Stop militarising Aegean islands, Turkey’s Erdogan tells Greece
Al JazeeraDec 27, 2021
The Facts
On Thurs., Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned Greece to halt arming islands in the Aegean Sea which are designated with non-military status.
Affirming that he's "not joking," Erdoğan alleged that Greece is violating numerous treaties guaranteeing the unarmed status of the islands, and that Athens has been building a military presence in the maritime region.
The Spin
Narrative A
Türkiye is purposely misinterpreting documents to pressure Greece into leaving the Aegean islands unprotected. The whole situation seems to be a propaganda stunt by Erdoğan and increases tensions in the region at a time when NATO cohesion is vital.
Narrative B
Greece is acting in bad faith with its actions in the Aegean Sea. When these islands were ceded from Ankara to Athens, it was agreed that they would never be militarized. Greek posturing will only enflame regional tensions.
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