Greece lodges letter to UN outlining Turkey’s unsubstantiated objections to militarised Greek islands

The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has received a letter from Greece that completely deconstructs Turkey’s unilateral and unsubstantiated objections to the status of Greece's Aegean Islands, according to Greek diplomatic sources.

It is recalled that on September 30, Turkey had sent a letter to the UN in an attempt to make a case for the demilitarisation of the Greek islands. Now, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Themistoklis Demiris has sent Antonio Guterres the position of Athens.

According to reports, the letter emphasises that the Turkish allegations are a new development that seriously undermines regional peace and stability.

The Turkish claims that Greek sovereignty over the islands of the eastern Aegean is dependent on their demilitarisation are characterized as “legally, historically and factually unsupported”.

Athens emphasises that all islands have full rights in all maritime zones without the slightest legal dispute.

It cites two legal cases before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, one between Cambodia and Thailand, and the other between Libya and Chad.

The letter also stressed that it reaffirmed Turkey’s persistent practice of raising issues that have no legal basis, “a practice that adds to the instability that this country causes with its actions”.

It is recalled that in recent days Ankara has escalated tensions towards Athens, both in terms of rhetoric and its moves. Yesterday, a small Turkish research vessel sailed in the middle of the Aegean to start research activities between Lesvos, Chios and Lemnos, after the issue of a relevant NAVTEX.

At the same time, on Tuesday night, two Turkish F-16s flew over the small Greek islands of Oinousses and Panagia.

It was preceded by Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s personal attack on Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with the Turkish president angrily declaring that he was cutting off all contact with the Greek prime minister as he “no longer exists” for him.

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