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‘Greece is neither Iraq nor Syria,’ FM tells Turkey

‘Greece is neither Iraq nor Syria,’ FM tells Turkey

“Turkey must think about what I have been saying for two years, that Greece is neither Syria nor Iraq,” Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said on Saturday, referring to recent tension emanating from Turkey.

“I honor and respect these two states and do not say this in a derogatory manner,” he said in radio comments on Saturday, adding that Ankara cannot violate international law in the way it does in the Middle East.

“Greece is an organized country, it has all the means to defend its borders and its territory.”

Kotzias insisted that Turkey’s behavior in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) will not block Nicosia’s energy plans.

“I don’t think Turkey can do this. Ankara knows that Cyprus’s energy plans are linked to France and the US,” he said, adding that Turkey will not be able to display its recent bravado towards these two countries.

Kotzias also described a statement on Friday by the European Union backing Greece and Cyprus as “the most powerful one yet.”

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