Once again, Tayyip Erdogan has accused Greece of deliberately killing migrants in the Aegean by sinking their boats. The repeated Turkish provocations, the Greek Foreign Minister noted, create a dangerous situation and increase the possibility of an “accident” that Ankara could use to escalate tensions between Greece and Turkey.
Although he did not name Greece, his entire speech concerned our country, and the rhetoric of the “sultan” was extremely provocative. Speaking about the countries that have become a haven for traitors hiding from Turkish justice, he said: “In the Aegean, they are deliberately killed by sinking their boats, beaten, robbed, humiliated and forced to leave their territory. Today, some countries with which we are in NATO, the Council of Europe or the UN have become a haven for traitors who are hiding from Turkish justice. No action is being taken, no clear steps are being taken to bring the terrorists to justice. Thanks to our operations in the Aegean, the number of migrants rescued from the brink of death reached 20,000 last year alone“.
Again playing the card… of the humanist, Erdogan continued, stating: “On the other hand, countries that leave refugees to die at sea, in the Aegean, even kill them, intentionally sink their boats, beat them, rob them, humiliate them and force them to leave their borders but, unfortunately, these countries are very valuable for Europe. Despite all the photographs, testimonies of witnesses and their denunciations, unfortunately, no steps are taken against those who carry out this.”
A few hours before, the Turks again violated the airspace of Greece.
So on January 11, two flights of a pair of Turkish F16s were recorded over the territory of Greece in the Aegean Sea. The first occurred at 15:22 at 32,000 feet above the island of Panagia and Inousses. The second at 15:51, the same pair of F-16s, at 31,000 feet over Zurafa Island.Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias yesterday sent letter High Representative EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Officer Joseph Borel on the recent illegal activities of Turkish fishing boats in Farmakonisi, according to diplomatic sources. Mr. Dendias also conveyed the letter to European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas and Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginius Sinkevicius.
The repeated Turkish provocations, the Greek Foreign Minister noted, create a dangerous situation and increase the possibility of an “accident” that Ankara could use to escalate tensions between Greece and Turkey.
Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias sent a letter yesterday to the High Representative EU Foreign Policy Officer Josep Borel on the incident of the harassment of a Coast Guard vessel by the Turkish flotilla on January 5 in Pharmaconisi. According to diplomatic sources, in his letter, Mr Dendias refers to an incident where a Coast Guard patrol boat, while on duty to detect three Turkish fishing vessels fishing in the sea area southeast of Pharmakonisi within Greek territorial waters, has undergone pursued by a Turkish coast guard boat.
