Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a warning to Greece over allegations that Athens is militarising the eastern Aegean Sea islands. Erdogan vowed to respond should the policy continue.
The eastern Aegean Sea islands were transferred to Greece from Italy after the end of the Second World War under the 1947 Paris Treaty. Alongside the 1923 Lausanne Peace Treaty, the Paris Treaty contained guarantees that the Dodecanese Islands, located close to Turkey's shores, will remain demilitarised.
"We warn Greece to stay away from dreams and actions that it will regret, and to come to its senses. Turkey won't give up on its rights in the Aegean, in the same way that it will not stand back from using its rights stemming from international agreements. I'm not joking, I'm speaking seriously. This nation is determined", Erdogan threatened.
Ankara insists that Greece is violating international treaties by continuing weapon deployments to the islands. Athens, however, disagrees and claims that Turkey intentionally misinterprets the joint treaties. It maintains that its activities are a response to constant war threats from Turkey, and that Greece is merely defending itself following alleged hostility from Ankara.
Spokesman for the Greek government Giannis Oikonomou stated that Athens was responding to Turkey's "provocation" calmly and with "determination".
"It is clear to everyone that our country has upgraded its geostrategic and geopolitical footprint as well as its deterrent capacity to be able at any time to defend its national sovereignty and sovereign rights", he explained.
The row over the Dodecanese Islands' status is far from the only one between NATO members Greece and Turkey.
Several years ago, the two clashed over Ankara's moves to start oil and gas shale exploration off the Cypriot coast despite protests from not just Athens but other NATO allies, which condemned Turkey's behaviour.
Ankara dismissed the protests and continued exploration, claiming it had the right to do so based on the territorial claims of its de-facto satellite, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, where it continues to house numerous military bases.
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