Turkey: Greek Approach Responsible for Aegean Tensions

The Turkish Ministry of Defense, through its spokesperson Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk, claimed that Greece is responsible for the tensions in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean. During the weekly briefing, Aktürk stated that Turkey desires the region to be a basin of cooperation and stability, not a field of conflict.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense argued that flights in the Aegean are conducted in international airspace and that the inconsistency of the Greek approach to territorial waters and airspace causes the violations. Turkey states its willingness to resolve the problems through dialogue and negotiations, within the framework of international law and good neighborly relations.

Regarding the trilateral cooperation between Israel, Greece, and Cyprus, Turkey considers that it does not constitute a military threat, but actions contrary to the spirit of the alliance cannot change the situation in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. The Turkish Ministry of Defense also reiterated Turkey's firm position on the security and rights of the pseudo-state.