ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Even by the standards of Turkey’s and Greece’s frequently strained relations, it was a remarkable escalation. Speaking to youths in a Black Sea town, Turkey’s president directly threatened his country’s western neighbour: Unless the Greeks “stay calm,” he said, Turkey’s new ballistic missiles would hit their capital city.
Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay and Defence Minister Hulusi Akar launched a barrage of threats toward NATO ally Greece this week, as tensions between the two countries remain high.
The Greek government has rejected demands from Turkey that it demilitarize islands in the Aegean Sea, calling them “baseless myths.”
In the first five months of 2021, the Greek government claims it has removed nearly twice as many migrants than have arrived illegally in the country.
Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis has announced that migrants and asylum seekers living on camps on the country’s Aegean islands will be vaccinated against the Wuhan virus, starting in May.
The Greek government has begun giving €2,000 to asylum seekers located on various Aegean islands to incentivise them to go back to their home countries.
The Greek Shipowners’ Association has donated ten new Rafnar maritime boats to the Greek coastguard to help the country stop illegal immigration to the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy has played down an incident over the weekend which involved Turkish fighter jets harassing a helicopter containing Greek defence minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos.
Greece celebrated its independence day Wednesday as Turkish fighter planes violated Greek airspace and hundreds of Syrian refugees spent a 27th day waiting to enter at the border.
