Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan warned Greece to demilitarize islands of the Aegean Sea, asserting that he was "not joking" regarding his demands.
Turkey claimed that Greece seeks to make a military presence in the Aegean Islands which Turkey named violations of the international treaties.
The Turkish President said: “We invite Greece to stop arming the islands that have non-military status and to act in accordance with international agreements.“
His statements came during the final day of the military drills that took place near Izmir, on Turkey’s Aegean coast.
Erdogan asserted: “I’m not joking, I’m speaking seriously. This nation is determined.”
The two Mediterranean countries have a long history of tensions and exchanged accusations.
The Turkish President continued: “We warn Greece to stay away from dreams and actions that it will regret, and to come to its senses,” adding: “Turkey won’t give up on its rights in the Aegean, in the same way that it will not stand back from using its rights stemming from international agreement.”
Erdogan also affirmed: “We will never allow the establishment of terror corridors along our country’s borders, and we will definitely complete the missing parts of our security zone."
On the other hand, the Spokesperson of the Greek government Giannis Oikonomou said that his country was dealing with the crisis with Turkey with “calm and determination.”
Oikonomou added: “It is clear to everyone that our country has upgraded its geostrategic and geopolitical footprint as well as its deterrent capacity to be able at any time to defend its national sovereignty and sovereign rights."
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