“During the meeting of the NATO Council of Defence Ministers, I had the opportunity to inform the Secretary General of NATO, but also the Defence Ministers of allied countries about the recent behavior of Turkey in the area of Imia; about the offensive behavior of Turkey that transgresses the bounds of what is tolerable. A behavior not just towards a country member of the European Union and NATO, but towards the European Union itself.
For this reason, the military council was notified that Turkey, in addition to the violation of national territorial waters, further violates the European territorial sea and questions the European territory.
The incident of the ramming of the Greek Coast Guard patrol boat off Imia also involves the ramming of a European Coast Guard patrol boat, an asset of the European Union.
I had the opportunity to provide audiovisual recorded material, which – beyond any doubt – refutes any Turkish argument. I am awaiting the reactions of the allies”.
