New defence minister: Turkey can choose 'path of collision or cooperation'

Newly appointed Defense Minister Evangelos Apostolakis said Turkey should choose between "the path of collision and the path of cooperation" with Greece in his first statement in a handover ceremony at the ministry earlier on Tuesday.

Apostolakis, who resigned from the post as Hellenic Armed Forces Commander to take on his new role, said Greece is "steadily orientated towards peaceful coexistence and cooperation."

"I want to remind our neighbours that whenever the logic of cooperation and trust prevailed, our people thrived. But whenever nationalisms prevailed, our people were miserable," he said.

"The foundation of our relations must be respect for international law and that is the only red line in our relationship," he added.