Erdoğan addresses Aegean issues at UN General Assembly

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the United Nations General Assembly, marking the first time he has spoken about the Aegean Sea from this platform. He called for the resolution of issues in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean based on international law and the spirit of good neighborliness. Erdoğan also reiterated his proposal for an Eastern Mediterranean Conference, a move seen as a response to the East Med Gas Forum.

Following his trip to New York, Erdoğan stated that Turkey is not an enemy of Greece but rather a neighbor and a NATO ally. He emphasized that bilateral relations are too sensitive and important to be used as material for election campaigns, a comment directed toward the political climate in Greece. Despite these remarks, core tensions remain, including unresolved issues regarding maritime rights and Turkey's desire for strictly bilateral negotiations rather than mediation by international organizations.