The ruling PASOK party’s parliamentary whip has summoned a deputy to explain comments he made during a visit to Turkey, when he reportedly claimed that Greece was using ethnic Greeks from the Black Sea region in an effort to dismember Turkey.

Galip Galip, a member of Greece’s small Muslim minority, reportedly said “Greece is conducting missionary activity in the Black Sea region and Turkey must be very careful on this issue.” His comments were reported by Greece’s Macedonian Press Agency, quoting Turkey’s Anatolia agency. Galip is to return to Athens on Monday and will meet with PASOK whip Cosmas Sfyriou. Prime Minister Costas Simitis is to be briefed on the issue today.

Galip reportedly also said that it is difficult to be “a Turkish deputy in Greece.” Athens says its minority is Muslim, not Turkish.