Greek militarism in the East Aegean Islands disregards major treaty obligations

  • Date: 23-Apr-2020
  • Source: Middle East Monitor
  • Sector:Defense
  • Country:GCC
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Greek militarism in the East Aegean Islands disregards major treaty obligations

The "demilitarised status of the Eastern Aegean Islands" has been the accepted legal status quo in the long-running dispute between Greece and Turkey.. The re-arming of the Aegean islands has always been a hot issue between the two countries, especially since the 1960s when relations between Ankara and Athens soured over the Cyprus question and extended to Greek claims over Aegean airspace and territorial waters.. According to Admiral Yaycı, Greece destroyed the demilitarised status of the islands and this affected the relevant sections of the Lausanne and Paris agreements. ". The Greek government destroyed the balance of the Lausanne Treaty," he wrote in his book.. Despite Turkish objections, the Greek government has been violating the status of the islands in the Eastern Aegean since the 1960s in clear contravention of its treaty obligations.. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor..