Turkish aggression, whether expressed through unilateral actions or extreme rhetoric, can no longer be tolerated, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday in doorstep statements before the Special European Council.
"The time has come for Europe to discuss bravely and sincerely what kind of relationship it really wants to have with Turkey," Mitsotakis said.
While Turkish aggression violates the sovereign rights of two EU member states - Greece and Cyprus - it also "touches on the significant geopolitical interests of all Europe in the Mediterranean," he said.
There are only two choices, the PM noted, either the path of dialogue in diplomacy, which must be based on respect of international law, avoidance of unilateral actions and good neighborhood rules, or the path of escalating tension, which sooner or later will inevitably lead to Europe taking measures against Turkey.
Greece has "proven it wants to follow the first path. It's up to Turkey to do the same, but it must do so with consistency and constancy," Mitsotakis stressed.