Athens, Greece – March 5, 2026 (Greek Foreign Ministry / GCT) – Greece swiftly dismissed Turkey’s accusations of violating the demilitarized status of Aegean islands, calling unilateral Turkish claims “unfounded” and repeatedly rejected, in response to Ankara’s criticism of Athens’ deployment of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to the southeastern Aegean island of Karpathos.
The exchange escalated tensions between the NATO allies amid heightened regional instability caused by the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran, including Iranian drone retaliations that struck a British base in Cyprus earlier this week.
Greek Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lana Zochiou posted on X: “Unilateral claims regarding the demilitarization of the Aegean islands are unfounded and have been repeatedly rejected in their entirety. The status of the Greek islands of the eastern Aegean is governed by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the 1936 Montreux Convention and the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty, to which Turkey is not even a contracting party. These treaties leave no doubt regarding the status of the islands.”
Zochiou further emphasized: “Greece’s defensive posture is non-negotiable. The state of war in our wider neighborhood requires the country to maintain the necessary defensive preparedness. The prevailing uncertainty and the risk of further escalation of the war call for prudence and restraint, not ineffective statements.”
Her remarks directly countered Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Öncü Keçeli’s earlier X post, where he described recent statements questioning the islands’ demilitarized status as “unserious, unfortunate and ill-timed,” insisting there is “no room for debate regarding the objective legal status of the Eastern Aegean Islands and the Dodecanese Islands.” Keçeli referenced the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and 1947 Treaty of Paris as establishing non-military status, accusing certain parties of attempting to create a “new fait accompli” and poisoning bilateral relations.
The Greek deployment of Patriot batteries to Karpathos (announced earlier this week and reportedly underway or completed) forms part of broader defensive measures, including sending frigates and F-16 jets to Cyprus under the Greece-Cyprus Unified Defence Doctrine. These steps aim to bolster air defenses against potential spillover threats like drones or missiles from the Middle East crisis, with Karpathos strategically positioned to bridge coverage between the Greek mainland and Cyprus.
Greece maintains that its sovereign right to defensive deployments does not breach treaty obligations, viewing Turkish objections as revisionist and unfounded. Ankara has long interpreted the treaties as prohibiting military fortifications or significant presence on the islands, while Athens argues the provisions allow for defensive necessities and that Turkey lacks standing on certain aspects.
The dispute revives longstanding Aegean frictions over demilitarization, sovereignty, maritime zones, and exclusive economic rights—issues that have periodically flared despite recent efforts at dialogue between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
No immediate escalation was reported, but both sides urged restraint. Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias separately affirmed that national defenses, including the Karpathos Patriots, provide sufficient protection against regional threats, with no confirmed drone risks near Greek territory.
The developments underscore how the Middle East war is amplifying pre-existing bilateral strains in the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean, even as NATO allies coordinate on broader security.