Projects in Aegean 'not possible' without Turkey: Min.

By Sarp Ozer

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey will not tolerate a step taken against the country in the Aegean or Eastern Mediterranean, the defense minister said on Monday.

Speaking during a military drill in Ankara, Hulusi Akar said: "Everybody should know that any project in the Aegean or Mediterranean of which Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are not included, does not have a chance to survive."

On Thursday, a Greek frigate trying to interfere with Barbaros Hayreddin Pasa, a Turkish seismic vessel working in the eastern Mediterranean, was blocked by the Turkish navy.

The incident prompted an immediate response from Turkish officials, who warned Greece against taking actions in the Mediterranean Sea that would spark tensions in the region.

Akar also said that in last two months, approximately 450 terrorists, including so-called leaders, were "neutralized" in Turkey and abroad during operations.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.