The Turkish government wants to prevent Germany's Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen from landing on the Greek island of Lesbos on March 6, arguing that the region is a demilitarized zone, which is closed to any military transport, Greece's Skai TV reported.
Ankara, according to Skai TV, has also refused
to allow the German minister to visit the Turkish coast to assess the
situation with refugees and human traffickers. Germany has received 1.1
million asylum seekers in 2015 alone – a record for any European country
– and is trying to enlist Ankara's support in helping to curb
immigration from the Middle East to the EU.
A
similar incident took place in February when Turkey refused to allow
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to land on Rhodes for refueling en
route to Iran. The military aircraft had to change course after Ankara
announced that it would not let the plane into its airspace if it landed
in the demilitarized area.
The aircraft then reached Iran by flying over Egypt, Cyprus, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
The Aegean Sea islands have been a major source of tension between Greece and Turkey since the 1970s, bringing the two countries to the brink of military confrontation in 1987 and 1996.
The media outlet described Turkey's decision as a "provocative action".
After visiting Lesbos, Ursula von der Leyen is expected to take a
NATO helicopter to the German supply ship Bonn, which participates
in the bloc's mission to tackle migrant smugglers in the Aegean Sea.
©
AFP 2016/ ARIS MESSINIS
Refugees
and migrants massed onto an inflatable boat reach Mytilene, northern
island of Lesbos, after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey on February
17, 2016
The Aegean Sea islands have been a major source of tension between Greece and Turkey since the 1970s, bringing the two countries to the brink of military confrontation in 1987 and 1996.
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