The provocative actions of Greece, including violation of Turkey’s airspace and territorial waters, are unacceptable, according to a statement released after the National Security Council (MGK) meeting said Thursday.
Noting that Greece has been ignoring international law and has taken a stance against neighborly relations and as NATO partners, the MGK statement also said Turkey has urged Greek authorities to immediately end its violent and inhumane practices against irregular migrants.
Turkey and Greece have long-standing sea and air boundary disputes that intensified with moves to explore potential undersea natural gas reserves.
The disagreement has resulted in near-daily air force patrols and interception missions, mostly in disputed airspace around Greek islands that are near Turkey’s coastline.
Turkey, which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, has rejected the maritime boundary claims of Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, stressing that these excessive claims violate the sovereign rights of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.
Turkish leaders have repeatedly stressed that Ankara is in favor of resolving all outstanding problems in the region through international law, good neighborly relations, dialogue and negotiation. Turkey has also criticized the European Union’s stance on the Eastern Mediterranean conflict, calling on the bloc to adopt a fair attitude regarding the dispute and abandon its preferential treatment of Greece under the pretext of EU solidarity.
Source: Daily Sabah
