BERLIN – Berlin condemns the violation of Greek air space and overflights by Turkish military aircraft above Greek islands, the deputy spokesperson of the German federal government Wolfgang Büchner said on Wednesday. He also noted that a refusal to talk to allies within NATO was “counterproductive and contrary to the spirit of the Alliance”.

“The chancellor [Olaf Scholz] is of the opinion that, especially during the current situation, it is essential for all NATO allies to be united and to desist from provocations of each other. The violation of Greek air space and overflights above Greek islands is not correct. And it seems counterproductive and contrary to the spirit of the Alliance to shut the door to talks with other allies,” he said.

Büchner made the statement after talks between the chancellor and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday concerning developments in the eastern Mediterranean.

“It is in all our interests to behave toward each other with respect within the Alliance and to ensure good and lasting relations,” he added, noting that efforts should be made to jointly arrive at solution to this issue through dialogue and in the spirit of good neighbourly relations.

Germany condemns Turkish foreign minister’s statements

Büchner also condemned the recent statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu concerning the sovereignty of Greek islands, stressing that Germany will not tolerate any dispute of the sovereignty of EU member-states.

“Germany has in the past already supported that unresolved issues between Greece and Turkey must be resolved through good-faith dialogue and on the basis of international law. We, of course, remain willing to support this, provided it is considered beneficial by those involved. But I want to make clear that disputing the sovereignty of EU member-states cannot be tolerated by us. We are in favour of resolving problems through talks and not through an escalation of tension,” he said.

(ANA/ F. Karaviti)