Turkish defense minister reiterates accusations against Athens
Greece “must desist from acts of provocation and menacing language,” Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday, casting fresh accusations against Athens in the wake of similar comments made on Saturday.
“Those who accuse Turkey of being ‘expansionist’ should take a fresh look at the maps of 1821 and 2020. Such statements are inaccurate and not in accordance with the principles of good neighborly relations or international law, nor with the facts,” he was quoted by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency as saying during a visit to Turkish troops on the Iraqi border on the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
“We are in favor of dialogue, law and good neighborly relations, but will never allow our rights to be violated,” he said.
Commenting on the issue of Cyprus, Akara said that there “is no alternative” to a two-state solution, adding that Ankara has “done whatever needs to be done for this to happen, and we will continue to do so.”
Akar also defended Turkey’s decision to proceed with its acquisition of the S-400 Russian missile defense system despite strong objections from the United States and NATO, saying that the system “does not constitute a threat of a risk for anybody.”
“We bought it from Russia because we did not receive a positive response from the United States or from France,” Akar said, describing the missile system as a “necessity” for Turkey, according to Anadolu.
