A new attack against Greece, but also France, after the unequivocal condemnation of the Turkish provocation by the Euro-Mediterranean Conference, was launched by the Minister of Defence of Turkey, Hulusi Akar.
“In order to reduce the tension, some people just have to remain silent. They do not need to do anything, just keep quiet,” Akar said, once again “nailing” French President Emmanuel Macron, who has repeatedly spoken out in favor of Greece and against Ankara’s illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean, calling on the EU to do the same unanimously.
He continued: “Those who enter into conspiracies against Turkey, as has happened in the past, will suffer the same damage as they did in the past.” He advised Greece to be silent, “so as not to be exploited by the interests of others”.
Earlier today, the Turkish Foreign Ministry went so far as to set… conditions so that Greece stops provoking! “The elements contained in the final declaration in relation to the Eastern Mediterranean and the issue of Cyprus are products of prejudice, unrelated to reality and lack legal basis,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in his statement in regards to the results of the Euro-Mediterranean Conference which took place in Corsica.
The Turkish representative also claimed that Ankara is still open to discussion with Greece without conditions. Aksoy said in his statement that Greece should “sit at the negotiating table with Turkey without conditions” in order to achieve dialogue and co-operation in the region, adding that Athens should withdraw its warships from the area around the Turkish research vessel, Oruc Reis, to de-escalate the existing tensions.
But he also set more incredible terms. Reiterating that Turkey is the country with the largest coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, he called on Greece to stop militarizing the islands of the Eastern Aegean, including Kastellorizo, and put an end to the growing pressure on the “Turkish minority” of Western Thrace.
“When solidarity is right, the right is done. There is no solidarity with the unjust” he concluded, raising points for Greece’s allies.