Representatives of the Turkish Defense Ministry condemned recent remarks by Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias regarding the deployment of missile systems on the Aegean islands, calling them an "escalation of tensions" during their weekly briefing, TRT Haber reported, BTA reported.
„All developments in the Aegean region, including the military activities of our neighbor Greece, are being closely and carefully monitored. As we constantly emphasize, peace and stability in our region are our primary goal. We are fulfilling our responsibilities accordingly and our expectation from Greece is to follow the same constructive approach“, the Ministry representatives told journalists today.
Their comment comes after a recent statement by Dendias regarding the new Greek defense doctrine, which includes arming the Aegean islands with precision missiles, supplied mainly by Israel.
The sources described Dendias' statements as “an escalation of tensions that has no other purpose than to harm the positive bilateral atmosphere based on the agreement between the leaders of the two countries – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis“.
“The Turkish armed forces are not a threat to anyone who does not pose a threat to them themselves. "However, they have the strength and determination to eliminate any threat that may be directed against our country," the Ministry representatives also said.