UPDATE 2 - Mitsotakis Tells French Foreign Minister About 'Escalation Of Turkish Aggression'

ATHENS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th September, 2022) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday at a meeting with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna that Greece is facing an escalation of "Turkish aggression" and provocations, as well as threats to Greek sovereignty.

Colonna, who is on a working visit to Greece, met with Mitsotakis earlier in the day. It is her first visit to Athens since taking office.

"The prime minister informed Colonna of the escalation of Turkish aggression and provocations, as well as the threats from the (Turkish) officials regarding the sovereignty of Greece, noting that the neighboring country is causing tension, undermining the security and stability in the region," the prime minister's press service said in a statement, adding that Mitsotakis reaffirmed the need for a dialogue based on the principles of international law.

During the meeting, Mitsotakis and Colonna also exchanged views on international, regional, and European issues, primarily on the energy crisis.

According to the statement, Mitsotakis spoke about the measures taken by the government to overcome the energy crisis and confirmed the need to solve this problem with a coordinated European response.

Later in the day, Colonna said after the talks with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias that France will support Greece and Cyprus if their national sovereignty is threatened.

"France said this and I repeat that it (France) will be on the side of Greece and Cyprus in case of a threat to their national sovereignty," Colonna said, as quoted by Greek broadcaster ERT.

The relations between Athens and Ankara have been complicated for decades. The countries were on the verge of an armed conflict three times in the summer of 2020.

A new round of tension began on August 23, when Greece used S-300 air defense systems to capture and escort F-16 fighters of the Turkish air force performing a reconnaissance mission west of Rhodes Island at the altitude of 10,000 feet.

Tensions between the countries further escalated on September 3, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Greece would pay a "heavy price" if incidents with Turkish planes continue.

On Monday, Dendias sent a letter to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell Fontelles, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning about a threat of a serious conflict between Greece and Turkey, following Erdogan's statements.

"These public statements made by the Turkish president speak for themselves; these are unprovoked, unacceptable, and insulting to Greece and the Greek people. Their openly threatening nature and tone are more than evident, dispelling any doubts as to their purpose, as well as any claims that these were made solely for domestic purposes amid the upcoming elections in the country," Dendias said in the letter, seen by Sputnik.

The foreign minister said that other senior Turkish officials followed Erdogan's "extremely aggressive rhetoric," which "is coupled with a sharp increase in the violation of my country's sovereignty in the Aegean Sea and the southeastern Mediterranean," adding that "the Turkish leadership seems to have preferred to present future aggression as an already prepared and, more importantly, as a justified action on the part of Turkey."

Dendias expressed his opinion that the entire international community should condemn Turkey's behavior toward Greece.