Athens warns of possible 'accident' in East Med

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday warned about the possibility of an "accident" in the Eastern Mediterranean where Greek and Turkish naval forces have gathered after Ankara decided to sent a vessel to conduct seismic research south of Kastellorizo.

“The risk of an accident lurks when so many naval forces gather in a limited area and responsibility in such a case will be borne by the one who causes these conditions,” he said in a televised address over developments in the region.

He stressed that Greece “does not threaten [anyone] and cannot be blackmailed. And that is exactly why it does not succumb to threats and blackmail. Nor, however, does it tolerate provocative actions.”

In a reference to Turkey’s decision to withdrawal from the process of exploratory contacts that were to start on August 28, Mitsotakis said that Athens is ready to start a dialogue with any of its neighbours.

“We're not afraid of dialogue, not even the most difficult one because we have faith in the legality of our positions, but there's no point in a dialogue amid provocations and tensions,” he said.

“We look forward to logic finally prevailing in the neighboring country so that a well-meaning dialogue can begin.”