Greece should cease hostile acts in Aegean: Defense Minister

KAYSERİ

Greece should cease its hostile and provocative acts against Türkiye in the Aegean Sea, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said, repeating Ankara’s calls for dialogue and diplomacy for resolving the differences concerning maritime and aerial boundaries.

“Greece’s hostile acts are violating NATO’s fundamental principles,” Minister Akar said in a press conference he held with his counterparts from Azerbaijan and Georgia, Zakhir Hasanov and Juansher Burchuladze respectively, after a three-way meeting in the central Anatolian town of Kayseri on Dec. 21.

Akar’s statement comes after the Greek air force have twice harassed Turkish jetfighters executing NATO missions over the Aegean Sea in the past week. The Turkish jets were unarmed, Akar informed, recalling necessary response was given by the Turkish Air Force that scrambled additional F-16s from the bases in the region.

“We sincerely want peace and stability. But Greece is continuing its provocative, expansionist and aggressive acts in the Aegean,” Akar said, calling on the Greek politicians to stop using this matter for domestic political consumption and act in common sense.

The minister also urged NATO members, particularly the United States, to pursue an objective, impartial and reasonable policy when it comes to the Aegean problems.

On Türkiye’s request of buying 40 new F-16s and 79 modernization kits from the U.S., Akar said “We want to see the same approach on the F-16 sale. We are now waiting for concrete and positive steps from the U.S.”

The U.S. administration has to obtain congressional approval for delivering the F-16s and its modernization kits Türkiye wants to purchase from the U.S.