Mitsotakis on Erdogan: “I stood up and told him that everything I have I will tell you face to face…” – Watch video

A video showing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis describing how he reacted to Erdogan’s provocations at the leaders’ dinner in Prague was posted on Twitter by a British channel journalist. Next to the prime minister, the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, can be seen in the video:

Greek PM @kmitsotakis overheard this morning after reports of a stormy exchange with the Turkish President at the European Political Community #EPC

“Stood up and said to Erdogan…in your face” pic.twitter.com/FXTO27KenV

— Georg von Harrach (@georgvh) October 7, 2022

Greece does not provoke, but always responds with confidence

Greece never provokes, but always responds with confidence every time it is provoked, the prime minister said earlier, attending the Summit in Prague.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted that yesterday he had the chance in front of the other leaders to repeat what he said to the UN.

The prime minister noted that there is no sense in accusing Greece of increasing the tension in the Aegean, “when Turkey is the one that directly raises issues that even concern the sovereignty of the Greek islands. And that it is impossible to proceed with a relaxation of relations between Greece and Turkey, as long as this rhetoric continues”.

However, he added that Greece is not the one closing the door to dialogue, we are right on our side.

“It was a first-class opportunity through this dialogue in front of all the leaders for my colleagues to understand who is the one who provokes, the one who raises the tone and which is the country that defends its sovereign rights without closing the door to dialogue” said Mr. Mitsotakis characteristically.

We close the door to challenges, we leave open the window for dialogue, the Prime Minister concluded.

The Prime Minister’s statements

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: At today’s extraordinary Summit of the European Union, in Prague, we will have the opportunity to return to the critical issue that has been preoccupying us all for the last months. I am referring to the extremely high energy prices – and especially natural gas – as a result of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s attempt to instrumentalize energy sources to the detriment of Europe.

I believe that the conditions have now fully matured so that at the next Summit, in Brussels, we can take our final decisions for a drastic intervention in the natural gas market.

Everyone now realizes what the Greek Government has been claiming for several months: that the natural gas market practically does not work, that a drastic intervention is needed to reduce the cost of natural gas at the European level and in this way to facilitate the national governments to support European Union businesses and households.

I believe that the European Commission is also moving in this direction and we will await its final proposals for decision-making, at our level, in a few weeks at the European Union Summit in Brussels.

Journalist: Mr. President, I would like your comment on Mr. Erdogan’s attitude yesterday and what was announced at the leaders’ dinner.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Greece never provokes, but always responds with confidence every time it is provoked. I had the opportunity before the 43 leaders present at this first meeting of the European Political Community to repeat what I said to the United Nations. That today it is not understood that Greece is being accused of increasing the tension in the Aegean, when Turkey is the one that directly raises issues concerning even the sovereignty of the Greek islands. And that it is impossible to proceed with a relaxation of relations between Greece and Turkey, as long as this rhetoric continues.

I declare, however, once again that Greece is not the one that closes the door to dialogue. We feel absolute confidence and certainty that we are right and International Law is on our side.

I believe, therefore, that it was a first-class opportunity through this dialogue, which took place in front of all the leaders, for my colleagues who may not have deep knowledge of these issues to understand who is the one who provokes, who is he who raises his voice and who is that country which confidently defends its sovereignty and sovereign rights without ever closing the door to dialogue. We repeat: close all windows in every challenge. We leave the door of dialogue open.

Journalist: And a comment from you about the tragic shipwrecks in the Aegean, Mr. President.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Once again I want to express my deep sadness for what happened yesterday in two shipwrecks in Lesbos and outside Kythira. I think everyone found that with self-sacrifice the Hellenic Coast Guard, the coast guard, but also all the other government agencies, rushed to save stranded people who unfortunately entered boats without life jackets and sailed from the Turkish shores in very difficult weather conditions.

This instrumentalization of the refugee must finally stop. I once again call on Turkey to cooperate with Greece so that we can eliminate once and for all these networks, the wretched networks of traffickers of persecuted people. No more lives needlessly be lost in the Aegean. There is no doubt that Turkey, if it wants to, and has proven it, can do more to limit the problem, which is born at its root and that lies in the boats that leave Turkish shores.

From then on, Greece will continue to do what I believe it has been doing effectively and humanely for the last three years: to defend its borders – but at the same time to look after and save every person who is in danger of losing their life in the sea.

Bloomberg: Mr. Mitsotakis, do you see any progress in the talks regarding the imposition of a ceiling on gas prices? When do you think the relevant decision will be made?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: As you know, we have proposed and supported a cap on natural gas prices since last March. I see that there is growing support from other heads of state and government who have joined our call for more drastic intervention in the wholesale natural gas market and I am particularly encouraged by the fact that the President of the European Commission has recognized the need for a drastic – temporary but drastic- intervention in the natural gas market. What we would expect from the European Commission – and this is something that I think we will entrust the European Commission to do once again – is to come up with a concrete proposal by the time of the next Summit in Brussels, a few weeks from now.

It’s decision time. We have to make decisions now. I think we’ve already lost time. We pay higher prices than we should. We support households from our national budgets, but there is a limit to how much we can do and we are given the opportunity to show our European strength in a united way to prevent Putin from instrumentalizing natural gas at the expense of Europeans societies.

Bloomberg: Until the next Summit?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: At the next Summit. The decision must be made. We need a concrete proposal from the European Commission by the next Summit and the decision should be taken by the next Summit. We’ve already lost time. Thank you.

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