Akar says Greece undermining CBM talks

Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Monday accused Greece of undermining talks on confidence-building measures (CBM) between the two Aegean rivals, adding that his country wants to defuse tensions through dialogue.

"Not only does Greece not want to hold these talks, it also tries to prevent them from happening and sabotages them," Akar said during a visit to TCG Anadoly, the future flagship of the Turkish navy, according to state-run Anadolu news agency.

Greece froze plans for a next round of CBM talks with Turkey in April last year following a barrage of Turkish overflights in the eastern Aegean. 

Akar meanwhile accused officials in Athens of deliberately increasing tensions with Ankara in a bid to deflect public attention from problems at home.

"There are many scandals in Greece right now. There is the wiretapping scandal, migration scandal, and...