Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan brushed aside Ankara’s long-standing casus belli against Greece, saying most Turks do not know what the term means, after Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called Turkey’s position a “historical inaccuracy.”
Speaking after the NATO Summit in Ankara, Erdogan said the issue should not burden citizens in either country and urged renewed dialogue between the two neighbors.
“The overwhelming majority of my people does not even know what the casus belli issue is,” Erdogan said. “If you ask them what it is, they will not know. That is why I do not think we should burden our people with these issues.”
He added that Ankara had already conveyed the same message to Athens. “We tell our Greek friends: let us not burden either Greek citizens or our own citizens with this. Come, sit down, let us talk and bring this to a conclusion.”
Erdogan responds to Mitsotakis on casus belli against Greece
Erdogan’s remarks came after Mitsotakis again referred to Turkey’s casus belli during his own press conference at the NATO Summit. The Greek prime minister described the threat of war, which dates back to 1995, as a “historical inaccuracy,” saying it is inconsistent with both the Athens Declaration and the positive atmosphere Greece and Turkey have sought to build as neighboring countries.
The casus belli refers to a 1995 decision by the Turkish Parliament warning that Greece’s unilateral extension of its territorial waters in the Aegean beyond six nautical miles would constitute a cause for war.
Greece maintains that international law gives it the right to extend its territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea states that every coastal state may establish territorial waters up to that limit. Turkey disputes the application of that rule in the Aegean and has not signed the convention.
Mitsotakis has repeatedly argued that a threat of war between two NATO allies has no place in the current diplomatic climate. Erdogan, however, did not announce any formal change to Turkey’s 1995 position. Instead, he presented the issue as one that leaders should handle through dialogue rather than public confrontation.
Erdogan criticizes Mitsotakis over F-35 remarks after Casus Belli comments
Erdogan also criticized Mitsotakis over comments related to Turkey’s effort to acquire F-35 fighter jets from the United States.
Asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that Turkey should not receive F-35s, Erdogan said Mitsotakis should not have followed Netanyahu’s line.
“Mr. Mitsotakis should not have made such a mistake,” Erdogan said. “We did not make any comment about the defense systems Mr. Mitsotakis bought. He can buy and sell whatever he wants. Turkey has the right to buy them.”
The Turkish president said objections from Greece and Israel to a possible F-35 sale to Turkey “have no place in my world.”
Erdogan added that Netanyahu’s position was expected, but argued that Mitsotakis should not have aligned himself with it.
The United States removed Turkey from the F-35 program after Ankara acquired Russia’s S-400 missile defense system, a move Washington said created security risks for the stealth fighter program. Mitsotakis, speaking separately, said Greece does not decide which weapons systems the United States sells to other countries, but noted that legal obstacles still affect Turkey’s return to the program.
Erdogan says he agrees with Mitsotakis on Aegean talks
Despite his sharper comments on F-35s, Erdogan said he agrees with Mitsotakis on the need to resolve issues in the Aegean.
“I share the same view with Mitsotakis regarding the resolution of the Aegean issues,” Erdogan said. “I hope our foreign ministers will first sit down, and then, if necessary, we will also sit at the table and discuss this matter.”
The statement kept open the diplomatic channel between Athens and Ankara, even as the two NATO allies remain divided over maritime zones, territorial waters, airspace, and broader security questions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
For Athens, the main dispute with Ankara concerns the delimitation of maritime zones in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. Greece has repeatedly said this is the only issue it is prepared to take to international adjudication.
Erdogan calls for NATO defense trade restrictions to be lifted
The Turkish president also called for changes in NATO defense trade practices, saying allies should lift restrictions on defense industry products without delay.
Erdogan warned that European Union defense initiatives should complement NATO rather than create unnecessary overlap. He said the Alliance should consist of members that strengthen one another, not countries that depend on one another under restrictive conditions.
His comments reflected Ankara’s broader effort to present Turkey as a major military power inside NATO while also seeking renewed access to Western defense programs, including the F-35.
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