Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks during the General Debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Credit: Sarah Yenesel / EPA via AMNA
Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis made a firm statement to Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his address to the UN General Assembly.
“Turkey must revoke the casus belli,” he said. “The path forward is dialogue, not weapons. The threat of war must be lifted—it still hangs over our relationship like a dark cloud.”
Greece as a pillar of stability
He also emphasized Greece’s role as a stabilizing force in the region:
“A new global order is emerging. Multilateralism is under pressure, and we face new realities—climate change, migration, artificial intelligence. The world is changing. Greece is a pillar of stability. We seek dialogue and peaceful coexistence with our neighbors. But we are not naïve. We are fully aware of threats and instability in our region.”
Mitsotakis noted that Greece already spends over three percent of its GDP on defense, influenced in part by regional security concerns, including its relationship with Turkey.
Greece’s Prime Minister on Gaza: “Nothing justifies death of thousands of children”
Addressing the conflict in Gaza, Mitsotakis reiterated Greece’s long-standing position:
“From day one, we defended Israel’s right to self-defense. We called for the release of hostages and for a ceasefire. But nothing justifies the death of thousands of children and the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people.”
He reaffirmed Greece’s commitment to a two-state solution in Israel.
Greece’s PM on Ukraine: “No peace formula without Kyiv at the table”
Turning to Ukraine, Mitsotakis stressed that its resistance is not only about survival and sovereignty but also about dignity, international law, and global security.
“There is no peace formula without Ukraine at the table. As Europeans, we are obliged to be present in any solution,” he said.
Europe’s role in defense and trust among states
Mitsotakis called for deeper European defense cooperation, arguing that the EU must take a more decisive role. “Greece firmly believes the time has come for common defense planning,” he said.
Quoting Jean Monnet, he added: “Europe was built through crises. Decisions were made then, and he was right. We must do the same today.”
He concluded by maintaining that trust among states is essential for Europe to move forward.