“Mr. Mitsotakis should not have made such a mistake…” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, referring to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s recent mention of casus belli in the context of Aegean tensions. Speaking at a press conference following the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., Erdoğan added: “We did not comment on the defensive systems Greece purchased—even though it is our neighbor. Greece can buy and sell whatever it wishes. Turkey, on the other hand, produces many of these systems itself and retains every right to acquire them.”
F-35s and U.S.-Turkey Relations
On the issue of the F-35 fighter jets—suspended from Turkey’s procurement program after Ankara’s 2019 acquisition of Russia’s S-400 air defense system—Erdoğan expressed optimism: “Donald Trump, in fact, holds a very positive view toward Turkey. I hope the F-35s are delivered to Turkey at some point—and that the entire world acknowledges the United States has kept its word.”
Greek-Turkish Dialogue and Regional Peace
Regarding bilateral ties, Erdoğan stated: “With Mr. Mitsotakis, we agree that the issues in the Aegean are matters we both want to resolve. Solving such matters is first and foremost a leadership responsibility—a view he himself shares.”
Turning to broader regional stability, he said: “Let us all work together, under President Trump’s leadership, to achieve peace.” He then addressed the Middle East, saying: “On one side, there is hope for peace; on the other, attacks against Lebanon—challenges that confront all of humanity. A massive catastrophe is unfolding across Lebanese territory. In Gaza, 73,000 innocent people have lost their lives—and the suffering continues.”
“We must not hesitate,” he stressed. “Our region cannot bear further tension or conflict. We all need peace and stability as urgently as we need the air we breathe and the water we drink.”
Erdoğan noted that he had held a “fruitful exchange of views” with Trump and other world leaders, and that working lunches would follow with European heads of state. Marking NATO’s 75th anniversary, he highlighted Turkey’s hosting of the summit in Washington as a source of national pride: “For once, we showed the world the extraordinary hospitality Turkey offers. I hope we’ll host another leaders’ summit on October 29, 2030.”