The death of Aydan Erol at the age of 86 has brought renewed attention to…
Tag: Imia Crisis
On January 31, 2026—marking exactly 30 years since the tragic Imia/Kardak crisis of 1996—Greek Prime…
Athens police have banned public gatherings in the city centre ahead of the 30th anniversary…
The Imia/Kardak crisis of 1995–1996 brought Greece and Turkey to the brink of war over two tiny Aegean islets. It all started on December 26, 1995, when the Turkish cargo ship Figen Akat ran aground on Imia, sparking a sovereignty dispute rooted in treaties from 1923 and 1932. What began as a minor maritime incident escalated into flag wars, media frenzy, and military mobilization by late January 1996, ending only after intense US diplomacy averted conflict. Greek City Times revisits how a Christmas grounding ignited one of the most dangerous modern Aegean standoffs.
Thomas Niles, US Ambassador to Greece from 1993-1997, died at 85 from cancer, his brother announced. During his tenure, Niles managed the 1996 Imia crisis, a Greek-Turkish dispute over Aegean islets that risked escalation. He later criticized the US’s neutral stance, despite knowing Greece’s stronger legal position, for worsening tensions.
Voice of Logic leader Afroditi Latinopoulou has condemned the four days of national mourning declared for former Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, citing his handling of the Imia crisis, the 1990s stock market crash, and the extradition of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan to Turkey. She criticized New Democracy for honoring a figure they once labeled the “high priest of corruption.
The Imia/Kardak crisis of 1995–1996 brought Greece and Turkey to the brink of war over two tiny Aegean islets. It all started on December 26, 1995, when the Turkish cargo ship Figen Akat ran aground on Imia, sparking a sovereignty dispute rooted in treaties from 1923 and 1932. What began as a minor maritime incident escalated into flag wars, media frenzy, and military mobilization by late January 1996, ending only after intense US diplomacy averted conflict. Greek City Times revisits how a Christmas grounding ignited one of the most dangerous modern Aegean standoffs.
