Greece rejected as "unreasonable" the claims of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlith Chavushoglu that there is no marine border between the two countries, BNR reported.

The sharp reaction of Athens was triggered by a statement by the Turkish Minister before the Parliament, contesting the Lausanne Treaty of 1923, which established the modern borders between Greece and Turkey. According to Chavushoglu, Ankara will not accept the "factual situation" in the Aegean.

Turkey argues that it will not recognize the Aegean Sea as a Greek lake, because of the numerous Greek islands, some of which are near the Turkish coast, the adjoining aquatory practically covers almost the whole sea. The European Commission has repeatedly called on Ankara to respect the sovereignty of European countries.

Responding to the statement by the Turkish Foreign Minister, the government spokesman in Athens, Tsakanopoulos, accused Turkey of extreme opinions that destroy the climate of trust and good neighborly relations. "Turkey not only fails to respect the maritime border with Greece but also questions international agreements that Ankara has signed," Tsakakopoulos told Greek media.
The position of the foreign ministry in Athens is categorical - Greece will not allow both disregard for international treaties and changes to national borders. Initially, Turkey's claim only affected the Greek island of Imia. The leader of the opposition National People's Party then said Greece had seized 18 Turkish islands.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!