Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Friday warned Greece about serious consequences if it arms islands in the Aegean Sea and extends its territorial waters.
ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th December, 2022) Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Friday warned Greece about serious consequences if it arms islands in the Aegean Sea and extends its territorial waters.
Recently, the Greek press was reporting that Greece's maritime boundaries could double to 12 miles off Crete. However, Turkey said it will not allow Greece's waters to expand by even one mile into the Aegean Sea.
"Everyone should know that a wrong step in this regard will lead to serious problems.... Athens is taking provocative steps," Akar told the NTV broadcaster.
On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made direct threats against Greece and warned Athens against expanding its territorial waters in the Aegean Sea. The minister, referring to Ankara's casus belli, said the Turkish parliament's 1995 decision on the issue is unambiguous and remains in force. Ankara has previously stated that it would consider the expansion of Greek waters as a reason for war.
Turkey believes that if Greece extends its territorial waters, which are now six miles, to 12 miles, it would practically cut off Turkish waters and deprive Turkey of access to international waters, and the country would be trapped in its territorial waters.
Turkey and Greece have been at odds for decades, with the risk of an armed conflict arising several times since 2020. The disputed issues include competing territorial claims in the Eastern Mediterranean, in particular in the region of the Aegean Sea, the Greek-Turkish divide in Cyprus, and the delimitation of maritime borders. Turkey has repeatedly accused Greece of deploying weapons on the Aegean islands in violation of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.
