Turkish Def. Min.: New provocative statements

There is no end to the bellicose and provocative statements from the mainstays of the Erdogan regime. A little over 24 hours after Erdogan’s announcement about the sailing of the Abdulhamit Han drilling rig off Turkey, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar kept tones high, since after his last comments on Kastelorizo he remembered the Asia Minor Disaster, chiding Greece to “learn from history”.

Speaking on a special television show entitled “Anatolia Asks”, Hulusi Akar, when asked if there is a problem with Greece, said that despite Turkey’s call for dialogue, some politicians, especially in Greece, continued to heighten provocative actions and words, according to their personal ambitions.

“Aegean and the Mediterranean are seas of friendship”

Stressing that everyone should realize that Turkey is a strong, reliable and effective ally, Akar said: “We hope that the Aegean and the Mediterranean will become seas of friendship but we are determined to protect our interests and that we are also capable of.”

Referring to the 100th anniversary of the “Great Victory” (Asia Minor Catastrophe), which “ended the despicable invasion attempt and atrocities by Greece a century ago”, he threatened that Greece should learn from history and not pursue new adventures that would lead to its disappointment.

Furthermore, yesterday during his speech at the Ambassadors’ Conference, the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu returned to the oft-repeated Turkish claim concerning the militarization of Greek islands.

“Turkey shows a will for a comprehensive solution, but Greece is also delaying. Especially on the islands that are close to us, that is, the islands that were conditionally given to Greece by the Treaty of Lausanne and the Paris Agreement of 1947, it is clear and obvious that Greece is arming them. We also brought it to the agenda of the UN. The same in other countries. We brought it as an issue on the agenda of the international community. And we’ll keep an eye on that. Because this is a clear violation of international law and international agreements. It is not possible to tolerate this clear violation”, he stressed.