Greece has strongly protested Turkey's decision to deny entry and detain the governor of a Greek region who traveled to Izmir to preside over a plenary session of the regional body, AP reported.

Apostolos Tsitsikostas, governor of Central Macedonia and first vice president of the European Union Committee of Regions, said Turkish authorities did not provide reasons for denying him entry Saturday and detaining him in a room for more than six hours.

"We unreservedly condemn the unacceptable and totally unjustified detention and entry ban imposed by the Turkish authorities in Izmir on the governor of Central Macedonia," the Greek Foreign Ministry said.

In the end, after protests from both Greece and the EU, Turkey lifted the entry ban, but Tsitsikostas still decided to withdraw from the 13th plenary session of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly.

Greek-Turkish relations have been strained, with Turkish officials often making belligerent statements. Erdogan has refused to talk to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, even though both are NATO allies.

Greek officials attribute the heightened tensions to the fact that Erdogan faces a difficult re-election bid next year amid Turkey's serious economic problems.

"If Greece had an inflation rate of 85 percent, I would also try to change the subject," Mitsotakis said this week.