Greek FM responds to Erdogan's remarks

Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement over recent remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkish forces are capable of targeting Greece any moment if necessary.

Upon allegations by Turkish officials that a Greek missile system in the island of Crete locked its radar on to Turkish fighter jets, Erdogan said on Saturday: 

"Hey Greeks, take a look at history, look back in time; if you go too far the price will be heavy. We have only one thing to say to Greece: Remember Izmir (...) We don't care that you have invaded the islands, we'll do what's necessary when the time comes. Like we always say, we can suddenly come knocking one night."

Erdogan's mention of Izmir is a reference to the defeat of the Greek army in 1922, days after which the Greek forces were forced out of the western coastal city of Izmir by the Turkish army.

The Greek Foreign Ministry said in response:

"Greece will not join Turkey in the slide containing outrageous and beyond-all-limits remarks and threats, taking place on a daily basis. We will immediately inform our allies and partners regarding the content of the provocative statements of the last few days, in order to make clear who is undermining our alliance’s cohesion at a particularly dangerous juncture. At the same time, we will continue to serve as a pillar of stability and security for the wider region, on the basis of the rules of International Law and the International Law of the Sea."