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[Bursa Teknik Universitesi via X]
Hulusi Akar, the Chairman of the National Defense Committee of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and previous Defense Minister, proposed that Turkish soldiers could potentially swim to the Greek isle of Kastellorizo, during a session at Bursa Technical University on Friday.
He underscored that Turkey, being a maritime nation with a 12,000-kilometer coastline, is resolved to uphold its maritime entitlements.
“We have not withdrawn, and we shall not withdraw. No one should doubt this. Kastellorizo lies directly opposite us. In some sense, it was historically overlooked and ended up under Greek ownership,” Akar declared, adding that Kastellorizo is within swimming distance for Turkish forces.
“The separation between Kastellorizo and Turkey is 1,950 meters. The cadets at our military schools can swim 2 kilometers. Hence, the island is indeed within swimming distance. Our Greek counterparts said, ‘Then swim.’ We replied, ‘By God’s will, the moment will arrive when we shall.’”
In addition, Akar affirmed that Turkey will not acknowledge the assignment of an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to Kastellorizo.
“They (Greece) claim 40,000 square kilometers of maritime jurisdiction due to this isle. We will categorically refuse this,” he asserted.
The Greek isle of Kastellorizo, situated 1.95 kilometers from the Turkish shoreline, has been a significant point of contention in Greek-Turkish maritime disputes. The disagreement revolves around whether Kastellorizo is entitled to an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) along with a continental shelf. Greece contends that, according to international law, the island qualifies for these maritime entitlements.
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