Greek, Turkish ministers exchange heated accusations at press conference

The meeting between Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias was ostensibly designed to show the two uneasy NATO neighbours trying to put aside their differences after a year of complex disputes.

The two countries teetered on the edge of all-out war when their gunboats collided while shadowing each other during a Turkish push into disputed eastern Mediterranean waters last August.

The press conference opened with conciliatory remarks from Cavusoglu in which he praised "the very positive dialogue" they just held in the Turkish capital.

But Dendias used his opening remarks to rattle off a series of longstanding complaints about Turkey - from its search from natural gas in contested waters to its treatment of the Greek Orthodox minority and the sides' ongoing dispute about migrants.

"Greece's position is clear and this is not the first time you have heard it," Dendias told Cavusoglu during a particularly heated moment in the 35-minute press conference.

"If you heavily accuse my country and people before the press, I have to be in a position to respond to that," Cavusoglu replied.

Read more: How does Biden view Turkey's role in Libya's uncertain future?

"If you want to continue our tensions, we can," Cavusoglu said.

Agencies contributed to this report.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay connected