There has been increased tensions between the NATO members Greece and Turkey after the authoritarian Turkish regime under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan alleged that the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis dishonoured and antagonised Turkey during his historic address to the US Congress.
During Mitsotakis' visit to the US, he encouraged the US not to sell fighter jets to the Turks, though he did not mention them by name, and made continued reference to Greece's war of independence from the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century.
Mitsotakis had said during the visit:
"The last thing that NATO needs at a time when our focus is on helping Ukraine defeat Russia's aggression is another source of instability on NATO's south-east flank. And I ask you to take this into account when you make defence procurement decisions concerning the eastern Mediterranean."
There have long been tensions between Greece and Turkey over disputed islands and over access to potential and known gas reserves in their adjoining maritime territories. Turkey also invaded Cyprus in 1974, then part of the Greek state, and has illegally occupied the north of the island since then.
In a televised statement, Erdogan said:
"This year we were supposed to have a strategic council meeting. From now on, there is no one called Mitsotakis in my book. I will never accept meeting him because we [only] walk on the same path as politicians who keep their promises, who have character and who are honourable. We had agreed not to include third countries in our disputes. Despite this, last week, he had a visit to the US and talked at the Congress and warned them not to give F-16s [fighter planes] to us."
Kostas Ifantis, a Turkish affairs specialist at Athens' Panteion University, told The Guardian:
"I think we are now looking at a breakdown in communications in the short term. Mitsotakis' visit to Washington is very much perceived in Ankara to have undermined any effort towards rapprochement. Turkey realises that the US has gradually reduced its strategic dependency on Turkish soil by increasing its military presence in Greece."
The United States and other NATO members wish to see all NATO countries united as Russia continues with its illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine. Both Turkey and Greece have supplied weapons and aid to Ukraine, but Turkey has retained links with Russia and has not so far imposed sanctions.
[Based on reporting by: The Guardian]
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