Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Turkish President Erdogan's anti-Israel rhetoric this week is 'not new' and masks deeper differences in interests. Mitsotakis said he hopes the region does not see an additional unnecessary flashpoint, as reported by Asaf Rozentzweig (N12).
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday afternoon played down Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent anti-Israel diatribe, telling reporters the exchange is 'not new' and reflects deeper diverging interests rather than a fresh policy shift. 'I believe and hope we will not find ourselves facing an additional unnecessary flashpoint in the Middle East,' Mitsotakis said. 'We already have enough problems to deal with.'
The remarks, reported by Asaf Rozentzweig (N12), come amid a wave of Turkish rhetoric directed at Israel in recent days, including Erdogan's threats to intervene militarily in the conflict. Mitsotakis' framing suggests Athens views Ankara's posture primarily through the lens of regional rivalry rather than a genuine escalation risk. His statement echoes his earlier comments last week on Greek-Israeli ties, which he described as a strategic relationship with the state itself, not the current government (as The Zioneer reported June 10 at 13:48).
No further elaboration was provided on the Greek position regarding potential mediation or concrete steps to de-escalate tensions.
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