Following the “concerns” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed to the French and US Presidents about the French Rafale and the American military base in Alexandroupolis respectively, the Turkish Ministry of Defence also chimed in yesterday calling for the demilitarisation of the islands and questioning Greece’s defence agreements with the US and France.
“Greece is trying to turn the problems between the two countries into a Turkey-EU, Turkey-US issue through the agreements it has made with France and the USA,” said Pinar Kara, a spokeswoman for the Turkish Defence Ministry.
The Greek approach of forming alliances within NATO, seeking equipment and support from NATO countries “harms both the spirit of solidarity of NATO and bilateral relations” said Ms. Kara adding that “Greece has committed 2,000 violations this year over the Greek islands with their the non-demilitarized status.”
“Despite our calls, in the spirit good neighbourly relations, Greece continues to maintain a non-demilitarised regime in the Eastern Aegean Islands, contrary to its obligations arising from international agreements,” Kara noted.
Kara also referred to the Cyprus issue, reiterating Ankara’s position on a two-state solution.
“It must be made clear that a solution is not possible with already tried methods. Negotiations for a solution cannot proceed until their is acceptance that there are two equal, sovereign and independent states in Cyprus.”
