Ankara urges Athens to avoid ‘new adventures’

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has strongly urged Greece to avoid new adventures that would result in a big defeat just like they had observed one century ago, in remarks following the Greek warplanes' harassment of the Turkish F-16s twice in three days.

"Don't these headquarters say everything? On these days we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Great Victory, we tell Greece 'You have seen how painful the cost of the adventure was you embarked on a century ago.' We strongly advise you to draw lessons from history and avoid new adventures that will end with defeat," Akar said in an interview with the daily Hürriyet on Aug. 26.

Akar made this statement from the headquarters Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his military aides had used in Akşehir province in western Anatolia while fighting against the Greek occupation of the Anatolian region. The Turkish army had started a major and decisive offensive against the Greek army on Aug. 26, 1922, that resulted in an undisputed victory on Aug. 30.

His remarks came only a few days after Ankara announced that its warplanes were harassed by Greek jetfighters on Aug. 22 and Aug. 24 although they were conducting NATO missions. Türkiye accused Greece of risking NATO activities and creating new provocations in the Mediterranean and Aegean.

Akar explained that the United States, on July 2, requested the participation of the Turkish jetfighters in a NATO mission to provide air protection for the American planes that will take place on Aug. 22. "We said 'OK' and the flights have started. And all these flights have been shared with all NATO countries. The notification took place on July 2 and the mission occurred on Aug. 22. Right at that time Greece intervened and changed the flight route over the...