Turkey escalated tensions with Greece over the eastern Aegean islands through remarks on Wednesday by Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, who referred to the issue of their demilitarization and warned that Ankara would not remain indifferent to initiatives affecting what he described as Turkish sovereign rights and security interests.
Greek Defense Ministry sources responded late Wednesday, saying Greece exercises its sovereign rights “with full commitment to international law” and does not accept “revisionist and arbitrary approaches” attempting to turn unilateral interpretations into political faits accomplis.
The same sources said Guler’s statements repeated “baseless and legally unfounded positions” that neither strengthen regional security nor serve stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. They added that the Greek armed forces maintain “a consistently high level of operational readiness and deterrent capability,” defending national sovereignty and security.
Earlier, Guler said the Turkish armed forces had “the power and determination to neutralize every kind of threat directed against the country.” He also said activities related to “the militarization of the islands, which should be under demilitarized status,” were incompatible with “good neighborly relations, the spirit of alliance and international law.”
