Turkey urges Greek president to refrain from making inflammatory remarks

ANKARA

Turkey has called on Greek President Propokopis Pavlopoulos to refrain from making inflammatory statements about Turkey that could cause unnecessary tension, while also condemning the burning of a Turkish flag at a demonstration in Athens on March 5. Turkey has called on Greek President Propokopis Pavlopoulos to refrain from making inflammatory statements about Turkey that could cause unnecessary tension, while also condemning the burning of a Turkish flag at a demonstration in Athens on March 5. 

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy issued two separate written statements early March 7 expressing Ankara’s disturbance over recent developments in Greece. 

Aksoy recalled that the Greek press quoted Pavlopoulos as saying: “We might not have the territory that we should have had historically,” and “If history compels us, we will do what our ancestors have done.” 

“We invite President Pavlopoulos to respect international law and our borders, and to refrain from using a rhetoric, which is not befitting his position, that could cause unnecessary tension,” Aksoy said in response to the Greek president’s comments. 

In a separate statement, Aksoy said a Turkish flag was burned during a rally in Athens. 

“We strongly condemn the burning of our flag during a rally against Turkey organized by a racist political party in Athens on March 5,” he stressed. 

“We demand the Greek authorities arrest the perpetrators who committed this heinous act against our flag and bring them to justice as soon as possible,” he added. 

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım also slammed the burning of the Turkish flag, calling it an “unacceptable” act.          

Speaking at a joint news conference with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Tufan Erhürman in the capital Ankara on March 7, Yıldırım said: “An insult to the flag means an insult to the country. There  is no acceptable side to this.”

“Our star and crescent flag is our pride. We will sacrifice our lives for this flag, and we can mobilize all our resources for it,” he added.