‘C’est la vie,’ Greek PM says on disagreements with Türkiye
NEW YORK

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has underlined that communication channels with Türkiye remain open, even after a planned meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in New York was canceled during the U.N. General Assembly’s high-level week.
Mitsotakis was scheduled to meet Erdoğan on Sept. 23 at the Turkish House, but the encounter was first postponed and then scrapped, as the Turkish president attended a gathering of Arab and Muslim leaders hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump. The Greek public has already begun debating the reasons behind the cancellation.
According to Greek daily Kathimerini, the meeting will not be rescheduled.
Turkish officials, cited by Turkish daily Milliyet, said Ankara pulled the plug after Athens publicized the meeting in advance, despite an agreement that it would only be announced afterward.
“Having an open channel of communication with Türkiye does not mean that we agree on all issues. I have met President Erdogan seven times since I became prime minister,” Mitsotakis told the Wall Street Journal in interview.
The Greek premier said that these meetings were not always easy, but he always advocates for discussing problems openly and keeping channels open.
“If what we do sometimes causes discomfort to Türkiye, so be it. C’est la vie, as the French would say,” he remarked.
Mitsotakis also addressed tensions over Greece’s hydrocarbon exploration south of Crete, where U.S. energy giant Chevron has shown interest.
“We have nothing to discuss with Türkiye regarding Chevron,” he said.
Despite these disagreements, Mitsotakis stressed that cooperation with Ankara is still possible where interests align.
“We will continue to engage constructively and try to find projects of mutual interest.”
Tourism was highlighted as one such area, Mitsotakis noted, adding that that more than 100,000 Turkish citizens have visited Greece’s Eastern Aegean islands over the last two years through an fast-track visa scheme.
“This is an example of how people-to-people relationships can create positive steps in bilateral relations,” he said, adding that Turkish visitors are warmly welcomed across Greece.
The prime minister reiterated that dialogue does not mean compromise on sovereignty:
“While we maintain dialogue with Türkiye, we exercise our rights and make decisions based on Greece’s interests,” he said, signaling that differences over energy or maritime boundaries will not derail ongoing engagement.