A harsh message was addressed to the Greek side by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, just hours after his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Kyrgyzstan. The Turkish president signaled to Athens to "step back from the wrong path" and to stop, as he claimed, arming the islands that are under a demilitarized status. "We say that we want to move forward with Greece on the basis of good neighborliness. If from our shore, let's say from Kastellorizo, we addressed a voice to Greece, wouldn't they hear us? But we have been sincere on every issue. We were the side that behaved constructively. However, many times we did not see a response to our good intention," he stated in a conversation with journalists on the plane during his return from Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile, Erdogan pointed out that "Greece must now understand the following: Turkey does not covet anyone's territory, but also does not allow anyone to violate its rights. Ignoring and violating international agreements will benefit no one. Whoever interprets Turkey's calm and prudent approach as weakness, I say clearly, is making a serious mistake. Greece must step back from this wrong path and stop arming the islands with demilitarized status." "History is a very, very good guide for those who draw lessons from it. We will continue to work for peace, security, and regional stability," he also pointed out.
The meeting with Putin
Regarding his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Erdogan pointed out that developments between Russia and Ukraine were discussed in detail. He spoke of a "very productive meeting," pointing out that it was conducted "in a very, very sincere atmosphere." "We have significant cooperation with Russia in many sectors, from energy and trade to tourism and investments. Above all, we host millions of Russian tourists in our country. From no other country do so many tourists come to Turkey. Previously, as you know, Germany was also in a good position. But subsequently Russia surpassed it," he characteristically pointed out. Furthermore, the Turkish president referred to the war between Russia and Ukraine, pointing out that both he and Putin "expect it to end as soon as possible with peace. We want a peace process between Russia and Ukraine in the region as soon as possible and for peace to prevail. It is obvious that this war has not led to a beneficial result for our region, nor for the world, nor for the parties involved. Is Putin satisfied with this? He is not satisfied. He too expects this affair to be completed in the best possible way as soon as possible. We expressed to Putin that we are ready to do whatever we can for peace. It is a reality that war will not win, but peace will. And for this reason, we are ready to exert every possible effort."
F-35 and S-400
When asked about the possibility of transferring the S-400 to a third country, within the framework of Turkey's potential re-entry into the F-35 program, Erdogan stated that the issue was discussed within the context of the overall agenda with Putin. Erdogan emphasized that Turkey was a partner in the F-35 program and had made significant contributions, while talks for its re-entry continue. "We are not abandoning the KAAN. We are not abandoning the development of our own air defense systems. On the contrary, we are increasing Turkey's options. This is a strong Turkey. This is the roadmap of a strong Turkey," he also stressed.
"Tense" scene in Kastellorizo, chaos with the Marmara
Meanwhile, Greek forces have been placed on high alert in the maritime area southwest of Kastellorizo following the departure of the Turkish scientific research vessel R/V TÜBİTAK MARMARA from the port of Marmaris. A vessel from the Hellenic Coast Guard, in direct coordination with units of the Hellenic Navy, has assumed a discrete shadowing role, closely monitoring every movement of the Turkish ship from a safe distance. This new flashpoint emerged with the issuance of the illegal NAVTEX 0862/26 by the unauthorized Antalya station, through which Turkey attempted to reserve an extensive part of the maritime area south of Kastellorizo until September 15, 2026. The response from Athens was given as early as the evening of August 31, even before the Turkish research vessel left the coast of Marmaris. According to official data, the Heraklion hydrographic station of the Hellenic Navy Hydrographic Service issued counter-NAVTEX 1036/26 (312050 UTC AUG 26). The message clarifies that the Antalya station acted without any authorization, explicitly emphasizing that part of the announced research overlaps the Greek continental shelf, where special permission from Greece is required. At the same time, the Greek side recalled that the coordination of navigation and the issuance of safety instructions in this specific zone belong to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Heraklion station, making the Turkish NAVTEX illegal and void.
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