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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is threatening Greece, which promises it will have “painful experiences” if it does not enter into talks with Turkey to resolve the territorial dispute in the eastern Mediterranean, according to Euronews.
The two countries are in a dispute over the rights to exploit the oil and gas fields in the area. Turkey is in a similar dispute with Cyprus.
“Either they will understand the language of politics and diplomacy, or they will have painful experiences,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.
“They will understand that Turkey has the political, economic and military power to destroy immoral maps and imposed documents,” Erdogan added, referring to the areas marked by Greece and Cyprus as their maritime economic zones.
He stressed that Turkey is “ready for any scenario and outcome.”
Meanwhile, a Turkish newspaper reported that 40 tanks had been moved from the border with Turkey and sent to the border with Greece.
A military official said, on condition of anonymity, that it was a regular move by the armed forces and had nothing to do with the tensions between Turkey and Greece.
President Recep Erdogan’s remarks come two days after Athens denied negotiations with Ankara to reduce tensions in the eastern Mediterranean after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the dialogue on Twitter.
“The information revealed about the alleged technical discussions in NATO does not correspond to reality,” the Greek Foreign Ministry announced in a statement Thursday night, according to News.ro.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a Twitter message Thursday that Greece and Turkey, both members of the North Atlantic Alliance, had “agreed to initiate technical negotiations with NATO” with the aim of preventing further incidents in NATO. Eastern Mediterranean, where a Turkish exploration ship escorted by warships has been in Greek territorial waters since 10 August.
“I have maintained the intention of the Secretary General of NATO to act in view of the de-escalation mechanisms (…). However, the de-escalation will take place only with the immediate withdrawal of all Turkish ships from the Greek mainland,” Athens said. .
On August 10, Ankara sent its survey ship Oruç Reis, escorted by Turkish warships, to explore the Greek island of Kastellorizo, two kilometers off the Turkish coast, in an area rich in hydrocarbons.
In late August, tensions escalated between Turkey and Greece, conducting naval maneuvers. Turkey conducted naval maneuvers first with the United States, then with Russia and Greece with France, Cyprus and Italy.
