Mersin attack organized by perpetrators in Syria: Turkish defense minister

ANKARA

The attack with long-barreled weapons on the police station in the southern province of Mersin was organized by perpetrators in Syrian territories, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Sept. 28.

“We have the information that treacherous terrorists and scoundrels, who could not stand against the Mehmetçik in northern Iraq and Syria, organized these attacks in Syria. What is necessary will be done,” he said speaking at the War Veterans’ Day.

A police officer was killed while another got severely injured in the attack on Sept. 26. One of the assailants has been identified as Dilşah Ercan, known by the code-name Zozan Tolan, who joined the PKK in 2013 in Mersin, the defense ministry informed.

Minister Akar also slammed Greece for its “provocative” actions.

“While Türkiye strives for peace and stability as the leading actor, Greece, which is the most obvious example of bad neighborliness, continues its expansionist and aggressive policies with its provocative actions and rhetoric,” he stated.

Greece, which is the party that “escalates the tension” with this attitude, “recklessly” accuses Türkiye, the minister stressed.

“In addition, this bad neighbor, who complains about Türkiye to others at every opportunity, reveals his hostile attitude. Especially recently, some Greek politicians who are irresponsible have been poisoning Türkiye-Greece relations with new delusions every day,” the minister said.

The fact that Greece radar-locked on Turkish aircraft, which have been conducting NATO activities, shows that Greece has become “so arrogant that it disregards” NATO’s basic principles and values, Akar emphasized.

Ankara announced that its warplanes were harassed by the Greek jetfighters on Aug. 22 and Aug. 24 although they were conducting NATO missions.

Elaborating on the Ukrainian grain shipment process, Akar said the deal was one of the greatest achievements of the U.N. in recent years.

“With its constructive contribution and hosting of the process, Türkiye has most clearly demonstrated its critical role and its effectiveness in the diplomatic field,” the minister said.

He recalled that the safe shipment of grain from Ukrainian ports to other countries continues as planned through the Joint Coordination Center, to date more than 200 ships and more than 5 million tons of grain have been shipped out of Ukrainian ports.

Russia and Ukraine signed two separate memorandums of understanding with the U.N. and Türkiye on July 22 for the resumption of grain export from Ukraine, a major grain exporter, to avoid a food crisis around the world. The operation started on Aug. 1 following the deployment of Ukrainian and Russian officials to the JCC along with Turkish and U.N. authorities.