Greece to deploy 7,000 troops near border with TurkeyApril 5, 2018 - 17:02 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Greece's defense minister described Turkey on Wednesday, April 4 as an "enemy that continues to provoke us" and said he had ordered the deployment of more military personnel to islands in the eastern Aegean Sea. Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said 7,000 service members were being moved to the islands and a border area in northeast Greece amid a spike in tension between the two NATO allies, The Associated Press reports. "If they have the guts, let them dare to challenge one inch of our territory," Kammenos said while attending a reservist exercise on the island of Ikaria. "The Greeks, united, will crush them." There was no immediate comment from Turkish officials. Greece and Turkey remain at odds over air and sea boundaries in the Aegean Sea, as well as oil and gas drilling off the coast of nearby Cyprus, which has been divided into ethically Greek and Turkish sides for decades. The March 1 arrest of two Greek soldiers who strayed into Turkish territory while on a border patrol has further strained relations between the two countries. The soldiers remain detained in a Turkish prison. "What is needed is the vigilance of the entire Greek people in facing an opponent, an enemy that continues to provoke us," Kammenos said. "We are not frightened or brought to our knees by their provocations, their threats, and their insults. They make us stronger." Kammenos, who heads the small right-wing Independent Greeks party, is a junior partner in the government of left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who has taken a conciliatory position toward Turkey. In a televised address Tuesday, Tsipras called for "calm and moderation" in dealings with Turkey. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Kazakh Foreign Minister arrives in Armenia Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu on Monday, March 18 arrived in Armenia for a two-day trip. Aliyev touts “good chances” for normalizing ties with Armenia Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has declared that there are “good chances” for normalizing relations with Armenia. Top Armenian, Indian defense officials discuss cooperation The discussions primarily focused on enhancing cooperation in the defence sector between Armenia and India. IDBank unveils three sad stories about fraudsters IDBank has unveiled three scenarios of card fraud that have been happening more and more often in Armenia. |