In yesterday's statements, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar accused Greece of tension and threatening language.
"Greece needs to stay away from tensions, to stop using threatening language, to understand that this is not going anywhere with Ankara," Akar said provocatively, raising the tone against our country again.
However, the other things that the Turkish Defence Minister stated about Greek-Turkish relations and how the Erdoğan government perceives them are also interesting.
Akar blamed Greek officials for their frequent visits to Greek Aegean islands off the Turkish coast, calling them provocative "incidents that escalate tensions."
The Turkish Defence Minister is so gallant, that he "allows" the Greek Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense and military leaders to set foot on these islands, but demands that it be done in moderation.
Akar specifically stated: "Of course you can visit, talk and meet (on the islands). But, moderate these visits to islands to those that are not 300m, 500m, 3km and 5km from Turkey."
Milli Savunma Bakanı Hulusi Akar: Yunanistan’ın bu tehdit dilinden vazgeçmesi lazım. Tehdit dilini bizim kabul etmemiz mümkün değil.https://t.co/ReCY8WtVo9 pic.twitter.com/bIF2XgsVT0
— TRT Haber Canlı (@trthabercanli) February 11, 2021
Akar, waving his finger at Greece, asked that the differences between the two countries not be presented by Athens as problems of Turkey and EU or Turkey and the U.S.
"Our Greek neighbors, our Greek friends, must stop presenting Greek-Turkish issues and problems as if it were between Turkey and the EU or between Turkey and the U.S.," he said.
"Because with this rhetoric they are not solving the problems, but enlarging them," Akar said, reiterating warnings to our country to refrain from "threatening rhetoric" against Turkey as they are in favor of dialogue, but according to their own agenda.
"We support dialogue. Talks on the Aegean have begun, but in the meantime our Greek neighbors must stay away from tensions," the Turkish Defence Minister said without specifying how Greece was being provocative.
"They must not escalate tensions, they must not use rhetoric that increases and escalates tensions," he continued without giving any examples.
"In this matter, our Greek neighbors really need to stop the threatening rhetoric. They have to realize that with threatening rhetoric they have not gotten anywhere until today," he concluded.
READ MORE: Lieutenant General Ilias Leontaris to GCT: Defense is an expensive sport… but freedom is not for free.
