Mitsotakis: Turkey’s Casus Belli Is a “Historic Mistake” That Must End Now
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called Turkey's casus belli threat against Greece a "historic anomaly" that has no place in the current relationship between the two neighbors, speaking to reporters after the NATO Summit concluded.
Turkey has maintained the casus belli, a formal threat of war, since 1995, citing Greek plans to extend its territorial waters in the Aegean. Mitsotakis said the threat is incompatible with the Athens Declaration and with the cooperative atmosphere both countries are trying to build. "It's been around for three decades," he said, "and the time has come to leave it behind."
"It's been around for three decades," Mitsotakis said, "and the time has come to leave it behind."
On Turkey's bid to rejoin the F-35 program, Mitsotakis was direct: significant legal obstacles remain in U.S. law, tied specifically to Ankara's purchase of Russia's S-400 missile systems. He noted that those barriers have not gone away and suggested the issue is far from resolved.
Meanwhile, Mitsotakis confirmed Greece's own F-35 program is on track. Greek pilots are set to begin training on the jets in 2027, with the aircraft already under construction. Since 2019, he said, Greece has significantly strengthened its defense posture.
He also noted that Greece's F-16 Viper upgrade program is accelerating, with more than 50 aircraft already modernized out of a planned 83. Despite ongoing disagreements on maritime boundary delimitation, Mitsotakis said the two countries have made progress on migration and bilateral contacts.
"Even if we don't solve our biggest problem," he said, "that doesn't mean we can't live peacefully and cooperate in other areas."
