Greece urges Turkey to probe ‘flag vandalism’, report says

Greece yesterday condemned vandalism to a mural of the Greek flag on Kastellorizo island blamed on Turkish nationals, a day before the arrival of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, AFP reports.

Kastellorizo , officially Megisti, is a Greek island and municipality of the Dodecanese in the Eastern Mediterranean.

According to AFP’s report, on Saturday authorities on the island found red paint smeared over a large mural of the Greek flag, painted on a hill near its port.

“We unequivocally condemn yesterday’s desecration of the Greek flag in Kastellorizo. Unacceptable actions such as these are aimed at undermining the prospects for de-escalation of the tensions between the two countries,” the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

READ: Greek militarism in the East Aegean Islands disregards major treaty obligations

Last week, Turkey and Greece agreed to hold talks over disputed waters in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Greece and Turkey previously held talks on continental shelf dispute in 2016.

In August, Greece and Egypt signed a maritime border deal, amid heightened tensions with Turkey over natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The tensions between Greece and Turkey escalated further after Ankara dispatched the Oruc Reis seismic survey vessel in a disputed area following the pact between Athens and Cairo.