Türkiye’s top security board warns Greece over provocative acts
ANKARA
Greece should avoid provocative acts in the Aegean and stop violating the Turkish airspace and territorial waters, Türkiye’s top security board has warned.
The National Security Council (MGK) convened on July 21 under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and with the participation of top civilian and military authorities. A communiqué released following the meeting focused on the country’s anti-terror fight within and outside its borders as well as its ongoing spat with neighboring Greece.
“[...] It is unacceptable for Greece, which persistently maintains its stance against good neighborly and allied relationship by ignoring international law, to increase its violations of territorial waters and airspace, in addition to its provocative actions,” read the communiqué late July 21.
Türkiye and Greece are at odds over differing interpretations of their respected airspace and territorial waters in the Aegean Sea. Greece claims that its airspace extends to 10 miles, although it cannot be longer than its territorial waters, which is not more than 6 miles in the Aegean.
The MGK also repeated its call on Greece to abandon its unlawful acts in the Aegean and stop putting the lives of the migrants in danger. It also reiterated Türkiye’s support for a two-state solution based on sovereign equality and equal international status of Turkish Cyprus.
Additional measures in fight against terrorism
The MGK also broadly elaborated on the ongoing fight against terrorist organizations, namely the PKK, YPG, FETÖ and ISIL. Additional measures in the anti-terror fight were discussed at the meeting, the communiqué informed.
It also reviewed the ongoing fight against the FETÖ on the sixth anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt. Reaffirming that the struggle against all the terror organizations targeting Türkiye’s security and stability will decisively continue, the MGK recalled that all these issues were brought to the attention of allied countries during the NATO’s Madrid Summit in late June.
