MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th October, 2022) Turkey refuses to tolerate "illegal" Greek activities and expects the European Union to prompt Athens to enter a dialogue with Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
Erdogan is on a visit to the Czech capital of Prague at the invitation of European Council President Charles Michel and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala to attend the first meeting of the European Political Community.
"I expect the EU to call on our interlocutors for dialogue on a bilateral basis instead of supporting illegal initiatives masquerading as unity or solidarity," Erdogan said, as quoted by Turkish news agency Anadolu.
Many countries at the Prague summit expected Turkey to take steps to improve relations with Greece, but Ankara now has nothing to talk about with Greece, Erdogan said.
At the same time, Erdogan noted that Turkey is ready to resort to retaliatory steps not only against Greece but also against any country that threatens its security.
"Not only Greece, but no matter which country is attacking us, our answer will always be: 'We may come suddenly one night.' They should know that," Erdogan said.
Turkey and Greece have been trading accusations of provocative actions in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean seas, where they have conflicting military and energy interests. Most recently, Turkey has accused its NATO ally of militarizing neutral Aegean islands close to its shores.