Shots Fired On Turkish Police Boat From Greek Border As Athens ‘Readies’ Military Options

Via AlMasdarNews.com,

Multiple Turkish news sources announced Friday that a Greek group wearing military fatigues opened fire on a Turkish police boat while the latter was patrolling the Mrayij River near the Turkish-Greek border.

The news agency said that the Special Operations Police found near the Bashiurt border police station, the body of one of the asylum seekers beside a tree, while they were patrolling the Mrayij River.

They explained that “a military camouflaged group opened fire from the Greek side towards the Special Operations Police boat while photographing the body.”

The statement noted that “the police immediately took their positions and fired warning shots in the air, which led to the ceasefire from the Greek side.”

“A group of 10 to 12 people in military camouflage outfit opened harassment fire on the special forces boat,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panayotopoulos said in a television interview  that his country is ready for everything in order to protect its sovereign rights, including military action against Turkey in the event of provocations.

🇹🇷🇬🇷Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panayotopoulos said the country is ready to use force to protect sovereignty from Turkey, if necessary. “We are ready for military action and make it clear that we will take any measures to protect the sovereign rights of Greece”@serious_war_eng pic.twitter.com/QHgbsuXYX4

— Serious War (@serious_war_eng) June 5, 2020

He pointed out that his ministry notes the increasing Turkish provocations in recent times. When asked if Greece was ready for a military solution to the dispute with Turkey, as the Greek Prime Minister’s advisor said, Panayotopoulos replied: “Exactly so.”

“The chancellor said that we are preparing for any situation. Of course, everything is possible, including military action. We do not want that, but we want to make it clear that we will do our best to protect our sovereign rights as possible,” the minister added.

A few days ago, the Turkish government newspaper published a request for a Turkish state oil company to obtain a license to explore for oil and gas in an area near the Greek islands. Then, on June 3, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent a letter to the European Union leadership on “Turkish provocations”. Greece announced that all of this would lead to a Turkish-European crisis.

On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced in a joint press conference with Prime Minister of the Libyan Government of National Accord Fayez al-Sarraj in Ankara that Turkey intends, together with the Libyan government, to explore and develop oil and gas fields in the Mediterranean.