The war of words and threats continues across the Aegean as Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos took the latest jab, calling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “ruthless dictator” during an interview with Greek radio station Real FM 97.8 in Athens.
Kammenos encouraged his fellow Greeks to “sleep soundly at night” because Greece’s armed forces have much higher morale and professionalism.
Referring to continuous threats against Greek sovereignty by Turkish officials, including Erdogan himself who has questioned the legality of the Treaty of Lausanne which drew today’s borders between the two countries, Kammenos fired back.
“If they threaten our country, they will meet with our response and they will know that we shall not make concessions in the name of diplomacy to issues of national sovereignty.”
Kammenos also referred to Greece’s strategic relationships with Israel and the United States and mentioned the regular visitation of U.S. Navy ships, including the USS Eisenhower, which Kammenos said was arriving in the coming days.
Last week Kammenos sent another stern message to Turkey regarding Greece’s territorial integrity and visited a military outpost on Greece’s border with Albania where he called such “provocations” by Turkey as “unacceptable” and decided to spend the night to show Turkey the :fortified presence of the Greek military.”
His comments came after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu referred to the eastern Aegean Imia islets as “Turkish soil.” Kammenos added that Turkey’s “total enfeeblement” after a failed coup in July and its “constant losses” in Syria was leading its leaders to “stupid statements.”
The whole interview from Real FM is here.
Photo: Greek Defense Minister Panos greets U.S. President Barack Obama during his official trip to Greece on November 15-16. In the center is Amb. Aghi Balta, head of protocol at Greece’s foreign ministry.
