Erdoğan warns Greece over Aegean islands
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned Greece to stop arming the Aegean islands, saying Ankara has no territorial ambitions but will not tolerate what it considers violations of Türkiye’s rights.
“Greece should reverse course and stop arming demilitarized islands,” Erdoğan told journalists while returning from Kyrgyzstan, where he attended a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
Erdoğan said Türkiye wanted to maintain good-neighborly relations with Greece but warned Athens against interpreting Ankara’s restrained approach as weakness.
“History is a good guide for those who can learn from the past,” he said.
Ankara cites international treaties
Türkiye argues that Greece is required to keep several eastern Aegean islands demilitarized under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty.
Greece disputes that interpretation, citing what it describes as a security threat from Türkiye and asserting its right to defend its territory under international law.
The two NATO members have also recently clashed over maritime boundaries and the declaration of marine parks in the Aegean.
Türkiye has declared marine parks in areas including waters between Kaş and Fethiye, prompting objections from Athens over their potential implications for maritime claims.
Tensions persist despite rapprochement
Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis have held several meetings over the past two years as the two countries sought to improve relations after decades of tensions.
The diplomatic rapprochement, however, has done little to resolve their longstanding disputes over maritime borders, territorial waters and the status of the Aegean islands.
Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue working for “peace, security and stability” but insisted that Ankara would defend its rights.
The dispute has gained additional significance following a €3 billion defense agreement signed Monday between Greece and Israel. Under the deal, Israel is expected to build a multilayered air-defense system for Greece, while a separate €26 million agreement covers Drone Dome systems designed to counter drones and protect strategic sites.
Erdoğan backs wider regional alliances
Erdoğan also used his remarks to outline Türkiye’s efforts to expand strategic ties beyond its traditional Western alliances.
He said Ankara wanted to take its relationship with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to a higher level, emphasizing that closer ties with the bloc did not mean turning away from the West.
“Türkiye is a country capable of developing balanced relations with both the West and the East,” he said, describing the policy as a 360-degree approach.
Türkiye is currently a dialogue partner of the organization.
Putin talks focus on Ukraine
Erdoğan also held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit, describing the meeting as productive.
The two leaders discussed the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with Erdoğan saying Türkiye remained ready to support efforts toward peace.
He also raised maritime security in the Black Sea after several Turkish commercial vessels came under fire in recent months.
Erdoğan called for a mechanism to provide lasting security for commercial shipping, warning that the conflict should not further undermine civilian and trade security.
Ankara advances defense alliance
Erdoğan separately discussed Türkiye’s emerging defense cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, describing a trilateral meeting in Istanbul as an important step toward developing the alliance.
Officials are working on establishing a permanent secretariat and expanding cooperation in defense industries, military training, standardization and intelligence sharing.
Erdoğan said the alliance was intended to strengthen regional stability and security.
PKK disarmament process moves forward
On Türkiye’s initiative to establish a “terror-free Türkiye,” Erdoğan said there was no fixed timetable but confirmed that government institutions were working according to a roadmap.
Türkiye’s Parliament recently approved legislation establishing procedures for members of the PKK to lay down their arms and surrender as the organization moves toward dissolution and disarmament.
Erdoğan said implementation would depend on the PKK actually disarming and disbanding, adding that the process would proceed step by step.
Ankara also views the dissolution and integration of the YPG, which it identifies as the Syrian branch of the PKK, as a key element of the initiative.
Erdoğan welcomed an agreement between the YPG and Syria’s new administration on integrating the group into the Syrian army, saying Ankara wanted Syria to remain united.
“The chapter of terrorism must now be closed; the era of weapons and violence must come to an end,” he said.
Türkiye pursues return to F-35 program
Erdoğan also said talks with Washington were continuing over Türkiye’s potential return to the F-35 fighter jet program.
He said Ankara remained committed to resolving the dispute through diplomacy but would continue developing its domestically produced Kaan fighter and other defense systems.
“While we pursue diplomatic efforts, we won’t abandon the development of our Kaan fighter jet,” Erdoğan said, adding that Türkiye was diversifying its defense capabilities to strengthen its strategic independence.
Source:AA
