Türkiye will continue to respond to Greece's "audacity," the Turkish defense minister said on Friday, emphasizing Greece's continued provocations, offensive actions and illegal acts against Türkiye.
"We have always responded to Greece's audacity and we will continue to do so," Akar said at a military ceremony in the central Eskişehir province.
Citing Greece's recent harassment of Turkish jets over the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean seas, Akar pointed out that the Turkish jets were engaged in a NATO mission.
"Since July 2, the mission notified all NATO allies about all its activity, everyone knew about it," Akar said, adding that it is "impossible" that Athens did not know about the mission.
"Yet, they intercepted our F-16s, which were carrying out their NATO duty. Greece made a false statement in denial, claiming 'We did not know that these were Turkish planes,'" he added.
At the military ceremony, Akar stated that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) have successfully fulfilled all kinds of duties regarding the sovereignty, independence, security of its borders, rights, and interests of its country and nation. He said that they will continue to stand by them in the just causes of friendly countries such as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Azerbaijan and Libya.
Emphasizing that the Air Force Command has a respected place in the world with its trained and experienced personnel, modern equipment and weapon systems, Akar stressed that they continue their work with this awareness.
Noting that with the leadership and encouragement of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the rate of domesticity in the defense industry has reached 80%, Akar said, "We will also build our national combat aircraft and tank in the coming period. Our work on this issue continues with determination."
Akar underlined that the attempts to supply and modernize F-16s with the United States are ongoing. "We follow these closely and make maximum efforts to ensure a positive outcome," he said.
Noting that they are closely following the risks, threats and dangers in the region, Akar said, "We have done and continue to do whatever is necessary to protect our rights and interests in the Aegean, the Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus. "
Akar stated that they closely follow what Greece is doing. "Whatever needs to be done both at the table and on the field, we gave the necessary answer with reciprocity."
‘Unfriendly and wrong actions’
In addition, Akar pointed out that Turkish jets were harassed by the Russian-made S-300 air defense system of Greece stationed on the Island of Crete on Aug. 23.
"These are extremely unfriendly and wrong actions. Regarding these, all relevant officials, both in NATO and here, have heard Greece's lies. We have done and will continue to do whatever needs to be done in this regard. We have always responded and will continue to do so. There is no possibility of us taking a step back in our rights and interests in any way. We have sensitively protected the rights and interests of our country, and we will continue to do so."
"NATO and third countries should also see what Greece is doing. We warned all our allies about Greece. We expect them to be objective. We want them to know that the actions and rhetoric here are not about friendship or alliance."
Explaining that the latest example of Türkiye's peaceful efforts is the agreement between Ukraine and Russia regarding the grain corridor, Akar said: "We say that Greece should stop seeing Türkiye as a threat. Türkiye is not a threat, it is an extremely strong and reliable ally for Turkish alliances."
Reiterating that Greece attempted an invasion in 1919-1922 with the encouragement and support of some countries, Akar noted that as a result of this, Greece, which was frustrated, hung its prime ministers, ministers and even the chief of staff.
"We have repeatedly reminded our interlocutors not to embark on a similar adventure, not to get into trouble again, to abandon these attempts that will result in disappointment, and to learn lessons from history. Accept the olive branch that we have extended. Let's continue our work in accordance with international law within the framework of good neighborly relations. We are determined to protect our rights and interests in the Aegean, the Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus," he said.
The Turkish Defense Ministry is preparing to send the radar records of the jet incident to the NATO secretary-general and the defense ministries of alliance members.
Turkish jets were "radar locked" on Aug. 23 on a mission in international airspace, said the sources, requesting anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media, describing the Greek harassment as a "hostile act" according to the NATO rules of engagement.
The harassment came from a Russian-made S-300 air defense system stationed on the island of Crete, the sources noted, mentioning how some NATO countries continue to criticize Türkiye for buying Russian-made S-400 systems but say nothing about Greece.
Türkiye, a NATO member for over 70 years, has complained about Greece's repeated provocative actions and rhetoric in the region in recent months, saying such moves frustrate its earnest efforts for peace.
In April 2017, when its protracted efforts to buy an air defense system from the United States proved futile, Türkiye signed a contract with Russia to acquire the state-of-art S-400s. U.S. officials voiced opposition to their deployment, claiming the S-400s would be incompatible with NATO systems.
Türkiye, however, stressed that the S-400s would not be integrated into NATO systems, and pose no threat to the alliance or its armaments, and has repeatedly proposed setting up a commission to clarify the issue.
Since the beginning of 2022, Greek warplanes have violated Turkish airspace 256 times and harassed Turkish jets 158 times. Greek coast guard boats also violated Turkish territorial waters 33 times.