Incident at NATO summit: Turkey's response to Athens and possible trigger - VIDEO
The Turkish Ministry of National Defense responded to a statement by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who at the NATO summit called Turkey an "open military threat" to his country.
"The Turkish armed forces are not a threat to those who do not pose a threat to them," said the ministry's official representative, Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk.
He noted that refraining from statements that could lead to an escalation of tensions would help develop bilateral relations: "Ankara consistently advocates for resolving existing problems through constructive dialogue and good-neighborly relations."
"Turkey, with its strong army, developing national defense industry, effective defense diplomacy, and multi-vector foreign policy under the leadership of our president, continues to consistently adhere to a constructive approach, contributing to the resolution of crises, maintaining open channels of dialogue, and strengthening regional and global peace and stability," added Aktürk.
Earlier, speaking at the NATO summit, the Greek prime minister stated that allies in the alliance should take into account Athens's security concerns. "My country continues to face an open military threat from Turkey," Mitsotakis said.
Against this backdrop, comments by a number of Turkish observers attracted attention; they suggested that one of the triggers for the Greek prime minister's sharp statement could have been an episode during the ceremonial procession of leaders into the presidential complex Beştepe, where the NATO summit was beginning.
During the official ceremony, the military orchestra performed the famous Ottoman march Ceddin Deden, which became one of the symbols of Turkey's war of independence under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, which ended with the defeat of the Greek army in Anatolia.
No direct evidence is provided that the performance of the march influenced Mitsotakis's statement; this version is voiced by a number of Turkish commentators.
Source: AHaber
