Tsipras tells Erdogan ‘We are not alone’ as war of words flares up

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has lashed back after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan dismissed his declaration that Greece is prepared for all scenarios in defending its sovereign rights under international law and that Greece and Cyprus enjoy the support of their European partners and the international community in confronting Ankara's bellicose behaviour.

"I want to respond to that statement [of Erdogan]and say first of all that the Greek prime minister does not say 'certain things' [as Erdogan said] but speaks the language of international law, logic, truth, and decisiveness. Secondly, he does not speak alone [as the Turkish president said of Tsipras]. He speaks having by his side the EU, all EU member-states, and the vast majority of the international community in every corner of the world and especially in our region, which respects international law and the law of the sea. I am speaking to everyone and the message is clear," Tsipras said.

"Adopting tactics of escalation that lead to an impasse and are fruitless is of no use. It is not a sign of strength. It is a sign of weakness. There is no use drilling in the EEZ of a country [Cyprus] that he knows does not have a deterrent force at sea. It would be well if these violations of international law stop here. That is because there will be a serious price as regards EU-Turkey relations and as regards peace, stability, and cooperation, which is our aim and pursuit in the broader region," the PM underlined.

Tsipras was speaking in Cyprus, where he traveled to attend the funeral of the former president of Cyprus, Dimitris Christofias.

The PM was accompanied by Defence Minister Evangelos Apostolakis, with whom he paid a visit to the Hellenic Force in Cyprus [ELDYK, photo).