Turkey asks Greece to arrest protesters for burning flag

Turkey is demanding that Greece arrest and start legal proceedings against right-wing demonstrators who burned a Turkish flag during a weekend protest in Athens.

Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said Wednesday that Turkey "strongly condemns" the act, which he said amounted to a hate crime.

Separately, the Turkish Foreign Ministry criticized Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos for comments suggesting that Turkey has territory that "historically" should belong to Greece.

A ministry statement called on Pavlopoulos "to respect international law and our borders" and refrain from comments that would increase tensions.

The two NATO allies have longstanding disputes over maritime boundaries and commercial rights. The recent arrest in Turkey of two Greek soldiers for allegedly entering a military zone and espionage has further strained ties.