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Greece shall be bolstering its military with new armament programmes, a boost to military personnel and the event of the nation’s defence trade, the federal government spokesman stated Monday, as a tense stand-off with neighbouring Turkey has led to issues of open battle between the 2 NATO allies.
Ankara is at present dealing with off towards Greece and Cyprus over oil and gasoline exploration rights within the jap Mediterranean. Greece and Turkey have deployed naval and air forces to assert their competing claims within the area.
“The Turkish leadership is unleashing, on a near daily basis, threats of war and makes provocative statements against Greece,” Greek authorities spokesman Stelios Petsas stated.
“We respond with political, diplomatic and operational readiness, determined to do whatever is necessary to protect our sovereign rights.” Petsas stated Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis can be asserting particulars of plans to improve the nation’s military, throughout his annual state of the financial system speech on Saturday.
“We are in contact with friendly countries in order to reinforce the equipment of our armed forces,” Petsas stated. Last week, Greece raised 2.5 billion euros (USD 2.96 billion) in a bond public sale because the nation seeks to improve military spending and lift funds for companies affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Greek media have reported the purchases might embody French-made Rafale fighter jets and a minimum of one French frigate. Petsas stated Mitsotakis can be assembly with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday on the sidelines of a gathering in Corsica of European Union Mediterranean international locations.
Last Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Greece to enter talks over disputed jap Mediterranean territorial claims or face the implications.
“They’re either going to understand the language of politics and diplomacy, or in the field with painful experiences,” he stated.
Greece and Turkey have come to the brink of warfare thrice for the reason that mid-1970s, together with as soon as over exploration rights within the Aegean Sea.
The present dispute escalated when Turkey despatched seismic analysis vessel Oruc Reis, accompanied by warships, to prospect for oil and gasoline reserves in an space between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete that Athens claims as its personal continental shelf.
Greece despatched its personal warships to the realm and put its armed forces on alert.
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