Turkish authorities warned Wednesday that there will be «serious consequences» for Greece if it extends its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles (about 22 kilometers) around the island of Crete.
The spokesman of the Turkish Presidency, Ibrahim Kalin, has warned that «Turkey will not accept any such extension, even if it is only one mile», so he has indicated that if Athens proceeds to take such a decision, «there will be a strong response».
His comments are in line with statements made in recent days by Turkey’s foreign and defense ministers, who have accused Greece of undermining any dialogue to find a solution to the two countries’ disputes in the eastern Mediterranean.
This week, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that it is the Greek authorities who «deliberately provoke an increase in tension in order to divert public attention from the country’s internal problems», as reported by the Anatolia news agency.
However, Kalin did not assess whether such an expansion of territorial waters could eventually lead to a military intervention by Turkey or to an open war between the two countries, whose relationship has again worsened considerably.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
