Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias urged a change in what he called “Türkiye-centric” policies while he himself sought to fuel antagonism with the neighboring country.
In a speech on Tuesday in Athens, Dendias claimed Türkiye had no rights in the continental shelf in the Aegean Sea despite counterclaims by Ankara.
“Turkey is not – and must not become – our primary concern,” Dendias said in a speech at the 3rd International Conference on Maritime Security. He also urged concentration on boosting defense capability to deter “any threat from neighbors.” Dendias’ speech, ironically, became Türkiye-centric as he warned that Türkiye’s “incursion” would face a robust response thanks to the growing capacity of missiles Greece had.
Türkiye, which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, rejects the maritime boundary claims of Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, arguing that their excessive claims violate the sovereign rights of both Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
In March, the Turkish Defense Ministry accused Greece of violating international treaties governing the status of several Aegean islands, warning that Athens’ recent initiatives undermine bilateral relations and contradict the legal framework established by international agreements. Speaking at the ministry’s weekly press briefing in Ankara, Defense Ministry spokesperson Zeki Aktürk said Greek actions regarding the islands run counter to provisions set out in the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty, which require certain islands to remain demilitarized.
“The initiatives by Greece that violate the status of the islands contrary to duly concluded treaties both create legal violations and damage our neighborly and allied relations,” Aktürk said.
He noted that the Eastern Aegean islands were transferred to Greece under the Lausanne Treaty and the Paris Peace Treaty on the condition that they remain demilitarized. According to the ministry, islands such as Limnos and Karpathos fall under provisions requiring them to maintain a demilitarized status.
The ministry said any actions that alter this status constitute a breach of the agreements and stressed that unilateral steps cannot legally terminate the demilitarized provisions established by international treaties. “These fait accompli attempts do not lead to the unilateral termination of the demilitarized status,” the ministry said in a statement.
Turkish officials also accused Greece of attempting to use regional tensions to advance its own positions.
“We do not accept Greece’s initiatives that do not serve a genuine purpose and aim to turn the crises in our region into opportunities,” the ministry said, adding that Ankara has taken the necessary measures in response.
It was previously stated that Greece aims to deploy five different types of missile systems on Aegean islands and near the Turkish-Greek land border under the "Achilles’ Shield" project.
