In an atmosphere of tension, the meeting they had tonight in Constantinople foreign ministers of Turkey and Germany, Mevlut Cavusoglu not hide his dissatisfaction with what he said earlier from Athens Analena Bourbok and the German Foreign Minister…raise the gauntlet in a restrainedly scathing response to Turkish remarks, while there were also a few…poignant glances between the two foreign ministers.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, after statements made today by German Foreign Minister Analena Berbock from Athens, was quick to accuse Berlin of “becoming an instrument of provocation for the Greeks.”

“We ask Germany to maintain a balanced position on the issues of the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. We consider this important. Third countries and Germany should not become instruments of propaganda and provocation, especially the propaganda of Greece and the Greek Cypriots,” said the head of Turkish diplomacy, clearly disturbed by the statements made earlier by the German Foreign Minister from Athens, Analena Bourbok, during a meeting he had with Mr. Mitsotakis and Dendias.

“In the past, Germany has assumed the role of an honest broker. He maintained a balanced stance. Unfortunately, we see that this balance has recently been disturbed. They should listen to both sides, receive information from both sides, without prejudice. Just because a country is an EU member, it should not be assumed that it is necessarily telling the truth. It is unfair to consider something wrong just because Turkey says so,” the Turkish Foreign Minister said.

Earlier from Athens, German Foreign Minister Analena Berbock stressed that the sovereignty of the Greek islands is indisputable. “The islands of the Aegean are the territory of Greece, and no one has the right to doubt it,” he said characteristically, adding that he would have said the same to the Turkish foreign minister. He also pointed out that conflicts between NATO partners should be resolved through discussion.

Against the backdrop of his German counterpart’s visit to Turkey, Mr. Cavusoglu repeated accusations that Greece “is violating the Lausanne and Paris treaties by militarizing the islands.” “It is wrong for Germany to support the country, Greece, while making a mistake. And it does this because it is a member of the EU,” continued the Turkish Foreign Minister.

However, the response of the German Foreign Minister was also immediate. “I don’t know if the translation was wrong, but Germany is not a victim of propaganda. As a member of the EU and as the largest country in Europe, we are interested in our borders and the borders of the EU, and in Greece I spoke clearly about this issue,” said Ms. Bourbock.

As for the Turkish Foreign Minister, he tried to “get himself together”, saying that there could be a mistake in the translation. “I didn’t say that Germany was engaged in propaganda, but that Germany was becoming a victim of Greek propaganda,” he said characteristically.

“Implement the decision of the European Court of Justice regarding Osman Kavala”

Referring to activist Osman Kavala, the German Foreign Ministry urged Turkey to “respect” the decisions of the Council of Europe on human rights. “The decision of the European Court of Human Rights regarding Osman Kavala must be implemented,” Analena Bourbok said of a Turkish philanthropist sentenced to life in prison for actions he denies.