Greece urges Turkey to probe ‘flag vandalism’ in disputed waters

Greece on Sunday condemned vandalism to a mural of the Greek flag on Kastellorizo island blamed on Turkish nationals, a day before the arrival in the country of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The tiny Greek island, just 2km (1.2 miles) off the Turkish coast, lies in disputed waters that have been a source of escalating tensions between Turkey and Greece. At the centre of the latest crisis is Turkey’s deployment last month of a seismic research vessel accompanied by warships in the eastern Mediterranean, near Kastellorizo, despite repeated protests from Athens and the European Union. Authorities on the island on Saturday found red paint smeared over a large mural of the Greek flag, painted on a hill near its port. “We unequivocally condemn yesterday’s desecration of the Greek flag in Kastellorizo. Unacceptable actions such as these are aimed at undermining the prospects for de-escalation of the tensions between the two countries,” the Greek foreign ministry said in a statement. “We expect the immediate condemnation and the prompt investigation of the incident by the Turkish authorities, so that the perpetrators be brought to justice.” There were also reports of a drone flying over the island Saturday playing Turkish anthems. The Turkish network Karar TV showed video footage from a drone of the defaced painting, while Greek media reported the network attributed the vandalism to “Turkish engineers” who had thrown “100 kilos of red paint on the Greek flag”. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">