Aegean dispute

Amidst a barrage of Turkish threats and claims of sovereignty over a series of Greek islets of the eastern Aegean by the Turkish defence ministry, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis today warned Ankara not to even think of testing its territorial claims on the ground.

Turkey has sent two letters indicating that Greece violates the international law by arming the islands with the de-militarized status in the Aegean Sea, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said, calling on Athens to give proper answers to Turkey instead of escalating the tension.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has visited three Aegean islands off the Turkish coasts following a series of meetings with the U.S., France and Germany in which he complained about Turkey.

Opposition leader calls on Turkish President to escalate tensions with Greece, leaving the military option open

Turkish foreign ministry "strongly condemned and rejected the unfounded" statements made by the German Chancellery against Turkey.

"Instead of making biased statements that do not comply with the spirit of the Alliance, we expect Germany to invite Greece to act in accordance with international treaties," Foreign Minister Spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç said.

"The chancellor is of the opinion that, given the current situation, it is necessary for all NATO allies to be united and refrain from mutual provocations," a spokesman for the German chancellor said at a regular press conference in Berlin, Reuters reports.

Greek premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis has complained about Turkey to Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz two weeks after the U.S. President Joe Biden, but in the same method, by showing Turkey's "Blue Homeland" map.

The Turkish Defence Ministry accused the Greek Foreign Minister of expansionist ideas

He accused Greece of having armed forces on the islands – “They were given to Greece under conditions. Athens’ steps are a threat to Turkey”, he said

By George Gilson