Turkey continues its aggressive rhetoric and occupation threats against Greece, with both the foreign minister and the president to reiterate their claims on the sovereignty of the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea and even go a step further claiming a part of the mainland.
Erdogan’s party AKP uploaded a video showing Thrace in North-Easter Greece and islands of the eastern Aegean Sea as parts of Turkey.
Yüreklerde 100 yıllık cumhuriyet sevdasıyla şimdi asalım bayrakları. 23 Nisan Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı kutlu olsun. #şimdiasınbayrakları pic.twitter.com/ZQygxfJHb2
— AK Parti (@Akparti) April 22, 2023
In an interview with Turkish broadcaster TV 100 on Monday, the Turkish foreign minister had reiterated Ankara’s claim that the sovereignty of several Aegean islands remains disputed and took a swipe at Greece’s political leadership for marking the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
“There are islets and islands in the Aegean whose sovereignty has not been determined. We justly claim that they belong to us and the Greeks claim they belong to them, which leads to tension,” Cavusoglu said.
He also slammed President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos for statements made in remembrance of the Armenian Genocide on Monday.
“They have no business to do so,” Cavusoglu claimed.
Athens responded to fresh provocations from Ankara, dismissing recent comments by Cavusoglu as serving a domestic political agenda as Turkey heads to general elections on May 14.
“Our positions are familiar. Our dispute is one. We will not allow domestic political confrontations in Turkey to be turned into a public dialogue between Greece and Turkey,” said Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Arnaoutis when asked to comment on Cavusoglu’s statements.
