YEREVAN, Armenia — Turkey must be judged by deeds and not words, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said after meeting his Armenian counterpart Zohrab Mnatsakanyan in Υerevan on Friday, underlining that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will raise the issue at the European Council.

"Our position was clear from the beginning. We were always ready to initiate a dialogue. Instead of an invitation to start talks, however – something that had been agreed – we are again faced with a repetition of Turkey's provocative and illegal actions," Dendias said, according to a foreign ministry announcement.

The foreign minister said that all the tensions in the region, in Syria, Iraq, Cyprus, Libya and in the Eastern Mediterranean have a common denominator, namely Turkey, which is also ignoring the EU's that it respect international legality.

Concerning the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, Dendias underlined the need to strictly uphold the ceasefire and to find a solution via diplomacy, with a return to the negotiations table under the mediation of the Minsk group, on the basis of the international law.

"Ankara's intervention in another conflict is really worrying and has created serious concern internationally," he added.

He said that Greece had asked for an immediate ceasefire, noting the need to make an effort for a peaceful solution under the auspices of Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and urged the EU to make a plea for the termination of intervention by foreign actors.

Dendias condemned the ungrounded claims of the Azeri government that Greece allegedly tolerates the preparation of terror actions, pointing out that Greece has recalled its Ambassador in Baku for deliberations. "I have underlined that there will be no tolerance of insults, lies and fake news that unfortunately have found a breeding ground and reflect the actions of other neighbouring countries".

The Greek Foreign Minister also referred to the Cyprus issue and Turkey's illegal activities inside Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone, as well as the opening of part of the beach front in Varosha, in defiance of the UN Security Council resolutions.

He said that the trilateral relationship between Greece, Cyprus and Armenia promotes peace and stability in the region, sending a positive message in all directions, and finally, he underlined the excellent bilateral relations between Greece and Armenia that are based on solid historic bonds and referred to the need to further enhance them, particularly on an economic level.