Turkey marks 1922 victory over Greece amid Med tensions

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey is marking the 98th anniversary of the decisive War of Independence battle against Greek forces as the threat of a new conflict with Athens looms in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a message Sunday to commemorate Victory Day that “Turkey’s struggle for independence and future continues today as well.” In recent weeks, Turkish and Greek forces have engaged in a series of cat-and-mouse military exercises, sparked when Turkey sent a research vessel to search for gas and oil reserves. Erdogan said it is “absolutely not a coincidence” that this dispute involves the same “invaders” as the previous one.