Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on Greece to comply, as he put it, its obligations under international treaties regarding demilitarized islands, arguing that their militarization poses a “threat” to Turkey.
“We do not want Greece to become a pawn of those who seek to destabilize the region and plunge it into chaos. We want to have good neighborly relations,” Fidan told Turkish journalists during his visit to Damascus.
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The Turkish foreign minister noted that there should be no “misjudgments” on security issues and that both sides must prevent them. He added that Ankara has “very serious concerns” about the military deployment on certain islands and that it has already communicated its position to the Greek side.
“In particular, the militarization of islands that have a demilitarized status poses a threat to us,” Fidan argued. At the same time, he referred to the electoral process in Greece, claiming that “opposition to Turkey is historically widespread in Greek politics.”
Fidan further argued that, according to the Turkish position, Greece is taking actions contrary to its treaty obligations on islands that have been placed under a demilitarized status by international treaties. He noted that the issue has been part of the disputes in the Aegean since the 1960s and that Turkey has raised its objections both bilaterally and within NATO and the United Nations.
The Turkish Foreign Minister called on “neighbor and ally Greece” to fulfill its obligations “in a manner consistent with the spirit of the alliance and with greater maturity.”
“With so many security challenges around us, Greece should not add another one,” he said, noting, however, that Athens and Ankara must continue and strengthen the positive atmosphere that has been created for resolving their mutual problems.
In the same remarks, Fidan described Israel as the greatest potential threat to Syria’s stability, announced that the goal is to expand the “Mecca Alliance,” and regarding the S-400s, he noted that technical negotiations between the countries involved are continuing.
Source: CNA
