Greece is sending close to 7000 military troops to its borders with Turkey, which includes islands in the Aegean and the north-eastern borders of Evros.
The announcement was made on Wednesaday, by National Defence Minister Panos Kammenos, from the island of Ikaria, where he observed a local military exercise.
According to the Minister, one half of the the soldiers would be placed at the Aegean Islands and the other half at Evros.
The move comes amid rising tensions with Turkey who has used provocative language against Greece in recent months and blocking attempts by Cyprus to exploit its natural resources within its legitimate exclusive economic zone.
"In the coming months, Greece will be transformed into a country developing its own natural resources, natural gas, and oil. That means that the responsibility to defend our country is extended to the borders of its economic zone, or several hundred miles in all directions. This means reorganisation and more means, which we will manage to acquire despite the crisis," he said.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the telephone on Wednesday and discussed the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East ahead of their trilateral summit with Cyprus.
