Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan kept tensions in Greek-Turkish relations high with his new remarks. Fidan stated that Turkey‘s armed forces and coast guard are on heightened alert, warning Greece against what he called reckless action while linking Athens’ stance to the approach of elections.
“On this issue, our Armed Forces are in an extremely sensitive state. Our Coast Guard Command is also in an extremely sensitive state,” Fidan said. “We hope no one there will take any reckless action. We hope they will do what peace and calm require.”
He added a sharper warning: “If they go further and attempt reckless actions, then the power of this state [Turkey] is known to everyone.”
Restating Ankara’s long-standing position on the Aegean, Fidan said Turkey does not accept the militarization of islands with demilitarized status. He said Ankara was pursuing the matter through “careful and persistent” efforts, often without publicizing them.
“Publicizing certain things can create more problems for Greece than for us,” he said.
Fidan said the region needs peace, not arms. “War benefits no one. What is essential is peace,” he said.
Turning to Greek domestic politics, he attributed Athens’ position to the electoral calendar. “In Greece, politicians insist on this stance. And now we see that they are moving toward a pre-election climate. This language will be used a little more from now on,” he said. “We, however, to a certain extent, look at what happens in practice.”
