Dendias demands that Turkey leaves Greece’s continental shelf immediately

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Paul Antonopoulos

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias answers a journalist's question during a news conference with his North Macedonia's counterpart Nikola Dimitrov, after their meeting in Skopje, North Macedonia, on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019. Dendias arrived Tuesday in Skopje to discuss the bilateral relations and to express Greek support to the Balkan country's bid to open the membership talks with European Union. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

Greece’s foreign minister Nikos Dendias has made a bizarre statement saying that Turkey’s aggression will not be tolerated even though Turkish ships have violated Greece’s maritime space for over 24 hours now.

“There will be no tolerance in Turkey’s challenges,” said Dendias, sending a new message to Ankara and calling on Turkey to withdraw immediately from the Greek continental shelf.

“Turkey seeks to impose itself. We will not accept it in full, there will be no tolerance for Turkey’s efforts. Greece will defend its sovereign rights,” said Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.

He spoke of a clear Turkish threat to peace and security in the Eastern Mediterranean against Greece and Cyprus.

Earlier it was announced that Dendias requested an extraordinary meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs had a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Maximos Palace a little earlier. At the meeting, the Prime Minister asked the Foreign Minister to submit a request for the extraordinary convening of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Union.

Earlier, Dendias also had a meeting with US Ambassador to Greece Jeffrey Pyatt. Their meeting took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkish delinquency were at the center of the discussion, according to a post by Dendias on Twitter.

The State Department spokesman on Monday, answering a question, described the specific actions as provocative and said that they increase tensions in the region.

“The United States is aware that Turkey has issued a notification to other ships of survey activity in the Eastern Mediterranean. We urge Turkish authorities to halt any such plans for operations and to and to avoid steps that raise tensions in the region,” a State Department spokesperson said.

“The United States is deeply concerned by Turkey’s stated plans to survey for natural resources in areas over which Greece and Cyprus assert jurisdiction in the Eastern Mediterranean. Such actions are provocative and raise tensions in the region,” the spokesperson said.

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Paul Antonopoulos