Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday warned Greece of a “heavy price” if it continues occupying the demilitarised Aegean islands and threatening Turkish fighter planes.
Speaking at a defence show in Samsun, Erdoğan said Athens’ attempts to threaten Ankara would not be successful. “Greece, look back at the history. If you go too far, the price will be heavy,” he underscored.
Erdogan emphasised that Greece’s occupation of the demilitarised islands would not last long, as Turkey would respond with its military might. “We have one thing to say to Greece: Remember İzmir,” the President asserted, referring to the victory of Turkish forces against Greek troops in the Aegean city in 1922.
#Turkey's irridentist ambitions under current regime shifted to a high gear today with President #Erdogan publicly accusing #Gerece of occupying Greek islands, threatening to launch military action and inflicting heavy cost.
— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) September 3, 2022
He called Turkey's NATO allies US/Greece as enemies. pic.twitter.com/rpg1WPltkg
Saying that Greece’s military presence in the Aegean islands “does not concern us,” Erdoğan noted, “When the time comes, we will do what is necessary.” He added that Turkey’s response would be sudden and could come overnight, declaring, “I assure you that those who hindered Turkey’s progress by putting shackles on our country in the past are waiting for another opportunity.” He asserted that only a Turkish intervention would bring “peace, happiness, and prosperity” to the region.
Erdoğan also once again took aim at the United States (US) for sending weapons to Greece, which he said is using American fighter jets to harass Turkish warplanes. “We must know who our friend is and who is against us very well,” he noted.
The Greek Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, slammed Erdoğan’s “outrageous” remarks and daily threats. “We will immediately inform our allies and partners regarding the content of the provocative statements of the last few days, in order to make clear who is undermining our alliance’s cohesion at a particularly dangerous juncture,” the ministry added.
President @RTErdogan:
— Republic of Türkiye Directorate of Communications (@Communications) September 3, 2022
"(Greece) Your occupation of the islands is not our concern. When the time comes, we will do what is necessary. As we say, all of a sudden, we can come overnight."
Although Erdoğan has previously accused Greece of arming the demilitarised islands, last week marked the first time he accused Greece of occupation. Turkey has recently accused the Greek military of harassing its warplanes during NATO missions, alleging that Greek missile systems like the S-300 have locked on to Turkish planes during missions.
The Turkish president has also repeatedly warned Greece against militarising the islands. In June, he claimed that Greece had set up defence equipment on the islands and called the move a violation of international treaties, referring to a 1947 peace treaty between Turkey and Greece that called for the demilitarisation of the Aegean and allows for a small presence of Greek soldiers on the Dodecanese Island.
Both sides have also accused each other of violating their respective airspaces. For instance, in May, Turkey claimed that Greek warplanes had entered its airspace 30 times in three days. Athens, on the other hand, blamed Ankara’s jets for flying over its territory. Both sides have also dispatched warships to the Aegean Sea.
Earlier this month, tensions further escalated when Turkey sent its first drill ship to the Mediterranean in more than two years. The move was fiercely criticised by Greece and Cyprus, which said that Turkey’s mission violates Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Turkey and Greece have been at odds for decades over control of the energy-rich Aegean and Mediterranean seas. The dispute involves a complex array of issues such as the ownership of territorial waters and airspace, including the question of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ).