Turkish president’s latest remarks on Greece get extensive coverage in Greek media

ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest remarks on Greece were widely covered in the Greek media on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Erdogan cautioned Greece against going too far and said Türkiye will do what is necessary when the time comes.

“If you go too far, the price will be heavy. We have one thing to say to Greece: Remember Izmir,” he said at Türkiye’s largest technology event, Teknofest, in the province of Samsun.

Izmir is a province on Türkiye’s western Aegean Sea coast that Ankara liberated from Greek occupation in 1922 as part of its War of Independence.

Erdogan warned Greece, saying that Athens’ “occupation” of Aegean Sea islands “does not bind us.”

“When the time comes, we will do what is necessary. As we say, all of a sudden, we may come suddenly one night,” he added.

Greece’s public broadcaster ERT asserted that Erdogan questioned Greece’s sovereignty over the Aegean islands in his speech.

Pro-government Kathimerini daily interpreted the remarks as “direct threats against Greece.”

The daily pointed out that Erdogan’s comments came on the centenary of the Turkish victory over the invading Greek army.

Central-right Ta Nea daily said: “The Turkish president directly challenged Greek sovereignty over the Aegean islands while asserting that Ankara is ready to do whatever is necessary when the time comes.”

Ethnos weekly claimed that the Turkish president and politicians insist on “inflammatory rhetoric” against Athens.

Efsyn new outlet claimed that Erdogan “threatened to occupy” the Aegean islands.

Pro-Greek Communist Party (KKE) 902 website said: “Erdogan reiterated that Greece has no value for NATO,” the outlet said.

Türkiye, a NATO member for over 70 years, has complained of repeated provocative actions and rhetoric by Greece in the region in recent months, saying such moves frustrate its good faith efforts for peace.

Tensions between the two neighboring countries rose after Greece lodged a complaint with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to delete a tweet by the NATO Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) to mark Türkiye’s 100th Victory Day, which commemorates the resounding defeat of occupying Greek armies at the hands of Turks in the 1922 Battle of Dumlupinar.

LANDCOM on Tuesday tweeted a post to mark the 100th Victory Day. However, it tweeted a new post on Thursday congratulating Ankara, saying: “We are thankful to have Türkiye as our host nation.”

Türkiye criticized NATO for deleting the tweet, calling it “unacceptable,” and saying that the alliance “has greatly discredited its corporate identity and prestige” by deleting the tweet upon a “baseless request” by Greece.

• Daily Kathimerini
• Greek media
• Public broadcaster ERT
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
• Turkish-Greek Relations