"Irritation" in the Turkish media after Mitsotakis' statements in Ankara on the casus belli

The reports focus mainly on the Greek Prime Minister’s references to good neighborly relations, the casus belli and Turkey’s possible return to the F-35 fighter jet program.

The Turkish newspaper Sabah presented Mr. Mitsotakis’ statements in a particularly critical manner, speaking of “targeting Turkey”, while Milliyet and CNN Türk focused mainly on the Greek Prime Minister’s response on the F-35 issue.

Mitsotakis’ response to the F-35s reported by the Turkish media

Special mention was made of Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ brief response when asked about the statements of Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding the possibility of Turkey being reinstated in the F-35 program.

The Greek Prime Minister, according to Turkish reports, replied: “I will not comment on the statements made yesterday by President Trump and President Erdogan.”

Milliyet quoted the Prime Minister’s response in the headline of its coverage, noting that Mr. Mitsotakis avoided commenting directly on the discussion about the American fighters.

Correspondingly, CNN Türk, in a live coverage of the NATO Summit titled “Greece did not answer the question on the F-35 – “I cannot comment””, highlighted the same phrase of the Greek Prime Minister, accompanying the topic with a photo of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Mitsotakis’ reference to the casus belli
The Turkish media gave particular weight to Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ statement that Greece continues to face a “threat of war” from Turkey.

Sabah claimed that the Greek Prime Minister “used language that targets Turkey”, referring to Athens’ position that the casus belli of the Turkish National Assembly constitutes a threat against Greece.

For his part, Mr. Mitsotakis stressed that an alliance like NATO must be based on “fundamental principles and good neighborliness,” noting that differences can be addressed through dialogue and cooperation.

Ankara at the center of the F-35 debate
The F-35 issue was one of the important topics surrounding the NATO Summit, following statements by Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdogan about a possible rapprochement on the issue.

Turkey had distanced itself from the F-35 program after purchasing the Russian S-400 systems, while the possibility of a change of stance by Washington has sparked discussions in Athens and Ankara.

Turkish publications presented the Greek position as cautious, while highlighting Ankara's message that it seeks its return to the American fifth-generation fighter program.

Athens' message on Greek-Turkish relations
Despite the different interpretations given by the Turkish media, the basic position conveyed by the Greek Prime Minister was that cooperation within the framework of NATO presupposes good neighborly relations and respect for the concerns of all allies.

This statement was the main point of comment in the Turkish press, as it was linked to the permanent issues of Greece and Turkey: the maritime zones, the casus belli and the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean.