Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos issued a stark warning to Turkey saying if at any point it disputed the sovereignty of Greek territories it would receive a “crushing response”.
Speaking from Larnaca, Cyprus, where he had an extensive meeting with his Cypriot counterpart, Savvas Angelides, Mr Kammenos said Greece and Cyprus had never followed aggressive policies in the wider region, but had always fostered a climate of peace and cooperation during a period when the two countries’ roles were upgraded as energy players. He added that they were both building an energy hub that could solve the EU’s energy problem. On his part, Mr Angelides accused Turkey of adopting an erratic policy by disputing the Cypriot EEZ while also challenging the status quo of the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.

Mr Kammenos noted that the defence space of Greece and Cyprus was common. “Together we are planning, deciding, building the future, not only of Greece and Cyprus, but thanks to the stability demonstrated by Greece and Cyprus during tough times in the wider region, we are building a pillar of stability that extends from Egypt in the south, to the east in Jordan, to the United Arab Emirates, to Lebanon, and to the north through Greece and the Balkan countries.”

He also said that “this axis of stability in a region engulfed in conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean is of particular importance to allies and friends, but also sends a clear message to those who are considering or may at any moment think of attempting to abolish our sovereign our rights and our territorial integrity. Greece and Cyprus jointly build tomorrow’s peace in the wider region.”