Turkey will never allow Greece to extend its territorial waters beyond six nautical miles, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Monday, as he urged Athens to “keep away from trouble.”
During a visit to Turkish Naval Forces Command, Akar said Turkey has a duty to defends its interests and rights in the Aegean, the East Mediterranean and Cyprus.
“There’s no way we will back down. We will not allow our rights to be trampled upon,” Akar said.
“Six miles is the maximum limit to which [Greece’s territorial sea] can be extended. We will accept no further expansion of [its] territorial waters,” he said.
Revisiting Greece’s offensive in Anatolia against the nationalist Turks in 1921, the Turkish defense minister called on Greeks to “learn from history… and keep out of trouble.”
“They say that Turkey is a threat [to Greece]. Turkey has never threatened anyone. We have never threatened Greece. Turkey is a strong and reliable ally,” he said.
