MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 06th September, 2022)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Greece was not Turkey’s equal politically, economically, or militarily.
“I would like to make the following reminder about Greece, which has recently stepped up its harassment and rudeness towards our country… Greece is not at our level, as it is not our equal politically, economically, or militarily,” Erdogan was quoted as saying on Monday by Turkish news agency Anadolu.
The Turkish leader reminded that his three-day Balkan tour, which will include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia, begins on Tuesday.
“As Turkiye, the representative of peace, tranquility, development, and equity in this region where tensions have recently risen, we continue to fulfill our duties,” Erdogan added.
On August 23, Greece used S-300 air defense systems to capture and escort F-16 fighters of the Turkish air force performing a reconnaissance mission west of Rhodes Island at the altitude of 10,000 feet, according to Turkish media.
Sources in the Greek Defense Ministry have denied Turkey’s claims that Athens deployed its S-300s against Turkish F-16s. Moreover, the Greek authorities have described such statements as myths aimed at creating a hostile attitude toward the country.
Tensions between Athens and Ankara have further escalated on September 3, when Erdogan, referring to the Greek S-300 air defense systems allegedly escorting Turkish jets, warned that Greece would pay a “heavy price” if the incidents with Turkish planes continue�
The relations between the two countries have been complicated for decades. The countries were on the verge of an armed conflict three times in the summer of 2020. Greece had to mobilize its armed forces after Turkey launched a seismic survey in the Eastern Mediterranean, the area that Athens considers its exclusive economic zone.
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