The Greek general defence staff office has denied reports that a Turkish swimmer raised his country’s flag on the isle of Farmakonisi, approximately five kilometers off the coast of Turkey.

According to Turkish media reports, swimmer Alper Sunacoglu claimed in a press conference on Saturday that he had swum to the small island and raised the Turkish flag, suggesting that Farmakonisi belonged to Turkey. He pledged to continue to do similar stunts in the future.

The official Turkish state has always pursued a policy of disputing the Greek national sovereignty over many islands in the eastern Aegean Sea, despite international laws and treaties contradicting such claims.

The Greek side, in its statement, said no such incident had occurred, citing official reports by the competent authorities and the analysis of data in its possession.