Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, criticised his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, on Saturday after he accused Turkey of exploiting the war between Russia and Ukraine.
In a tweet, Cavusoglu accused Dendias of ‘defamation’ and speaking ‘nonsense.’
“While the world is focused on the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, my friend Nikos [Dendias] is focused on his sole hobby: Defamation of Türkiye in any condition. Such dedication and so much effort put on such nonsense. So sad!” Cavusoglu wrote.
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Cavusoglu’s anger came just hours after Dendias tweets on Saturday that Turkey should not be allowed to “exploit” the situation in Ukraine to advance its own interests in the region.
“It will only be detrimental for Turkey to try to exploit the situation in Ukraine in an opportunistic way, while the world public is extremely aware of the issue of respect for international law and the inviolability of borders,” Dendias said.
So far, Turkish officials have condemned Russia for its recognition of the Donbas regions and for invading Ukraine, but they have declined to endorse sanctions against Moscow or close the Black Sea as requested by Ukraine.
READ MORE: World leaders react as Ukraine loses control of Chernobyl to Russian forces.
Source: Ahval.