Did Fidan say these things or not?!

The news was first published on October 21 at 18:00 on the website of Hürriyet, the "flagship" of the government.

The news was as follows:

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who went to Belgium on October 20 to attend a meeting on bilateral cooperation along with Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek and Minister of Interior Mustafa Çiftçi, “had made statements to the Greek press during his contacts in Brussels.”

Hürriyet had also announced these statements, which were published the next day in Greece's Ta Nea newspaper, to Turkish readers by translating them word for word.

According to the report signed by Ta Nea's Brussels correspondent Maria Vasiliou, Fidan had made bombshell assessments regarding Turkish-Greek relations, the “casus belli,” the electricity cable project planned between Israel, Greece, and the Greek Cypriot administration, and Turkey's “Blue Homeland” bill.

For example, he had said that “casus belli” was not a “threat of war,” had said regarding the “Blue Homeland” bill expected to come to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), “There is no such bill. The issue of the marine park has not yet been opened for discussion,” and had explained that the anti-Turkey front's electricity cable project was not “categorically” opposed, but that “notification” was requested.

Upon this, in the article we wrote on October 23 titled “Has the time come for the removal of the TBMM's 31-year-old casus belli decision,” after evaluating what Fidan said point by point, we drew attention to how the green light has been given to the removal of “casus belli” in particular since 2002, based on the rhetoric of Erdoğan and other officials.

On the same day, Sözcü newspaper, in a report published on its front page under the headline “Is it a Greek lie or a slip of the tongue,” summarized the statements Fidan made to Ta Nea in Brussels and emphasized the following:

“Fidan softening the casus belli decision by saying it is not a war law, giving the green light to the cable project, and rejecting the Blue Homeland law brought the question of whether red lines are being stretched to the agenda.”

In the following days, experienced figures such as former Foreign Ministry undersecretaries like Onur Öymen also objected to those statements by Fidan in a very diplomatic language.

After a Week of Silence

Finally, three days ago, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel directed these harsh criticisms at Fidan in his speech at the provincial chairmen's meeting:

“The Foreign Minister, that TikToker Hakan Efendi, went and gave an interview to a Greek newspaper. Do you know what he says? It is one of Turkey's most important matters; when they went above six miles, Turkey's most experienced, A-plus diplomat Şükrü Elekdağ had a decision passed by the Parliament. In the decision, it says, ‘As all parties in Turkey, we consider this six-mile issue a casus belli. If you go out from here.’ Look, he says one sentence. ‘Going to 12 miles is a casus belli, it is not a cause for war.’ He does two things in one sentence. Do you know what he is doing? We say not 12 miles, but above six miles. Turkey's thesis is that they cannot pass six miles by a span. 6.1 miles. This says, ‘I already have no voice up to 11.9.’ He says ‘If it takes it to 12 miles.’ We say ‘It cannot pass six miles.’ Think about it, is it possible for someone who has served as MİT Undersecretary not to know this? Such ignorance is only possible with bad intentions. Second, ‘Casus belli is not a cause for war.’ This is the word of a Greek diplomat. We said in 1995, ‘We consider it a casus belli.’ Greek diplomats now say to soften it, ‘Oh, casus belli does not mean a declaration of war.’... Now he is saying the Greek diplomat's words himself, saying ‘I will show tolerance up to 12 miles’ for six miles.”

“Besides this, they will pull a cable from Greece. They will provide electricity. Normally, what is Turkey's thesis? My brother, can there be a cable from 2,000 kilometers? Let us give the electricity from 70 kilometers, you use it. Either pay for it, or you provide electricity instead of an interconnected system. It is a strategic move. We say ‘We don't want permission for pulling the cable, we want notification.’ Look, look, look. He moved from permission to notification, notification is enough. Since that day, Greece says ‘We are also against notification.’ This is how they conduct foreign policy. By selling, by giving, by retreating. That is why no one should believe their foreign policy fairy tales anymore. They isolated Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean. They broke it off from the EU membership process. They are making concession after concession in relations with the USA. Now Turkey is at a point where it is a country where personal bargaining is done with its leader, where things are handled when legitimacy is given to the AK Party, where every interest of Turkey is abandoned, where the other side acts with this flexibility, and which is not taken seriously.”

Was a Denial Sent to Ta Nea?

And so, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which remained silent for exactly 6 days, issued a denial on the same day after these words of Özel, saying “Contrary to the statements of a political party Chairman,” as follows:

- “Our Minister has not given an interview to a newspaper published in Greece.”

- “It is observed that the responses given by our Minister at an event organized by a think tank in Brussels are being distorted and completely taken out of context, and that Turkey's Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean policy is being made the subject of political polemics.”

- “There is no change in the views that Turkey defends on all platforms, in accordance with international law and with determination. As it has been until now, we will continue to protect our legitimate rights and interests in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean without making any concessions from now on.”

The pro-government media also announced this denial as “Harsh reaction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Greece's claims.”

Then let us clarify the table point by point.

First; yes, Hakan Fidan gave a speech at the European Policy Centre (EPC) on October 20. In the speech summarized by the EPC, it is seen that Turkey-EU relations, the customs union, migration, and NATO issues were discussed more, and regarding Greece, Fidan said that “Erdoğan strives to work with every elected Greek Prime Minister” and that “political will exists in Turkey” regarding the resolution of problems. However, since the entirety of this speech was not shared, we do not know exactly what Fidan said and how what he said was taken out of context.

Second; Ta Nea correspondent Maria Vasiliou also emphasizes in the introduction of her report that she asked three questions, especially regarding “casus belli, the electricity cable project, and the Blue Homeland,” in the context of the questions directed to Hakan Fidan following his speech at the EPC, and then conveys Fidan's answers.

Third; if Fidan did not speak to Ta Nea, shouldn't it have been denied on the same day? It is not possible, but let's assume they were not aware of that news; did they not even see the government's newspaper Hürriyet, that this denial was only made after Özgür Özel's reaction? And furthermore, even though a week has passed, was this denial sent to Ta Nea as well?

In short; although Erdoğan always says, “We have never been among those who speak differently on the podium and in the square, differently at home and abroad,” I hope that there is no such situation of “different at home, different abroad” regarding these very vital foreign policy issues such as the Aegean and the Mediterranean!..

Müyesser YILDIZ

October 30, 2026