12 July 2021; MEMO: Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said Greece is maintaining its provocative stances that exacerbate tensions by ignoring the law and not respecting agreements it has signed.
This came in a statement issued to Anadolu Agency yesterday in response to allegations made by his Greek counterpart Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, who accused Turkey of violating international law and threatening the stability of the region.
Akar said that Panagiotopoulos' statements are not in line with the recent constructive discussions that took place between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Michotakis, nor with the efforts to ease tensions.
He continued: "I invite my distinguished counterpart to think and speak in a reasonable, logical and fair manner, within the framework of the treaties between our two countries, international law and good neighbourly relations, and away from selfishness and sentimentality."
Akar stressed that Turkey is an important country that contributes to peace and stability in a geographical area such as the Middle East.
Ankara takes international law, dialogue and good neighbourliness as a basis for solving problems, he added, noting that Turkey's position and contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) cannot be denied.
"Greece, which accuses Turkey at every opportunity of being a country that does not respect international law, continues its provocative, illegal and intransigent position despite all the positive and constructive efforts made by Turkey," he added.
"Greece's manoeuvres to provoke and arm the islands in violation of agreements and its illegal and unreasonable demands in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean are increasing the tension … Greece is arming the Aegean islands, against whom and why are these islands being armed?"
He stressed that the solution to the ongoing disputes will not be reached by a third party, but rather through direct dialogue between the two countries.
