The Turkish Defense Minister further raises his voice, Hulusi Akarshortly before the release of the new drilling rig”Abdul Hamid Khan» in the Mediterranean.

Speaking at a conference of Turkish ambassadors in Ankara, he again referred to Kastelorizonoticing that far 580 kilometers from Greece and just 1950 meters from Turkey, i.e. is in “swimming reach”.

“It is within reach of cadets of our military schools. They misunderstand what we are saying because students are swimming there. The other day, the Greek minister said: “If they want, let them come, if they can swim,” and we said: “If God willing, one day this can also happen,” Akar said, referring to earlier YETHA statements. Nikos Panagiotopoulos.

After that, the Turkish Defense Minister raised the issue of demilitarization of the Aegean islands.

In particular, he noted: “The terms of the Lausanne Treaty are clear in Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, paragraph 18. They clearly state that the islands cannot be militarized. Despite everything, we are patient and say “come and talk”.

Akar also threatened our country, claiming that Turkey has military superiority. “We say the following to the Greeks… Don’t think about fighting with us. War is a matter of numbers. The efforts that you make (for armaments), even if they become a reality, are a lot for your defense, but they are not enough for Turkey,” he said. he.

Finally, he also mentioned today’s departure “Abdul Hamid Khan”, describing it as “an important new development in the Eastern Mediterranean”. And he added: “Until today, our fleet has accompanied and protected our seismographs and our drilling rigs.”

Athens’ response

government representative, Yannis Oikonomou, in response to a related question, said that Greece initially treated the departure of the Turkish drilling rig “Abdul Hamid Khan” with vigilance and the necessary attention. “We always do what needs to be done with sobriety and determination to ensure peace in the region,” he stressed.

He also described Akar’s statements about Kastelorizo ​​as “rhetorical exaggerations and trade provocations that have nothing more to add to Greek-Turkish relations.”

“Always in the face of challenges, rhetorical or otherwise, the government has demonstrated its position with calmness and determination,” he stressed, assuring that “national rights are absolutely protected on the basis of international treaties and our deterrence capabilities and mainly on what the world community knows that Greece is a factor of stability and on the side of international law”.

He sent a message to Turkey that Greece was unwilling to take a step back in matters of its national sovereignty, and in response to the “Turkish swimmers” said that “it is a good idea to wage a peaceful struggle on the high seas”. with Greeks and Turks. It is better to look at the issue more calmly and with an emphasis on international law, so as not to create hotbeds of tension.”