ATHENS – Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, girding for a meeting with Turkey's often inflammatory President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a NATO session, said he's open to diplomacy over Turkish provocations but keeping his guard up.

They are due to meet in Brussels and Mitsotakis said his game plan is to be open to “positive agenda”

Outlining the framework that will govern his discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday in Brussels, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he was open to “a positive agenda” noting, however, that it should unfold in a “gradual, proportionate and reversible way,” essentially saying he was hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

Erdogan has played a cat-and-mouse game with Greece and the European Union dangling diplomacy and then whomping up the aggression and threatening to unleash more refugees and migrants on the bloc if he doesn't get his way.

That has included sending an energy research vessel and warships off the Greek island of Kastellorizo only to withdraw them with the EU discusses sanctions, although those aren't on the table anymore for now.

Addressing the start of the ministerial meeting of seven Mediterranean countries in Athens (MED7), Mitsotakis said the positive outlook to Turkey will depend on whether the current state of guarded calm is maintained, said Kathimerini.

He added it also depends, on the condition that Turkey accepts the United Nations Law of the Sea it doesn't recognize unless invoking to its advantage.