Turley

Turkey and Greece can resolve their problems only by establishing dialogue and direct contacts, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said, criticizing certain Greek politicians for escalating tension between the two neighbors for their political ambitions.

Turkey will not accept fabricated maps in the eastern Mediterranean and it will take measures to prevent the establishment of terror corridors in its southern borders, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, suggesting that even the West has started to admit that its superior position in the international arena has come to an end.

Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar called on Greece to demilitarize 16 Greek islands near its coast, which he claimed have a "non-military status."

Arming 16 out of 23 islands with non-military status is in violation of agreements in the Aegean sea, he said during a visit to Turkey's missile producer Roketsan on Wednesday, according to state-run Anadolu Agency.