Greek Prime Minister rebuts ‘unfair’ criticism over Turkey policy

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis defended his government’s policy toward Turkey, rejecting “unfair” criticism from former New Democracy leaders Kostas Karamanlis and Antonis Samaras.

Mitsotakis argued that Greece has taken significant steps in recent years.

“Greece extended its territorial waters in June, staked its claim to sovereign rights south of Crete, drilled for the first time in 40 years,” Mitsotakis said in an Antenna television interview. “For the first time Greece has been setting the agenda and Turkey, to a certain extent, has been reacting.”

“I am the only Greek prime minister to have gone to Ankara and raised — politely but, I believe, without retreating from Greece’s positions — the issue of casus belli,” he added, referring to Turkey’s standing threat to declare war if Greece expands its territorial waters in the Aegean Sea.

Mitsotakis said his aim is to maintain workable relations with Ankara while firmly protecting Greece’s interests. He described the criticism of his Turkey policy as unfair, highlighting initiatives his government has pursued that previous administrations did not.

On domestic issues, he acknowledged that rising living costs remain a major challenge for Greek households but stressed the need for fiscal stability. He ruled out reducing sales tax, saying it would not effectively lower consumer prices.

Source: Ekathimerini.