Turkey provocatively says it has ‘sovereign rights’ in Greek island of Kastellorizo

Turkey escalated its provocations against Greece on Saturday, as after the new NAVTEX issued a warning of live-fire military exercises in the area south of Crete for Monday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said it would not abandon its “sovereign rights” at Kastellorizo despite the possibility of sanctions imposed against it.

“Greece, as the spoiled child of Europe, aims to provoke European Union sanctions against Turkey on the basis of [Greek] maximalist and illegal allegations of maritime borders and airspace,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement before the upcoming EU Summit.

“No sanctions will ever make Turkey relinquish its sovereign rights in Kastellorizo or the 10 nautical mile airspace,” Ankara said in a statement, adding that “Greece must enter into an unconditional dialogue with Turkey as soon as possible.

Turkey announced military exercises for next Monday, in an area south of Crete, with a new NAVTEX on Saturday.