​​​​​​ISTANBUL/ANKARA

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday that “no political legitimacy in Greece is strong enough to resolve its problems with Türkiye.”

He urged dialogue and restraint in relations while criticizing Athens’ recurring use of anti-Türkiye rhetoric for domestic politics.

Fidan said Greek politics have long relied on portraying Türkiye as an adversary to manage internal crises.

“Greek politics feed on anti-Türkiye narratives. Whenever there is a corruption scandal or domestic unrest, they bring up Türkiye. This has to stop,” he said on a television program.

“I want to remind our Greek neighbors: Turks and Greeks are ancient peoples of this region. We must find a way out of this deadlock together. The future is waiting for us,” he said. “If you continue producing a language of threats, Türkiye can respond tenfold. There is no need for this. Let’s not base politics on hostility.”

Fidan said the Turkish government never builds its domestic policy on “anti-Greek positions” and urged Athens to show the same maturity. “When you come with the language of peace, Türkiye responds with peace. But if another tone is used, we have the capacity to answer accordingly. Still, we never start such rhetoric. Our first language is peace,” he said.

EU security policy

On the European Union’s security policies, Fidan criticized Greece’s attempt to exclude Türkiye from the SAFE (Security Action Framework for Europe) mechanism, describing it as an example of how “certain EU members hijack Europe’s security system.”

“These countries are not acting for Europe’s security,” he said, noting that Greece had left NATO’s military structure in 1974 and rejoined in 1980, with Türkiye’s consent. “Ankara could have objected but chose not to. We expect the same level of maturity from Greece today,” he said.

Fidan confirmed that he will attend the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, where a meeting with Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis is planned. “Our Greek counterparts are not fully comfortable with this situation, but dialogue is the only way forward,” he said.

The foreign minister warned against the Greek Cypriot Administration’s growing defense cooperation with Israel, saying it carries “the risk of provoking instability” in the Eastern Mediterranean. “We have seen Cyprus serve as a logistical base during the Gaza war. Now, they are trying to repair their image by organizing humanitarian aid flights. We hope this effort serves as atonement,” he said.

Türkiye prefers peaceful resolution

Fidan underlined that Türkiye’s first preference is a peaceful resolution of disputes.

“Let’s not waste more time. An enduring peace between Türkiye and Greece in the Aegean is possible; let’s make it possible. In the Mediterranean, it is possible; let’s make it possible. And on Cyprus, peaceful coexistence between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots as equal partners is possible; let’s make it possible,” he said.