ATHENS — Greece does seek common ground with Turkey, but this needs to be solid, namely based on International Law and the Law of the Sea, Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias told Euronews TV on Thursday.

To solve any problems, "we must follow the same clear rules set by the international community, which Turkey does not seem to accept," he noted.

Responding to a question about his joint statements with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu during his recent visit to Ankara, Dendias called the televised live press conference an "exchange" that put matters into context. "Something is either legal or illegal" and either abides by International Law or not, he added.

The European Union needs Turkey to collaborate with it concerning the migration crisis, he underlined, along with other regional countries. He cited Egypt as a country which tries to resolve the migration issue without asking the EU for financial help or exerting political pressure on or even blackmailing the bloc.

The migration crisis is a European issue, which requires European solutions, concluded Dendias.