Turkey will not allow the expansion of the territorial waters of Greece in the Aegean Sea from the current 6 miles, as well as the formation of a status quo in the region to the detriment of Ankara, Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar said on Monday in the province of Kocaeli, Turkish media reports.
The Turkish minister urged Athens to abandon "erroneous calculations" and not seek new rounds of escalation in the region.
“Athens should remember the lessons of history. Turkey does not follow the provocations of the Greek side, but at the same time it will not allow the formation of conditions in the region that infringe on the rights of the Turkish side,” Akar assured, noting that Athens “should not rely on the support of third forces” in its anti-Turkish plans.
The Defense Minister reiterated Turkey's determination to defend its interests in the region.
Commenting on the statements of the Greek side about the upcoming steps to expand the territorial waters of the island of Crete from six to 12 miles, Hulusi Akar said: “We will not accept this. Only 6 miles!"
