Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Monday, September 12 in Paris that his country was "
ready to face
" any threat to its sovereignty, in reference to Turkey which accuses Greece of "
occupying
" the islands of the Aegean Sea.
"
We are ready to face all those who threaten us to land on our islands, on our territory
", declared Kyriakos Mitsotakis, received by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée Palace.
He cited the six Rafale fighter jets and the three defense and intervention frigates (DFI) purchased in March by Athens, and thanked France for its support in the face
of Turkey's "
provocations ".
“
We are always open to discussion and dialogue
,” added the Greek Prime Minister.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently accused Greece of "
occupying
" the Aegean islands, which are Greek but on which Greek soldiers cannot be stationed, and warned that Turkish armed forces could "
arrive from day one
tomorrow
” and “
do what is necessary
”.
Emmanuel Macron for his part denounced "
unacceptable provocations and remarks calling into question the sovereignty of Greece
" and reiterated "
with clarity and firmness
" France's support for Athens.
"
We will not let any disorder take hold, especially in the eastern Mediterranean
," he said.