Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a clear threat to Greece a few hours after the incident between Turkish patrol boats and the Greek coastguard near the Imia islets.
“We warn those who cross the lines in Cyprus and in the Aegean Sea not to take a wrong step”, the Turkish president said during a party meeting in Ankara.
Addressing AKP MPs and executives, and amid a celebratory speech over Turkey’s Kurdish military operations in Syria, Mr Erdogan said, “Do not think we are not watching the moves for gas exploration off Cyprus and the movements in the Aegean with the rocky islets. We warn those who take the wrong step in Cyprus and the Aegean, not to exceed the limits.”
During his speech, the Turkish leader also attacked the US on the occasion of the decision to provide financial assistance to the PYD (Kurds). This decision by our strategic partner, Mr Erdogan said, will also influence our decision and continued: “They are asking us to surrender to terrorists. NATO is not equal to the US. In NATO each country is equal to the US “.