Türkiye condemns attempts to undermine Aegean islands’ demilitarized status

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye on Thursday criticized attempts to undermine the demilitarized status of the Aegean islands, calling them “unserious, unfortunate and ill-timed.”

The country’s Foreign Ministry said the legal status of the Eastern Aegean islands and the Dodecanese is not a “debatable issue” within the framework of the Treaty of Lausanne, signed in 1923, and the Paris Peace Treaty, signed in 1947.

“Given this reality, it is not surprising that certain circles, seeking to exploit the latest developments in our region and consistently attempting to poison our bilateral relations with our NATO ally Greece, are once again trying to create a new fait accompli,” the ministry’s spokesman Oncu Keceli said.

“Any steps taken by these circles, which accuse Türkiye of revisionism while themselves acting contrary to international law, will be considered null and void.

“Even more striking is the fact that the same mentality which in the past attempted to collectively eliminate the Turkish Cypriots, co-owners of the island of Cyprus, now claims that it will protect them,” he warned.

Keceli said Turkish Cypriots and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, with Türkiye’s support, are capable of ensuring their own security and acting independently in doing so.

Stressing the importance of “a sincere commitment to peace and stability” amid developments in the region, Keceli said Ankara will not permit “faits accomplis by those who, driven by domestic political motives, have made a habit of making unfounded claims and spreading disinformation against our country.”

He called on them to act with common sense.