How Turkish Media Reacts to Mitsotakis’ Declaration on Casus Belli: ‘Scandalous Request for the Aegean’

The declarations made by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis regarding relations between Greece and Turkey, particularly concerning the ‘casus belli,’ have become a focal point in the Turkish press. According to Mitsotakis, for the EU to establish relations with third countries, unanimity among its 27 members is required. He emphasized that it has been 30 years since the declaration of casus belli and called for Turkey to remove this issue from the table. “It’s not possible to simultaneously seek entry into EU financial tools while threatening an EU member state,” Mitsotakis stated during his speech on May 22, 2025. Turkish media outlets like Hurriyet published articles titled ‘Mitsotakis Proposal for the Aegean: Calls for Removal of Casus Belli,’ while Turkiye described the request as ‘scandalous.’ The publication noted that Mitsotakis demanded Turkey revoke the decision by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 1995, which equated to a ‘war threat,’ as a condition for accessing EU defense funds. Meanwhile, Haber Global highlighted that if Turkey withdraws the casus belli declared in 1995, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration would not oppose Turkey’s inclusion in European defense initiatives. Mitsotakis also stressed the importance of addressing mutual concerns.