Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday (September 26th) denounced Greece's "
policy with hints of provocation
" in the Aegean Sea and Athens' "
dangerous game
" after a Greek military deployment on two of them.
"
We are monitoring Greece's provocative politics
," the head of state said after a meeting of his cabinet.
Ankara on Sunday denounced the deployment of armored vehicles on the islands of Samos - the closest to Turkey, 1.3 km away - and Lesbos (15 km from the Turkish coast).
"
It's a dangerous game for the Greek people who are used as a puppet
", judged Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for whom this "
accumulation of military means, similar to an invasion, must worry the Greeks more than us
" - the Turks .
SEE ALSO
- Turkey: Greece "will pay the price" if it again violates airspace in the Aegean Sea, warns Erdogan
Read alsoOsman Kavala, this enemy chosen by Recep Tayyip Erdogan
"
These missteps only push Greece back into the mire
", he further denounced, warning that he "
will use all the means at his disposal
" to defend Turkey.
For Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose army is the second largest in the Atlantic Alliance, "
these efforts will never allow Greece to get to Turkey's level
".
The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the Greek ambassador to Ankara on Monday to denounce "
violations
" of the status of the Aegean islands.
"Prevent the use of weapons"
According to the official Anadolu Agency, the Greek representative "
has been requested to end the violations in the islands and restore their non-military status
", the agency reported.
Simultaneously, a "
protest note
" was delivered to the United States, in which "
Turkey demanded respect for the status of the eastern Aegean islands
" and asking Washington to "
take measures to prevent the use of American weapons
in the area.
After a brief rapprochement in March, tension has been rising steadily between the two neighbors for several months.
Read alsoThe prince of the Emirates seals his reconciliation with Recep Tayyip Erdogan
In mid-September, Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Greece - also a member of NATO - of "
occupying
" the Aegean islands, which returned to Greece after the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire, but on which Greek soldiers cannot be stationed.
He had warned that the Turkish army could "
arrive overnight
" and "
do what is necessary
" to enforce this status.
In return, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said his country was "
ready to face
" any threat to its sovereignty.