Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks with the media as he arrives for the EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Harry Nakos)

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey and Greece can resolve their disputes in the Aegean and the Mediterranean seas, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday, as Greece's prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, urged Ankara to lift a long-standing threat of war.

The two leaders made the comments in Ankara, following talks aimed to sustain dialogue between the longtime rivals at a time when tensions have been rising.

“In our meeting, we once again openly and sincerely addressed our positions regarding the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean," Erdogan said. "While the current issues are complex, they are not insurmountable under international law. All that is needed is good faith, constructive dialogue and a will to find a solution.”

NATO allies Greece and Turkey remain at odds over a series of issues, including maritime boundaries, Cyprus and drilling rights in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean seas. Turkey has also voiced unease over a growing defense and energy cooperation between Greece, Israel and Cyprus that sidelines Ankara and which some view as a an effort to counter Turkey’s influence in the region.

Greece and Turkey have come to the brink of war several times over the last half-century. A dispute over energy exploration rights in 2020 led to the two countries’ warships facing off in the Mediterranean.

In recent weeks, Greek officials have reaffirmed Greece’s right to extend its territorial waters in the Aegean to 12 nautical miles (22.2 kilometers) from the current six. Turkey — whose parliament in 1995 declared such a move as a “cause of war” — has criticized the comments as unacceptable and argues that the extension of the territorial waters would violate its rights, severely restricting its maritime access.

Mitsotakis suggested that, given the positive momentum in Greek-Turkish relations, the time has come to remove all threats that hang over their ties.

“This is why I believe, in the same spirit as the positive experience that has transpired, that it is time now to lift every threat, formal and substantive, in our relations. If not now, then when?” he said.

Meanwhile, Erdogan asserted that Turkey’s participation in new defense initiatives launched in Europe would serve the two countries’ interests.

Greece has opposed Turkey’s participation in an initiative known as the Security Action for Europe program that is designed to enhance the continent’s military capabilities, saying Ankara must drop its threat of war over the sea boundary dispute.

Earlier, Erdogan and Mitsotakis oversaw the signing of a series of agreements spanning investment, maritime trade, economic cooperation, disaster response, culture, science and technology.

Mitsotakis was accompanied by a delegation of senior ministers for the so-called High-Level Cooperation Council meeting — a fence-mending initiative that was launched to improve ties.

Both countries are also locked in a dispute over Cyprus, divided since 1974 between its ethnic Greek and Turkish populations. For the past seven years, Turkey has rejected a long-standing agreement for a reunified Cyprus under a federal system. Instead, Ankara and the Turkish Cypriot administration, which is only recognized by Turkey, have proposed a two-state solution.

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Elena Becatoros contributed from Athens.

News from © The Associated Press, 2026