Greece ‘won’t tolerate’ border challenges after Turkish collision – PM

Greece will not tolerate any challenges to its territorial integrity, its prime minister said on Thursday. The statement came days after Turkish and Greek coastguard vessels collided close to disputed islets in the Aegean Sea. Each side blamed the other for Monday’s collision off an islet known as Imia in Greek and Kardak in Turkish, Reuters reports. Seeking international support, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said that Greece’s border was also that of the 28-nation EU. His foreign minister also briefed the head of NATO and the US military chief on Ankara’s “provocative behavior.” Greece “will not allow, accept or tolerate any challenge to its territorial integrity and its sovereign rights,” Tsipras told an audience at the shipping ministry.