A serious incident took place during the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Committee between Greek MPs and the Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.
Speaking at a meeting of the NATO parliamentary committee in Constantinople, Hulusi Akar once again raised the issue of territorial waters and the demilitarization of the Aegean islands and accused Greece of supporting terrorism.
In fact, according to parliamentary sources, the Turkish Minister of Defense tried to highlight the Turkish accusations of alleged support of terrorists from Greece, by revoking the theory about a supposed Kurdish training camp in Lavrio.
The Greek MPs took the floor and first MP Spilios Libanos, and head of the Greek delegation, replied that Greece is fighting terrorism. They also told him that you could not claim to respect the sovereignty of countries when you have invaded Cyprus and they added, referring to the Turkish policy, “you question the sovereignty of many of our islands”.
Hulusi Akar took the floor again to respond angrily to the Greek MPs (Theodora Tzakri, Spilios Libanos, Andreas Loverdos, Manousos Voloudakis), speaking in Turkish, while his initial position was in English.
The Greek MPs also referred to the Casus Belli, telling the Turkish Minister of Defense that there can be no NATO alliance when the Ankara side threatens with Casus Belli, in case Athens extends Greek territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, in accordance with the Law of the Sea.
This argument continued for 12 to 13 minutes until Hulusi Akar left the room.
“Many Greeks spoke, I do not want to hear anymore, I have obligations”, he said the Turkish Minister of Defense according to information and left the room irritated.
