Turkey: Macron Trying to Take on Role of Napoleon
ANKARA (Dispatches) – Turkey has warned Emmanuel Macron his interference in Ankara’s dispute with Greece has only "prolonged” the tensions as Defense Minister Hulusi Akar insisted his country will continue to defend Turkish sovereignty.
Turkey and Greece have been embroiled in a bitter battle of wills further exacerbated by Macron’s intervention in support of Athens.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar warned the French president he must stop interfering if the ongoing dispute is to be resolved quickly. Speaking to Channel 4 News, Akar said: "Mr Macron is not contributing to a solution here.
"He is pouring fuel onto the problems and this is why the issue is being prolonged. Mr Macron himself is dreaming.
"He is trying to take on the role of Napoleon, who died 200 years ago. But we can all see that he is neither powerful enough nor tall enough to do it.
"We are not pursuing any kind of imperialistic aims. Here we are protecting our rights and the law.”
The latest bout of tensions between Ankara and Athens is the result of Turkey refusing to back down from conducting energy research in the disputed section of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Asked whether his country will keep up with the research, Akar said: "Of course we will continue to do it.
"This is the right and law of out 83 million people and of the nation. This is not a threat against anyone.”
On Wednesday, former Secretary-General of the Turkish Ministry of National Defence Ümit Yalım claimed Athens did not have any sovereignty over a group of Aegean islands and should evacuate their citizens immediately.
Speaking to Turkish website Haber 7, Yalım said: "The legal status of the islands located in the north of the Aegean Sea was determined by the Six Great States Decision of 1914 and the Lausanne Treaty of 1923.
"Greece was given only the right to use of the islands of the North Aegean and not the right of sovereignty
"The areas of sovereignty and maritime jurisdiction as well as the airspace of the islands of Thassos, Samothrace, Lemnos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Ikaria, Psara and Agios Efstratios remained in Turkey.”
Turkey and Greece have been embroiled in a bitter battle of wills further exacerbated by Macron’s intervention in support of Athens.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar warned the French president he must stop interfering if the ongoing dispute is to be resolved quickly. Speaking to Channel 4 News, Akar said: "Mr Macron is not contributing to a solution here.
"He is pouring fuel onto the problems and this is why the issue is being prolonged. Mr Macron himself is dreaming.
"He is trying to take on the role of Napoleon, who died 200 years ago. But we can all see that he is neither powerful enough nor tall enough to do it.
"We are not pursuing any kind of imperialistic aims. Here we are protecting our rights and the law.”
The latest bout of tensions between Ankara and Athens is the result of Turkey refusing to back down from conducting energy research in the disputed section of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Asked whether his country will keep up with the research, Akar said: "Of course we will continue to do it.
"This is the right and law of out 83 million people and of the nation. This is not a threat against anyone.”
On Wednesday, former Secretary-General of the Turkish Ministry of National Defence Ümit Yalım claimed Athens did not have any sovereignty over a group of Aegean islands and should evacuate their citizens immediately.
Speaking to Turkish website Haber 7, Yalım said: "The legal status of the islands located in the north of the Aegean Sea was determined by the Six Great States Decision of 1914 and the Lausanne Treaty of 1923.
"Greece was given only the right to use of the islands of the North Aegean and not the right of sovereignty
"The areas of sovereignty and maritime jurisdiction as well as the airspace of the islands of Thassos, Samothrace, Lemnos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Ikaria, Psara and Agios Efstratios remained in Turkey.”