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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday described the leaders of France and Greece as “greedy and incompetent”, in a context of strong tensions between Ankara, Athens and Paris in the eastern Mediterranean, reports AFP, according to Agerpres.
These virulent statements come as Turkey celebrates Victory Day on Sunday, a national holiday marking the defeat of Greek forces by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s army in 1922 during the Turkish war of independence.
A century later, Ankara and Athens, vying to share the Mediterranean’s vast gas resources, are sounding war alarms and amplifying their naval maneuvers in the eyes of a troubled Europe.
“Do the Greek people accept the stakes because of their greedy and incompetent leaders?” Erdogan said during an officer graduation ceremony in Ankara.
The Turkish President’s statements reflect the extremely unstable nature of the situation in the Mediterranean
“The French people know the price they will have to pay because of their greedy and incompetent leaders,” he added.
These statements by the Turkish president reflect the extremely unstable nature of the situation in the Mediterranean three weeks after an escalation triggered on August 10 by the dispatch of a Turkish research ship to waters claimed by Athens.
In a sign of support for Greece, France reinforced its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean last week. On Sunday, Paris denounced Ankara’s “growing behavior” (of tensions).
“When it comes to fighting, we do not hesitate to give martyrs (…) The problem is this: are those who rise up against us in the Mediterranean and the Middle East ready for the same sacrifices?” Erdogan said.
Ankara, which is adamant on European sanctions threats, announced new military exercises on the northern island of Cyprus on Saturday.
Turkey warns that the expansion of territorial waters by Greece will be considered a reason for war
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned on Saturday that any action by Greece to expand its territorial waters along the eastern shores to Turkey would be considered a cause of war.
Web Editor: Liviu Cojan
