By Betul Yuruk
NEW YORK (AA) – Türkiye on Friday criticized Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for his remarks against Ankara at the UN General Assembly.
"Unfortunately, this statement was yet another example of distortion of facts and hostile narrative against Türkiye. Türkiye's role in its region and beyond is well appreciated by the international community," the Turkish delegation said.
It came after the Greek premier on Friday told the UN General Assembly in New York that Türkiye "continues to play a destabilizing role in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Caucasus."
The Turkish delegation further said Ankara has implemented the sanctions mandated by the UN Security Council.
It is a "double standard to accuse Türkiye of not imposing sanctions, while Greece itself circumvents other sanctions through the practice of tanker-to-tanker oil transfer operations," they said.
The delegation also said Türkiye does not challenge the territorial integrity or unity of Greece, calling it a "a false propaganda."
"However, Türkiye does challenge Greece to enter into an honest and meaningful dialogue in accordance with international law to address not one but all legally interrelated Aegean disputes."
They also pointed out that Greece has been threatening Türkiye with the unilateral extension of the six nautical-meter territorial sea limits in the Aegean Sea since June 1995.
"This grave threat has recently been reinforced with increasing militarization of Eastern Aegean Islands contrary to international treaties," the Turkish delegation said.
"The current negative atmosphere" in Ankara-Athens relations is "deliberate choice of Greece," they said. "They have chosen provocative actions and escalatory rhetoric almost on a daily basis, as opposed to cooperation and good-neighborliness. It is the Greek side that has frozen the bilateral and NATO Confidence Building Measures talks."
The delegation also called on Greece to stop migrant pushbacks in the Aegean Sea.
Greece's "degrading and life-threatening" attitude towards irregular migrants has been documented not only by Türkiye but also by many international and non-governmental organizations, they said.
"Türkiye will continue to support Turkish Cypriot people and their inherent rights, namely sovereign equality and equal international status," they added.