Greece denies it accepts Turkey’s moves in the east Mediterranean

Greece vehemently denied Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s assertion that it accepted the status quo that Turkey wants in the eastern Mediterranean, Greek daily Kathimerini reported.

“As we have repeatedly stressed, illegal actions produce no legal effect,” Kathimerini quoted Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexandros Gennimatas as saying.

Gennimatas denounced “moves that continue to undermine regional peace and security, creating, among other things, pretexts for the violation of the arms embargo in Libya and for the attempt to usurp the sovereign rights of countries in the region.”

“Unfortunately, in this, too, Turkey continues to be a minority of one,” he said.

Erdoğan said on Wednesday that Greece and other countries in the region were slowly accepting a new status quo that emerged after Turkey and the United Nations-recognised Libyan government in Tripoli signed a maritime borders agreement in November that saw Turkey and Libya as maritime neighbours, ignoring the territorial waters around some Greek islands.

“We have been strengthening the balance of power that has changed to our country’s advantage since the deal we made with Libya,” Erdoğan said.

Turkey and the Tripoli government also signed a military cooperation deal, which was ratified in January by the Turkish parliament. Turkey started sending military equipment and troops to Tripoli to help the government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj counter the military assault of forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar.