"Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias expresses the firm positions of the Greek government regarding foreign policy issues, positions that reflect Greece's commitment to respecting international law and the protection of our country's interests," foreign ministry spokesperson Alexandros Papaioannou replied when asked by a journalist about a recent Turkish foreign ministry announcement.

New inflammatory statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoglu at a time when, shortly before the start of exploratory contacts, tensions between the two countries are escalating.

Turkey's stance is a provocation directed at all of the European Union, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias underlined on Monday, in statements on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.