Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan planned to meet this year in an attempt to resolve at least some of their differences, but Erdogan canceled the meeting
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he no longer recognizes the leader of neighboring Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and is canceling a meeting with him scheduled for the second half of this year. Erdogan accuses Mitsotakis of activities that harm Turkey.
The Turkish leader believes that during his visit to the United States, Mitsotakis will try to block the sale of American F-16 fighters to Turkey.
«There is no one else named Mitsotakis for me», — Erdogan told reporters on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting. He also stated that there would be no more working meetings with the Greek leader.
Tensions between neighbors escalated after Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on the US Congress last week to uphold a ban on Turkey's participation in the F-35 next-generation fighter procurement program.
The ban was introduced after the 2019 Ankara has acquired the S-400 air defense system from Russia. However, the Joe Biden administration is now considering repealing it.
The Turkish authorities believe that Athens is inciting the American authorities against Turkey in other matters, in particular, trying to disrupt the deal on the F-16.
They claim that this is a violation of the agreement between Athens and Ankara not to involve in their disputes with third countries.
Greece said that it was not going to get involved in the «war of loud statements».
NATO as a deterrent
The conflict arose simultaneously with Turkey's confrontation with other NATO members on the issue of Sweden and Finland joining the alliance. Both countries have applied to join the alliance, and Ankara — the only NATO member opposed.
On Wednesday, delegations from Sweden and Finland will hold talks in Ankara over the two countries' bids to join NATO.
Turkey accuses two Scandinavian countries of harboring members of the Workers the Kurdistan Party (PKK), which it considers a terrorist organization, as well as the followers of Fethullah Gülen, whom Ankara accuses of organizing a coup attempt in 2016.
Turkey makes similar accusations against Greece. Erdogan said that the re-admission of this country to the North Atlantic alliance in 1980 was a mistake.
Relations between Turkey and Greece have always been tense. Especially since 1974, when the military conflict divided the territory of Cyprus, and the northern part of the island remained under the control of Ankara.
The next serious turn occurred in 2020, when Turkey began exploration of gas fields off the coast of Northern Cyprus.
So far, countries have been kept from open conflict by common membership in NATO.