Ankara hits back at Czech Republic, EU over remarks against Türkiye

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) – Recent comments against Türkiye by the Czech Republic and EU institutions hold “no meaning and value,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

The strong rebuke came after the Czech Republic, which currently holds the presidency of the EU Council, criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s warnings to Greece over its increasingly hostile and aggressive actions against Türkiye.

Ankara will continue to resolutely defend its legitimate rights and interests in the Aegean and Mediterranean, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgic said in a statement.

The Czech Foreign Ministry had termed Erdogan’s remarks “unacceptable,” claiming that Prague wants to use its term presidency to “foster EU-Türkiye dialogue” but such comments were “extremely unhelpful in this regard.”

Bilgic hit back by pointing out that if the EU and Czech Republic want to promote dialogue, then Türkiye-EU ties “should be spared from the narrow-minded Greek, Greek Cypriot veto that undermines EU solidarity and common interests.”