Akar blames Athens for tensions

Keeping to the script of Greece’s aggression, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar accused Athens that it is the one that is fueling the tension in relations between the two countries.

“Unfortunately, some politicians, especially in Greece, are escalating tensions with their aggressive actions and rhetoric,” Akar told a news conference with the Turkish Air Force, Navy and Army leaders.

Instead of finding logical solutions, he said of Greek politicians, they try to disrupt bilateral relations with irrational statements.

“Greece does not comply with international law and good-neighborly relations. They should know that these are futile efforts and that with such actions and statements they cannot gain an advantage over Turkey,” he said.

At the same time, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu revisited Ankara’s theory of a “Turkish continental shelf” in the East Mediterranean and accused Greece and Cyprus of trying to violate it.

In a joint press conference with the Venezuelan foreign minister, Cavusoglu referred to the recent incident with the Nautical Geo research ship, stressing that Greece wanted to conduct scientific research and included a part of Turkey’s continental shelf, even if it was one kilometer.

“Their goal was not to do scientific research in this one kilometer, but to violate our continental shelf,” he pointed out.

Tellingly, Cavusoglu spoke for the first time about the possibility of unilaterally declaring an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Eastern Mediterranean but clarified there is no such need at this moment in time.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan left open, after the meeting of the Turkish Council of Ministers, the possibility of a Turkish intervention inside Syria.