The Turkish Defense Ministry uploaded a provocative video on Twitter showing cadets of the National Defense Naval Academy swimming a distance similar to one to the Greek island of Kastellorizo in an symbolic effort to underscore the island’s proximity to the Turkish coast.
The video uploaded Saturday, January 1, twelve cadets of the National Defense University Naval Academy are seen swimming from their academy to the islet of Tuzla which is approximately the same distance, that is 1,950 meters.
Millî Savunma Üniversitesi Deniz Harp Okulunda (DHO) eğitimlerine devam eden Harbiyeliler; “Planlı Açık Deniz Yüzme Eğitimleri” kapsamında, DHO İç Liman'dan 1.950 metre mesafedeki Tuzla Adası'na yüzerek gitti.@msuedutr pic.twitter.com/YMyXJTRbi9
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) January 1, 2022
In comments made on December 24, Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar challenged Greece’s maritime zone around Kastellorizo, emphasizing that the Greek island is located at a distance of 1,950 meters from the country’s coast.
“A cadet at the military academy can swim to it,” Akar had said.
It was in the late 1990’s when an elderly Turkish Defense Minister had claimed that he was feeling “trapped” for he could swim to Greek islands but he was not allowed to. Had he only tried to cover the distance to Tuzla…
Turkey claims Kastellorizo is so far from Greece to claim so much water territory when in essence it is part of Greece.
Considering that Erdogan also turned another church into a Mosque on Christmas eve of all times, reflects the degree of provocation that is maintained towards Greece by this unhinged autocrat.
Short of attempting to mend ties with the west for self interest sake, there is little hope in the upcoming Turkish opposition being any less nationalistic when it comes to Greek-Turkish relations or Cyprus.
I can swim to Canada from the United states in a fraction of that distance, so what. Borders are borders.
This is just Juvenile and brainless to want something that does not belong to them by law.
Some one should remind these dangerous and brainless nationalists that practically every country on earth agrees that Kastellorizo has a Greek continental shelf and that Greece can extend its territorial borders at sea to 12 miles ANY TIME IT LIKES.
Their greatest efforts could never withstand the challenge against international law.