Akar says Greece avoiding talks, vows to protect Turkish interests
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar on Thursday accused Greece of avoiding talks with Turkey, while vowing to defend the rights of Turkey and of the breakaway state in northern Cyprus.
“Greece will regrettably not sit down for talks; it will not listen; it keeps lying. Every minute, every second, there is a [Greek] lie. We are tired of calling out the lies,” he said.
“The mistakes of the Greek government are now evident to some Greek politicians, retired generals and admirals, academics, people in the media and Greeks who have common sense,” he said.
“The right is on our side; and we are strong because the right is on our side. We are ready to sit down and talk. However, we have the determination and the power to protect the rights and the interests of Turkey and of our 85 million people, as well as the rights of our Cypriot brothers,” he said.
Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. The Turkish-Cypriot breakaway state is only recognized by Turkey.
