Greece can defend islands despite Türkiye’s threats, says defence minister
- Earlier this week, Türkiye summoned the Greek ambassador to protest against the alleged deployment of US-made armoured vehicles to two Aegean Islands
- Defence Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos said Türkiye’s ‘revisionist and destabilising behaviour’ undermines security in the wider eastern Mediterranean region
Greece has the right to take “all defensive measures” to protect its easternmost islands amid threats by neighbouring Türkiye that dispute Greek sovereignty rights and raise the spectre of war, the Greek defence minister said on Saturday.
Speaking after Cyprus’ independence day military parade, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos said Türkiye’s “revisionist and destabilising behaviour” also undermines security in the wider eastern Mediterranean region.
Panagiotopoulos dismissed Türkiye’s demands to demilitarise the islands “as if they’re not being threatened and as if we don’t have the right to take all defensive measures for them” as “baseless and unacceptable.”
Earlier this week, Türkiye summoned the Greek ambassador to protest the alleged deployment of dozens of US-made armoured vehicles to the Aegean Islands of Samos and Lesbos, which Ankara says should remain demilitarised in line with international treaties.
Cyprus welcomes ‘landmark’ US lifting of arms embargo, Türkiye condemns move
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also warned that his country would not hold back on defending its rights and interests against Nato ally Greece, further ratcheting up tensions between the historic rivals.
Prompted by a coup aimed at union with Greece, Türkiye’s invasion of Cyprus in 1974 split the east Mediterranean island along ethnic lines. Numerous UN mediated efforts at reunification failed. Türkiye is now calling for the recognition of the island’s breakaway Turkish Cypriot northern third that the European Union and others say is contrary to established UN parameters for a peace deal.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said even though the island’s National Guard is being bolstered with new equipment, he said the government will not be drawn into actions to furnish Türkiye the excuse to further bolster its 40,000 troops in the north.
