A NATO official yesterday called Greece and Turkey “valuable allies” and asked them to resolve their differences through diplomatic channels.

In his statements to the Turkish Anadolu Agency, the official of the North Atlantic Alliance – who has not been named – said that “the Mediterranean is of vital importance for NATO and we urge Greece and Turkey to resolve any differences in the Aegean through diplomatic means and in the spirit of allied solidarity”.

Recalling the creation of a “military disengagement mechanism” between the two countries, in order to reduce the risk of hot incidents in the Eastern Mediterranean, he underlined that “at a time when the war in Ukraine has damaged peace in Europe, it is more important than ever that the allies to stay united.”