The chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA), Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, said on Wednesday that if Turkish forces land on a rocky islet in the Aegean, it will be “flattened,” daily Kathimerini reports.

“If they land on an islet, we will flatten it. And this is a red line that is adopted by the government as well,” he was quoted as telling journalists during a briefing in Athens.

Apostolakis said if Greece ever had to defend itself, it would fight alone. “Our effort focuses on not having to reach that point. With the United States and the European Union we want to ensure that the Turks will not go that far.”

The United States are looking for ways to ensure a balance in the region, he added. “Greece works as a bridge and plays a positive role. The Greece-Israel-Egypt axis offsets the pressure exerted by Turkey,” he said.