Turkey confirmed that it will not allow Greece to achieve its goal of provocation by sending soldiers to an island located directly off the Turkish coast.
This came in a statement issued on Sunday by the Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hami Aksoy, commenting on the news that Greece has sent soldiers to the island of Meis (Kastellorizo), which is less than 2 km from the Turkish coasts in the Mediterranean.
Aksoy said, “The Paris Peace Agreement concluded in 1947 provides for the disarmament of the island of Mays.”
“If the news reported by the press is correct, this is a new indication of Greece’s disregard for the law and of its true intention in the eastern Mediterranean,” he added.
He stressed Turkey’s rejection of illegal attempts to change the status of the mentioned island.
“We affirm that we will not allow such a provocation directly off our coasts to achieve its goal, and this kind of provocative moves will not be beneficial to Greece,” he added.
He stressed that “Greece will be the loser if it continues to increase tension in the region,” adding, “Turkey is determined to the end to defend its rights and interests stemming from international law.”
