the Greek PM used "hard language against a neighboring country while being a guest in Turkey," though he noted the tone softened toward the end of his remarks. Mitsotakis also expressed what A Haber described as "discomfort" over Turkey's defense industry moves and Ankara's contacts with Washington, particularly around the F-35 fighter jet program. When asked to comment on the Erdogan-Trump discussion regarding F-35s, the Greek PM declined entirely. Turkish newspaper Sabah ran the story under a headline accusing Mitsotakis of targeting Turkey with "arrogant comments," calling his position a fresh provocation delivered from a NATO stage. A Haber correspondent in Ankara, Murat Akgun, dismissed the remarks as "contradictory" and aimed at a domestic Greek audience. A Haber also revisited Turkey's longstanding position that any Greek extension of territorial waters in the Aegean constitutes a red line, citing the Turkish parliament's 1995 casus belli resolution. The network repeated its claim that a 12-mile extension would significantly restrict freedom of navigation in the Aegean. Mitsotakis did say that an alliance must be built on the principles of good neighborly relations, a line Turkish commentators noted without softening their overall criticism. #Greece #Turkey #NATO