As if there weren’t enough international tensions already, Turkey is again challenging the sovereignty of Greek islands in the Aegean. According to the Turkish interpretation, Athens is arming itself in islands in violation of international law.

Are tensions escalating between Turkey and Greece? Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavusoglu has again accused the government in Athens of militarily arming islands in the Aegis in violation of international law. Against this background, Turkey has already started to question the sovereignty of the islands.

Greece is “very successful” in complaining when they are wrong. Greece has deployed military units and weapons systems on several islands in the East Aegean.

Turkey: Nationalists speak of “stolen” islands

The situation between neighboring countries and NATO members has been tense for weeks. Ankara argues that Greece is violating the Treaties of Lausanne (1923) and Paris (1947) by militarizing the islands. Athens, in turn, justifies the militarization with a threat from Ankara and the right of every state to self-defense. Recently, overflights of Turkish fighter jets over Greek islands had increased tensions

The head of the ultra-nationalist MHP party – partner of the ruling AKP – spoke last week of twelve islands that had been “stolen” from Turkey and had to be returned to their rightful owners.