Turkiye warns Greece over military build-up on nearby islands

A photo shows a view of the Greek deployment of armored vehicles on the Aegean islands with non-military status in violation of the international law, recorded by the Turkish Armed Forces drones at Aegean Sea, Unspecified on September 18, 2022. [Turkish National Defense Ministry – Anadolu Agency]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Greece that it will pay a “heavy price” for “conspiring” against Turkiye, following the deployment of US armoured vehicles to the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos in contravention of international agreements signed after World Wars One and Two.

Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting yesterday, Erdogan accused Greece of engaging in acts of provocation against Turkiye.

“We will not fail to defend our country’s rights and interests against Greece by using all the means at our disposal, when necessary.”

“The foreign military build-up in Greece, which looks like an occupation, does not bother us but rather it should bother the Greek people,” state TV reported Erdogan as saying.

“The mass massacres committed by Greece cannot be forgotten, and sooner or later it will pay the price for its provocations. We will not hesitate, if necessary, to defend our country’s rights and interests against Greece by all available means,” he added.

READ: Erdogan calls on Greece to heed Turkiye’s calls for cooperation

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