Turkey’s deputy prime minister Veysi Kaynak openly threatened Greece and claimed that the Turkish Armed Forces will prevent Greece in the Aegean Sea.

Speaking to state-run Anadolu News Agency, Kaynak said:

“Greece, just like in Kardak [Turkish name for Imia] is trying to exploit tie islets but Turkey will not allow Greece to open new areas in the Aegean Turkey will not allow it to open new areas in the Aegean.”

“Greece is trying to do exploit the Kardak islets and other similar islets. The Turkish Armed Forces that have the responsibility for the border protection will not allow it. The Turkish forces will prevent such a development in any way.”

It is not clear whether Kaynak was referring to Greece’s plans to inhabit the islets in the Aegean sea and touristic exploit them, but this open threat is dropped like a bombshell in the middle of an escalation of tension between the two neighboring countries provoked by non-stop challenges by the Turkish side.

Kaynak sharply criticized Greece’s decision not to extradite the eight Turkish soldiers Ankara accuses of being linked to the failed coup in July 2016. But also Germany did not escape Kaynak’s criticism after 40 Turkish soldiers assigned to NATO requested asylum in Berlin.

“There is no difference between Greece’s decision to not extradite the putschist soldiers who took part in the coup attempt and took Turkey’s helicopters and fled to Greece, and Germany’s decision not to extradite putschist judges, prosecutors, and other PKK terrorists,” he added.

The deputy prime minister said that Germany has given shelter to terrorists even during Turkey’s hour of trouble.

“The most important actors of the [July 2016] coup attempt and the judicial structure are being hosted in Germany,” Kaynak said.

Anadolu Agency notes that “Several important figures of the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) — the group blamed for the defeated coup, which martyred 248 people and wounded around 2,200 others — including prosecutors and journalists, are believed to have fled from Turkey to Germany.”

Despite insistent calls by Ankara, Berlin has been reluctant so far to go after the shadowy group, arguing a lack of sufficient evidence, the agency underlines.

Kaynak’s allegations come a day before German Chancellor Angela Merkel launches her visit to Turkey.