Tensions Rise as Turkey Threatens International Campaign Against Greece Over Aegean Islands Sovereignty

Ankara escalated tensions on Thursday by issuing an unprecedented threat to initiate an international campaign against Greece regarding its sovereignty over islands in the eastern Aegean. Turkey insisted that this sovereignty is contingent on the demilitarization of the islands, as stipulated in past treaties.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu declared Ankara’s intention to seek the stance of parties to the Lausanne and Paris treaties on Greece’s compliance with the demilitarization status of the islands.

This move is the latest in a series of challenges by Ankara to Greek sovereignty, including the submission of claims to the United Nations, unauthorized overflights by Turkish fighter jets in the Aegean, and other escalations.

In response, Athens categorically rejected Turkey’s demands to demilitarize its islands, dismissing them as illogical and inconsistent with basic principles of international law. The Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman, Alexandros Papaioannou, emphasized that Greece has repeatedly and publicly expressed its position on the issue.

Papaioannou mentioned that Greece has conveyed its stance to the United Nations secretary-general through its permanent representative. Additionally, Greece rejects Turkey’s objections to delineating the continental shelf in the eastern Mediterranean, deeming them a violation of fundamental rules of international law.

This development occurs just ahead of the 64th round of exploratory talks between the two nations on February 22. Typically, these talks, at least from the Greek side, focus exclusively on discussions related to maritime zones.