‘Greece is now a rogue state,’ says ruling AKP Spokesperson Çelik

* Photo: Muhammed Selim Korkutata - Ankara/AA

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Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Spokesperson Ömer Çelik held a press conference while the AKP Central Committee Meeting was still ongoing at the AKP Central Office in Ankara yesterday (September 1).

In his speech, Çelik addressed a series of current issues on Turkey's domestic and international agenda such as the escalating tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu's remarks about Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) MP Barış Atay and President and AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Giresun in the wake of a recent flood.

'Turkey will respond in kind'

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), speaking about the recently escalating tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean with Greece and France, Çelik has referred to Greece as a "rogue state."

"Turkey will not accept or forgive any action or bluff against its maritime blue homeland," Çelik has said, adding that "Greece is now a rogue state in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, and is reaching past its grasp."

Çelik has reiterated that "Turkey will not accept or forgive any action or bluff against its 'Blue Homeland' policy of its maritime territory." On Athens' claims that Turkey violates Greek rights in the region, he has noted that "in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey is conducting its activities along its continental shelf and maritime zone, and this has nothing to do with Greece."

Stressing that "Greece is taking missteps in the region," Çelik has warned that "these missteps will result in a sharp defeat for Athens."

He has also slammed the countries that support Greece, but also left the door open for negotiations, saying that if Greece is looking for a reliable actor, there is no actor more reliable than Turkey.

On the actions in the region of France, Çelik has said that France gains nothing by bringing war jets to the Eastern Mediterranean or holding drills with the Greek Cypriot administration.

Last month, two French Air Force fighter jets and a C-130 cargo aircraft landed in Greek Southern Cyprus under a defense cooperation agreement.

"If French President Emmanuel Macron tries to draw a red line in Turkey's "Blue Homeland," Turkey will respond in kind," Çelik has added.

'Soylu did the right thing'

Regarding the dispute between TİP Vice Chair and Hatay MP Barış Atay and Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and the ensuing physical assault on Atay shortly afterwards, Çelik has briefly said the following:

"Now, a person in the capacity of an MP calls our Minister of Interior 'the protector of rape' in a way ill-suited with the capacity of being an MP.

"Now, they are turning a blind eye to this MP's remarks about our Minister of Interior, they turn a blind eye to these immoral, impertinent remarks that need to be condemned. Then, they are trying to develop politics through the response our Interior Minister gave him.

"If they think that when someone call them the 'protector of rape,' if they think that there is no need to respond to this and it needs to be taken normally, it is up to them. But when someone shows such disrespect and utters a remark like 'protector of rape,' we give the exact same answer with our Interior Minister. It is that clear: Our Minister of Interior did the right thing.

"Then, the MP in question was attacked. Now, can you imagine? A person responds to the Minister of Interior in a disrespectful manner and attacks him, he attacks our Interior Minister's personal rights and our Interior Minister is considered to be 'provoking the attack' just because he protects his personal rights... What kind of a ridiculous equation is that? I mean, let's all criticize and condemn an attack on any MP."

CLICK - 'Turkey now lives in a rape society, it is what we try to raise concerns about'

'President's meeting could not be prevented'

Çelik has also addressed the criticisms regarding President Erdoğan's rally in Giresun province amid novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and his throwing tea packages to the people in the rally:

"As you know, our President had not come together with our citizens in a meeting in any way at all since the pandemic broke out.

"But when he went to Giresun, our citizens, amid a great disaster, wanted our President to go there and when he went there, the meeting of our President with our citizens could not have been prevented.

"In our Central Executive Committee meeting today, our President shared with us in detail what he lived there with our citizens and his observations. He shared with us the words and longings of our citizens there. So, it is about the actual state there amid extraordinary conditions."

CLICK - Death toll rises to 10 in Giresun flood

(EKN/SD)