Turkish Foreign Minister says Ankara won’t accept Treaty of Lausanne

Following Turkish President Erdogan’s remarks, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has now also publicly disputed the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne that set borders with Greece and claims that some islands should be “returned” to Turkey.

Speaking before Turkey’s National Assembly, Cavusoglu said Ankara will not accept “de facto situations” in the Aegean Sea and that a number of interconnected problems remain in the Aegean between the two neighbouring countries.

“Among these problems is the question of sovereignty of certain islets and rocky formations, and the fact that there are no sea borders which are set by an international agreement between Turkey and Greece,” he said.

The Turkish foreign minister said the problem concerns the interpretation of articles of the Lausanne Treaty of 1923 and the Paris Treaty of 1947, adding that issues are currently discussed within the context of existing channels of communication between Ankara and Athens.

“Our country wants to find a fair solution to all problems within the framework of international law and taking into account its basic rights and interests,” Cavusoglu said.

“In this context, we have announced that we shall not accept de facto situations that Greece may attempt to create in geographical areas with disputed [territorial] status,” he said.