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President says Greece will not relinquish territorial rights

President says Greece will not relinquish territorial rights

Greece wants to live peacefully with Turkey but will not relinquish any of its territorial rights, President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said on Friday in a speech in Thessaloniki.

Tension between the two countries flared up after former foreign minister Nikos Kotzias said last week the country was planning to extend its western territorial waters soon.

“Greece reserves the right to shield its islands and fully exercises all its sovereign rights, including the right to extend its territorial sea, based on international and European law,” he said, adding the same is true for its exclusive economic zone.

"We invite Turkey to live in peace [with Greece], but we will not relinquish an inch of our rights,” he added. 

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