While presenting his ministry's budget to the relevant parliamentary committee, Houloussi Akar, referring to developments in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, claimed that while Turkey respects the borders, rights and laws of all its neighbors, Greece "is making all kinds of efforts to increase tension, with constant provocative actions and aggressive rhetoric, with claims and demands that go beyond reason, logic and law, which is unprecedented in the entire world."
The Turkish minister claimed that Greece accuses Turkey of expansionism having invented a concept called 'Neo-Ottomanism', despite the fact that it has expanded 3 times in 7 stages pursuing the 'Great Idea' since the very first day of its foundation, and has come right "under Turkey's nose".
"Ignoring the Turkish existence (in Thrace), (Greece) is trying to intimidate the Turks with policies of assimilation, oppression, almost conscious identity genocide. It is also collaborating with terrorist organizations and providing all kinds of help and support to terrorists, especially in the Lavrio camp, while pushing migrants towards the Turkish border with extremely cruel and inhumane practices and insisting on shamelessly denying these facts, which the whole world knows," he claimed. He said that "even the ECHR, which until now has shown all kinds of tolerance towards this cruelty of Greece, could no longer bear the cruelties committed and finally found Greece guilty."
The Turkish minister said that Turkey is always ready to solve problems through dialogue. "It would be in the interest of both Greece and the entire region and NATO for Greece to see Turkey as a strong, reliable and effective ally, not as a threat. We expect third parties to act impartially, objectively, reasonably, and in accordance with international law. It is our sincere hope that the Aegean and the Mediterranean will become a sea of friendship and that all resources will be shared equitably," he said.
Stating that the search for a solution in Cyprus has so far failed due to the "intransigent attitude" of the Greek Cypriot side and its insistence on the status quo, Houloussi Akar said that "the only solution in Cyprus is the acceptance of the existence of two sovereign and equal independent states. Now, the necessary steps have started to be taken for the recognition of tdvk on the international stage and, in this context, tdvk has recently received observer status in the Organization of Turkic States."
Describing Cyprus as a 'national issue', Houloussi Akar added that "although we are open to dialogue, we have not and will not allow any fait accompli in Cyprus, the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. We are determined and capable of protecting the rights and interests of both our own and our Cypriot brothers and sisters."
Source: CNA
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