Turkish and Greek naval ships are locked in a showdown in the Eastern Mediterranean
As tensions rose in the Eastern Mediterranean with a showdown between the navies of Greece and Turkey, Ankara turned its attention to Yerevan, which has expressed its support to Greece and Cyprus.
In a statement on Saturday, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry called Turkey’s efforts to infringe on the territories of Greece and Cyprus “illegal and provocative.”
“This destabilizing posturing in the Eastern Mediterranean manifests the continued aggressive and expansionist policy that Turkey has been pursuing in its neighboring regions,” said Armenia’s Foreign Ministry.
“We reiterate Armenia’s unequivocal support and solidarity with Greece and Cyprus and call on Turkey to de-escalate the situation, respect the International Law and cease all actions within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Greece and Cyprus,” added the ministry.
Armenia’s Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan discussed the standoff with his Greek and Cypriot counterparts Nikos Dendias and Nikos Christodoulide in a separate telephone conversations.
Mnatsakanyan was briefed on the escalating situation in the Aegean-Eastern Mediterranean region resulting from Turkey’s provocations.
Mnatsakanyan reaffirmed Armenia’s unconditional support to Greece and Cyprus and expressed hope for a peaceful settlement of the situation.
This alliance between Armenia, Greece and Cyprus did not sit well with official Ankara, which slammed Yerevan’s support for its adversaries.
“We see that Armenia, which attempts to present an opinion on the Eastern Mediterranean, is in fundamental error about world geography and its place in this geography. The issue here is not Lake Sevan, but the Eastern Mediterranean,” Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy was quoted by Turkish media as saying.
“After Armenia’s provocative statement about the Treaty of Sevres, its opinion on the Eastern Mediterranean is a new example of irresponsibility and without limits,” Aksoy added.
“No matter what happens, Turkey will protect its rights and the rights of Turkish Cypriots in the eastern Mediterranean stemming from international law. No alliance of evil can afford to prevent that. Those who think otherwise have not learned anything from history,” he added.
Aksoy also took the opportunity to reiterate support for its “brother Azerbaijan.”