Turkey is questioning the Greek sovereignty of Imia, with a statement of its foreign ministry according to which this particular region of the Aegean is not granted to Greece under international treaties. In their statement they clarify that they will not accept any possible Greek decision regarding the geographic formations of the Aegean Sea whose legal status is being disputed”.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry’s announcement was made on the occasion of the Greek Law no. 4519 regarding 446 recently established “Natura 2000” sites on land and sea. Ankara accuses the Greek side for taking advantage of international programs to promote its positions and to warned the European Union “not to become a tool in Greece’s efforts to politically exploit environmental programs”.

The response from the Greek foreign ministry was immediate. With a communiqué issued, it recommends Turkey to be carefull, as the violation of international law in the Aegean will have consequences and advices Ankara to “count its words”.

New provocations from Erdogan

Recep Tayyip Erdogan who was in Hagia Sophia to open an exhibition in the framework of the Istanbul Biennale. There he didn’t miss the opportunity to provoke yet again.

The Turkish President attacked Europe again, claiming that they “destroyed our culture more than the West, those who have the western mindset”. As the correspondent of the SKAI in Constantinople, Manolis Kostidis, reported, Erdogan accused all those who “turned our mosques into museums. Like this one. They turned our mosques into stables”.