Turkish defense minister slams Greek counterpart's remarks on Turkey

By Sarp Ozer

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Sunday criticized his Greek counterpart Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos' remarks against Turkey.

"Greece continues its provocative, lawless, irreconcilable, and escalating stance that does not even comply with the agreements it has signed," Akar said, answering a question of Anadolu Agency correspondent.

Akar's remarks came after Panagiotopoulos made statements against Turkey in a panel he attended, claiming that Turkey had acted against international law and is posing a risk of destabilizing the entire region.

The Turkish defense chief described remarks of Panagiotopoulos as rhetoric that did not reconcile with the recent constructive talks between Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and efforts made this summer to de-escalate tensions.

"We invite my esteemed colleague to think and speak under the bilateral agreements, international law, and good neighborly relation, in a reasonable, logical, just, and objective manner, far from selfishness and emotionality," he stressed.

Akar also said Turkey is an important country that contributes to peace and stability in a region like the Middle East, adding that Turkey takes international law, dialogue, and good neighborly relations as a basis in resolving issues.

"A positive agenda is not one-sided. If you want the positive atmosphere to continue, you should avoid provocative rhetoric and actions, considering the closeness of the Turkish and Greek peoples," he said.

"For peace and stability, it is the right way for our Greek neighbors to give up their expansionist understanding as soon as possible and put an end to their irreconcilable and provocative statements and actions," Akar noted.

*Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev.