Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu paid a visit to Greece to meet with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greek City Times reports.
During the meetings, Çavuşoğlu tried to point the finger at the European Union. “Greece should refrain from using EU as a lever against Turkey and take advantage of the current positive situation. Only Greece and Turkey and not EU can solve the problems,” said the Turkish official shortly after his arrival.
The Turkish Foreign Minister also presented Ankara’s ambitions for the disputed waters in the Eastern Mediterranean and its position on the Cyprus issue.
The status of Greek minorities in Western Thrace is also a source of dissatisfaction for Turkey.
Çavuşoğlu said yesterday they “want the Turkish minorities living in Western Thrace of Greece, to be given the same rights which are given to the Greek Orthodox Church and the Greek minority in Turkey.”
Greece reacted harshly to the statement of the Turkish Foreign Minister. “It is unfounded that Turkey is constantly distorting the truth, claiming that the rights of these citizens are not protected or that they are being discriminated. We completely reject Turkey’s claims,” said Spokesperson of Greek Foreign Ministry.
Greece declares that the Turkish minority in Western Thrace is only a religious minority, moreover, Greek Muslim minority, whereas according to Turkey, it is a Turkish minority.
