ANKARA - Turkey did not approve the Greek press reports, showing routine activities of Turkish military planes and coast guard boats in the Aegean Sea in line with international law, as if there was tension in the Aegean, Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
A statement of the ministry said that the Greek press had recently been publishing news reports that Turkish military planes were violating the Greek air space over the Aegean Sea, and Turkish coast guard boats were violating the Greek territorial waters around Kardak islets.
The statement drew attention that Turkish military planes and ships were carrying out their ordinary training in Turkish territorial waters and national air space, and in international waters of the Aegean and international air space over the Aegean Sea. In this context, the statement stressed, those planes and ships ''were not carrying out an extraordinary activity.''
There was nothing extraordinary related with the Turkish coast guard boats, which were carrying out their routine task in Turkey's own territorial waters, the statement said.
The statement noted, ''to this end, we don't approve the press reports, showing as if there is tension in the Aegean.''
Noting that Turkey had attached great importance to its relations with Greece, the statement said that ''Turkey was exerting sincere efforts to further improve relations with Greece on the basis of common interests and cooperation, aiming to maintain atmosphere of confidence in the Aegean.''
(BRC) 23.10.2004