Today, Wednesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned statements made by the German Chancellery regarding Ankara and Athens, considering that it was unacceptable for Berlin to fall into what it described as the “trap of Greek provocation.”
smear campaign
Ankara also rejected Germany’s participation in what it considered “a campaign to smear Turkey”, in reference to statements by a German government spokesman who said that Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Turkey to show restraint towards Greece in light of the escalating tension between them.
She added that Turkey will continue to defend its sovereignty against Greece’s “violation” of its airspace, stressing that Ankara has no greed for anyone’s territory, but it will not turn a blind eye to “threatening the security of our people through Greece’s public violation of very clear disarmament provisions contained in international treaties.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz – Archyde.com
Restraint towards Greece
A German government spokesman had said earlier today, Wednesday, that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Turkey to exercise restraint towards Greece, with the escalation of tension between the two countries.
“The chancellor considers it necessary, given the current situation, that all members of NATO stand together and refrain from provocations among themselves,” the spokesman added at a press conference in Berlin. “The storming of Greek airspace and flying over the Greek islands is not acceptable, seems counterproductive and goes against the spirit of the alliance,” he added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (archive – AFP)
long dispute
It is noteworthy that Turkey and Greece, members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, have long been at odds over several issues, including the maritime borders and the extent of each other’s continental shelf, in addition to the issues of space and ethnically divided Cyprus.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said that his country had decided to stop talks with Greece, partly due to a row with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and what Ankara calls airspace violations, in the latest downturn in the long-strained relations between the two neighbors.