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Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that a trilateral initiative involving Israel, Greece and Cyprus does not constitute a military threat to Turkey, stressing Ankara’s commitment to regional stability and dialogue.
In a statement, the ministry said that “statements by Israel against Turkey and rhetoric that could lead to an escalation of tensions in the region have no factual or legal basis.” It added that Turkey supports “constructive dialogue in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean within the framework of the NATO alliance,” while warning that “steps that run counter to the spirit of the alliance cannot change the reality on the ground.”
The ministry blamed rising tensions on “exclusive and unilateral steps and approaches aimed at creating faits accomplis,” saying Turkey seeks “a region of cooperation and stability, not a zone of conflict.”
Addressing Greek allegations of airspace violations, it said the claims are “based on inconsistencies in Greece’s approach to territorial waters and airspace,” which it described as “historically unprecedented.” It added that Turkish flights in the Aegean are conducted “in international airspace” and reiterated Ankara’s support for resolving disputes with Greece through peaceful dialogue and negotiation under international law.