The most recent comments made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding Greece were extensively covered in Greek media on Saturday.
Erdogan warned Greece against going too far earlier in the day and asserted that Turkey will take the appropriate action when the time comes.
The cost of going too far will be high. We only have one message for Greece: Keep Izmir in mind “He made this statement at Samsun’s Teknofest, Turkey’s largest technology event.
In 1922, as part of its War of Independence, Ankara freed the province of Izmir from Greek rule on Turkey’s western Aegean Sea coast.
Athens’ “occupation” of islands in the Aegean Sea, according to Erdogan, “does not bind us.”
“We will take the necessary action when the time comes. As we have said, we might arrive unexpectedly one night “Added he.
Erdogan allegedly questioned Greece’s sovereignty over the Aegean islands in his speech, according to the public broadcaster of Greece, ERT.
The statements were interpreted as “direct threats against Greece” by the pro-government Kathimerini daily.
The newspaper noted that Erdogan’s remarks came on the 100th anniversary of Turkey’s victory over the Greek army that had invaded their country.
Central-right The Turkish president declared that Ankara is prepared to take whatever action is required when the time comes, according to Ta Nea daily, while directly challenging Greek sovereignty over the Aegean islands.
The Turkish president and politicians, according to Ethnos weekly, “insist on inflammatory rhetoric” against Athens.
Erdogan “threatened to occupy” the Aegean islands, according to Efsyn New.
According to the pro-Greek Communist Party (KKE) 902 website, Erdogan “reiterated that Greece has no value for NATO.”
Turkey, a member of NATO for over 70 years, has expressed dissatisfaction with Greece’s recent provocative actions and rhetoric in the area, claiming that such actions frustrate its sincere attempts to achieve peace.
After Greece complained to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to have a tweet commemorating Türkiye’s 100th Victory Day, which marks the resounding Turkish victory over Greek occupier armies in the 1922 Battle of Dumlupinar, removed, tensions between the two neighbours grew.
To commemorate the 100th Victory Day, LANDCOM tweeted a post on Tuesday. But on Thursday, it tweeted a brand-new message to Ankara, saying: “We are grateful to have Türkiye as our host nation.”
NATO was criticised by Turkey for removing the tweet, calling it “unacceptable” and asserting that by doing so in response to Greece’s “baseless request,” the alliance “has greatly discredited its corporate identity and prestige.”