Germany to Turkey: Greek islands are Greek territory

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
29 Jul 2022 19:35
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The German FM addresses Turkey saying no one has the right to query the fact that Greek islands are Greek territory.

Germany slams Turkey over land dispute with Greece

The German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock slammed Turkey over the disputed islands located in the Aegean sea. While meeting on Friday in Athens with officials from Greece and Turkey, she sided with Greece's side, stating that the "Greek islands are Greek territory, and no one has the right to query this."

Turkey has stepped up its criticism of Greece since Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke to the US Congress last May, during which he openly criticized Turkey without giving prior notice.

Turkish pro-government media interpreted the speech as an appeal to Washington not to supply the F-16 fighter jets it requested from the US.

Turkish authorities also accused the Greeks of establishing a military presence in the islands of the Aegean Sea in violation, according to them, of two treaties.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu reiterated on Tuesday that Ankara would challenge Greece's sovereignty over the islands if it continued to send troops there.

“Greece has violated the status of these islands and must disarm them. Otherwise, a debate on their sovereignty will begin,” he told the Anatolia news agency.

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The German Foreign Minister suggested that NATO members should collectively channel their efforts into supporting Ukraine while singling out Russian President Vladimir Putin for his country's intervention.

“For me, it is clear that we must solve conflicts between NATO partners in dialogue. Disputes in the ranks of the alliance are exactly what the Russian president wants, so that will be my message in Istanbul this afternoon as well," she said. "That includes respecting each other’s sovereignty.''

Commenting on the refugee crisis in Greece, Baerbock added that EU countries need to do more to ensure that the right to apply for asylum was upheld at the bloc's external borders.