The foreign ministry outright rejected on Tuesday what it described as misleading statements from the Turkish government suggesting regional ambitions.
In a statement posted on X, the ministry stressed that the government “pursues its foreign policy consistently and operates as a useful member of the international community, as an EU member state and as part of the wider region,” adding that allegations to the contrary were designed “to provoke and create impressions in a critical regional period.”
The ministry said such claims “are rejected”, arguing they ignore what it described as “the continued illegal occupation of Cyprus”, stating that “it is Turkey itself that illegally occupies sovereign European territory, with tens of thousands of soldiers in an offensive posture.”
The response followed comments made on Sunday by Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan with Anadolu, who raised concerns regarding growing strategic cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Israel.
Fidan said Ankara was closely monitoring what he described as a regional alignment that could be perceived as “an operation aimed at encircling Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean”.
He further argued that Athens is pursuing “extremely dangerous policies,” adding that “there are very interesting aspects in Greece’s attempt to pursue a kind of policy that no other country in Europe follows alone.”
Fidan questioned the strategic logic of the trilateral partnerships, refuting the suggestion that either Greece or Cyprus “need military cooperation with Israel”.
“What strategic logic could justify seeking this kind of cooperation is something that not even they can explain to me”, he remarked.
He also alleged that Israel could attempt to redefine its regional adversaries, saying Israel “may seek to characterize Turkey as a new adversary after Iran, as it cannot survive without an enemy.”
The Turkish foreign minister linked wider regional conflicts to rising instability, pointing to Israeli operations in multiple theatres.
Fidan said Israel’s actions in south Lebanon were similar to those conducted in Gaza and warned that strikes in Syria posed what he described as a “serious danger” to Turkey’s security environment.
His remarks come amid bellicose rhetoric from Turkish officials, with the former defence minister Hulusi Akar issuing the controversial warning last week towards Greek Cypriots that this Easter “would be their last”.
Responding to Fidan’s comments, the Hellenic foreign ministry likewise responded that Greece “shapes its foreign policy independently, does not accept instructions, nor does it owe explanations to anyone.”
It further stressed that Greece, as a member of the European Union and NATO and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, “has proven that it has consistently worked for stability, good neighbourly relations and peace over time”, while stressing that its partnerships “have a peaceful purpose and are not directed against third parties.”
