President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan late Tuesday criticized Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for seeking U.S. assistance amid ongoing tensions with Türkiye, saying "we will continue to do what is necessary."
"The Greek Prime Minister is seeking help from the U.S. Against what? Against Türkiye. Whatever you do, we will continue to and are ready to do whatever is necessary," the president told a conference marking the week of the Prophet Muhammad's birth in the capital Ankara.
Erdoğan also mentioned a recent statement by Mitsotakis on seeking support against Türkiye and said Ankara will continue to do what is necessary.
On Sept. 28, multiple news outlets, citing Mitsotakis, said Greece is confident about the support from the United States and European Union against Türkiye.
Türkiye has recently ramped up the criticism of its NATO ally United States for abandoning a balanced policy and escalating tensions on the issues of Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean, reiterating that it will protect its rights and interests against the Greek side.
Erdoğan also criticized the U.S. last week for its tilted stance amid simmering tensions between Türkiye and Greece, calling out Washington for its unequal treatment of NATO allies.
There is simply no comparison between Türkiye and Greece's importance in NATO, Erdoğan said in a televised interview, stressing that the U.S. "cannot find another ally like Türkiye."
Türkiye, a NATO member for over 70 years, has complained of repeated provocative actions and rhetoric by Greece in the region in recent months, including arming islands near Turkish shores that are demilitarized under treaty, saying that such moves frustrate its good faith and efforts for peace.
Türkiye and Greece are at odds over a number of issues, including competing claims over jurisdiction in the Eastern Mediterranean, overlapping claims over their continental shelves, maritime boundaries, airspace, energy, the ethnically split island of Cyprus, the status of the islands in the Aegean Sea and migrants.
Ankara accuses Athens of illegally militarizing Greek islands in the East Aegean and questions Greece’s sovereignty over them. There is also a dispute over the exploitation of mineral resources in the Aegean.
Erdoğan also repeated his criticism of Greek pushbacks of irregular migrants in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.
"We watch in awe as Greek ferries bury innocent people in the Aegean and Mediterranean," the president said, as he also criticized the world for remaining silent in face of Greek violations.
Human rights groups and media outlets have frequently reported on illegal pushbacks and other human rights breaches by Greek authorities.
Ankara and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece's illegal practice of pushing back asylum seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.
His criticism came a day after Greek officials said Mitsotakis would agree to meet with Erdoğan on the sidelines of a European summit later this week if the latter asked.
Long-simmering tensions between the two countries, which are NATO allies but historic foes, have flared anew recently due to treaty violations and provocations by Greece.
Erdoğan has accused Greece of "crimes against humanity," referring to its treatment of migrants and illegal pushbacks, and of arming islands in the Aegean Sea that have a demilitarized status.
Relations between the two neighboring countries and fellow NATO members have deteriorated in recent years.
In May, Erdoğan cut ties with Mitsotakis and declared all other channels of communication between the countries closed.
Erdoğan said Mitsotakis "no longer exists" for him, after the Greek premier lobbied to block sales of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye during a visit to the United States, despite previously agreeing with Erdoğan "to not include third countries in our dispute."
Noting that Türkiye stands on the side of the oppressed, from Asia to Africa, from the Caucasus to the Balkans, Erdoğan said the country sees all Muslims as part of a single body.
"We have a special bond with all the oppressed people across the world, which cannot be burnt by any fire and cannot be destroyed by any traps," Erdoğan said, adding that this mindset is behind the country's humanitarian and development-focused foreign policy.
In its drive to help people around the world, the country has – for four years running – poured in a greater share of its income than any other nation.
From natural disasters to human-made conflicts and crises, Türkiye, with its vast network of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and relief groups, has offered support to counter all sorts of challenges.
Mitsotakis receives US delegation
Meanwhile, Mitsotakis on Tuesday met with a delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives in Athens.
According to a statement by the Greek premier's office, Mitsotakis hailed the "extremely good level" of Greek-U.S. relations during talks.
He also pointed out the progress in military cooperation between the two countries.
Mitsotakis argued that Alexandroupolis (Dedeağaç), a northern region of Greece, has great strategic importance, and Greece has become an important gate in energy flow to Europe.
He also said the country has also become a hub in the field of data stock and management with the investments of companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.
The Greek premier argued that Türkiye has rhetoric that escalates tensions in bilateral relations, further saying that Athens is in favor of dialogue based on international law and maritime law.