(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
Türkiye has criticised Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis'
remarks against Ankara at the United Nations General Assembly as
'yet another example of distortion of facts and hostile narrative
against Türkiye,' Trend reports citing TRT World .
The Turkish delegation's statement came after the Greek premier
on Friday told the UNGA in New York that Türkiye 'continues to play
a destabilising role in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East
and the Caucasus.'
'The current negative atmosphere' in Ankara-Athens relations is
a 'deliberate choice of Greece,' the Turkish delegation said.
'They have chosen provocative actions and escalatory rhetoric
almost on a daily basis, as opposed to co-operation and
good-neighbourliness. It is the Greek side that has frozen the
bilateral and NATO Confidence Building Measures talks.'
The delegation added that claims about Türkiye challenging the
territorial integrity or unity of Greece were '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.'
'Double standard'
The Turkish delegation 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
militarisation of Eastern Aegean Islands contrary to international
treaties,' the delegation said.
The 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.
On the issue of Northern Cyprus, the delegation stressed that
'Türkiye will continue to support Turkish Cypriot people and their
inherent rights, namely sovereign equality and equal international
status.'
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 organisations, they
said.
In contrast to his own claims, Mitsotakis hailed Ankara's role
in the deal between Kiev and Moscow that enabled grain exports from
Ukraine as 'an important contribution to global food security.”
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