Defense minister denies Erdogan's phone talk claims on Imia

Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos rejected on Thursday claims by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he sent a message to Greece through Defense Minister Hulusi Akar not to make any "move" over the eastern Aegean islets of Imia, for which the two countries were brought to the brink of war twenty-four years ago.

Imia, or Kardak, as it is known in Turkish, is disputed territory, according to Ankara.

"That day, throughout Friday, we were busy with the issue of the [Turkish] research vessel [Oruc Reis] and monitoring it," Panagiotopoulos told television station Alpha on Thursday.

"Besides, these discussions would not be made by me. If they did, they would be held at a very high level, but they never were," he added.

On Wednesday, the Greek minister spoke on the phone with Akar on the forthcoming NATO Defense Ministers Meeting in Brussels on...