Mitsotakis calls for dialogue to ease ‘delicate’ ties with Türkiye

NEW YORK

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks during the 81st United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York on September 24, 2026. (AFP Photo)

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called for continued dialogue with Türkiye during his address to the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 24, describing bilateral ties as “delicate” and shaped by the weight of history.

“Greece’s relationship with Türkiye “is a delicate relationship” and “a relationship that carries the weight of history,” the premier expressed.

“After all, as I’ve said repeatedly, we cannot change our geography. We are destined to live side by side,” he told the high-level annual organization.

Mitsotakis said Athens remains committed to keeping communication channels with Ankara open and maintaining stability in bilateral ties, while seeking to rebuild trust through continued engagement.

He maintained that the sole dispute between Greece and its eastern neighbor concerns the delimitation of the continental shelf and exclusive economic zones, arguing that the issue must be resolved in accordance with international law and the Law of the Sea.

At the same time, Mitsotakis stressed that substantive dialogue cannot be sustained alongside unilateral steps that undermine the international legal order or threats of war.

His remarks came after his recent visit to Meis, the Greek island closest to the Turkish mainland, where he toured military facilities. The visit drew a strong reaction from Ankara, which has repeatedly objected to the militarization of the island, whose demilitarized status is established under international agreements.

Turning to Cyprus, Mitsotakis said Athens supports U.N. efforts to revive substantive negotiations aimed at reunifying the island, which has remained divided for decades.

“We expect these efforts to continue,” he said.

“Cyprus remains a litmus test of its credibility, of its ability to uphold its own resolutions and the principles of the charter, and Greece fully supports the recent efforts of Secretary-General Guterres to create the appropriate conditions for the resumption of substantive negotiations,” he said.