International Medical Informatics Association

SYRIZA demands that government answer Erdogan’s provocation

Main opposition SYRIZA slammed the government over its management of relations with Turkey and demanded that it respond to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement that he hopes that Greece does not approach Aegean islands the sovereignty of which Ankara disputes, just as the Greek military this year did not approach the Imia islets on the anniversary of the crisis that brought the tw

Greek defense authorities refute media reports of Turkish ships near Imia

Defense authorities in Greece on Tuesday refuted reports in the Turkish media suggesting that the country had sent ships to Imia that were preventing Greek vessels from approaching the islets that brought the two neighbors to the brink of war in January 1996.

Ankara came 'close to red lines,' Kotzias tells Skai in interview

Turkey has "come close" to overstepping Greece's "red lines," Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias told Skai in an interview aired on Tuesday night, providing the example of an incident last February when a Turkish coast guard vessel rammed a Greek coast guard patrol boat off the Imia islets in the Aegean Sea. 

Athens says Imia sovereignty beyond doubt after Ankara challenge

Athens issued a stern message to Ankara on Saturday, stressing that the Imia islets are Greek and there is no question about their sovereignty.

"The legal status of Imia is firmly established," the Greek Foreign Ministry said, adding that "Greek sovereignty over Imia is a given and beyond doubt."

Despite Imia calm, Turkish ships remain in vicinity

The situation around the Imia islets was stable on Thursday following an escalation in tensions on Monday night after a Turkish vessel rammed a Hellenic Coast Guard boat.

However, despite the agreement between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim to de-escalate tension, Turkish forces remained in the vicinity on Thursday.

Washington advises Athens, Ankara to pursue diplomatic route over Aegean friction

The US State Department has called on Greece and Turkey to use their regular diplomatic channels to resolve any disputes in the Aegean following an incident on Monday night, when a Turkish coast guard vessel rammed a Greek patrol boat off the Imia islets.

Turkish coast guard vessel rams Greek patrol boat off Imia

A Turkish patrol boat reportedly rammed a Greek coast guard vessel that was anchored off the island of Imia in the Aegean at around midnight on Monday.

The incident did not result in any no injuries but only minor damage to the stern of the Greek vessel, yet it serves to illustrate the heightened tension in the area where Greece and Turkey came on the brink of war 22 years ago.

Rational moves

Greece has had to deal with some incident or another around Imia at around this time every year since the country nearly went to war with Turkey in 1996 over the uninhabited islet.

This year is different, however, and Athens needs to be very careful in its reactions.

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