Turkey's casus belli: Akar warned Greece about consequences. Threats do not deter us, Greece said

1. In response to a journalist's question regarding statements made by Turkish officials, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Georgios Arnaoutis, stated the following:

"Turkey should finally understand that there are rules that are followed by all states which are civilized and governed by the Rule of Law. Threatening to use force because you don't like the rules refers to other centuries and certainly not to the 21st.

It is surprising that the threatening party should at the same time demand that the defender be deprived of the legitimate means of protecting his sovereignty. Our neighbourhood is in no need of spoilers nor of an anachronistic revisionism. It needs states that respect the International Law, such as Greece, which has demonstrated this through agreements concluded with neighbouring countries under the International Law of the Sea.

In the face of the blatant and unprecedented threat of violence, Greece is standing up for the rules, exercising all its rights under the International Law".
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2. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Friday warned Greece about "serious consequences" if it arms islands in the Aegean Sea and extends its territorial waters.

Recently, the Greek press was reporting that Greece's maritime boundaries could double to 12 miles off Crete. However, Turkey said it will not allow Greece's waters to expand by even one mile into the Aegean Sea.

"Everyone should know that a wrong step in this regard will lead to serious problems.... Athens is taking provocative steps," Akar told the NTV broadcaster.

On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made direct threats against Greece and warned Athens against expanding its territorial waters in the Aegean Sea. The minister, referring to Ankara's casus belli, said the Turkish parliament's 1995 decision on the issue is unambiguous and remains in force.

Ankara has previously stated that it would consider the expansion of Greek
waters as a reason for war.
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#internationallaw #lawofsea #sovereignty #greekislands #zee #expansion
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*3. Dendias (FM) for Turkey: Threats do not deter us, Greece responds with determination.*

Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias sends a clear and strict message to Ankara that “threats do not deter us” and that “we oppose the threat of war with the documented presentation of our arguments, which are based on International Law and the International Law of the Sea”.

Mr. Dendias underlines that issues concerning our national sovereignty cannot be debated or disputed.

*In response to a question about the government’s plan to extend territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, the Secretary of State categorically states that it is a unilateral, inalienable, non-negotiable right of our country under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). “It is an inherent right and it is up to the respective government to decide when, where and how to exercise it, with the exclusive aim of defending the national interest” he clearly emphasizes.*