Turkey Calls Militarization of Greek Aegean Islands a Threat

Turkey considers the militarization of Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, which Ankara considers subject to demilitarization under international treaties, a threat to its security.

Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister, made the statement while speaking with Anadolu Agency journalists.

During a visit to Syria on September 13-14, the minister said Ankara had “very serious concerns” about the deployment of weapons and military infrastructure on the islands.

“The arming of islands that have demilitarized status is a threat to us,” Fidan said.

He noted that Turkey had repeatedly conveyed its position to Greece through bilateral diplomatic channels and had also raised the issue with NATO and the United Nations.

According to Fidan, the dispute over the islands’ status has remained a key element of Greek-Turkish disagreements in the Aegean Sea since the 1960s.

The Turkish minister also called on Greece to comply with its treaty obligations and avoid creating additional security problems amid instability in the region. At the same time, Fidan said Turkey was interested in good-neighborly relations with Greece and continuing positive momentum in bilateral relations.

Dispute Over the Islands

Turkey considers several islands in the eastern Aegean to be subject to restrictions on military presence under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty.

Ankara includes Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Ikaria, Lemnos, Samothrace, and the Dodecanese islands among them. The Turkish Foreign Ministry claims that Greece is violating its obligations by deploying military forces and weapons there.

Greece rejects this interpretation of the international treaties. On September 4, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said that Athens would not give up its “sovereign right to have whatever defense force structure it chooses” and does not consider the defense of the islands a subject for negotiations with Turkey.

Athens maintains that the status of Lemnos and Samothrace changed following the adoption of the 1936 Montreux Convention, while the Treaty of Lausanne does not require the complete demilitarization of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, and Ikaria, but only imposes specific restrictions on military infrastructure and troop numbers.

Regarding the Dodecanese, Greece recognizes the demilitarization provisions of the Paris Treaty but points out that Turkey is not a party to it. Greece also invokes its right to self-defense in the face of threats to its territory.

On January 12, 2025, Greece strengthened its air force with the final of 24 Dassault Rafale fighter jets it had ordered. These aircraft form the backbone of the Greek Air Force’s 332nd Squadron, the only unit responsible for patrols in the Aegean Sea and eastern Mediterranean areas within its area of responsibility.