Greece’s Foreign Ministry vehemently rejected the latest Turkish demands for demilitarization of 16 islands and that it violates international law.
“It is at least hypocritical for a country that systematically violates the territorial integrity, sovereignty and sovereign rights of almost all of its neighboring countries, a country that threatens a neighbor and ally with war if it exercises its legal rights, a country that advertises the violation of the UN’s weapons embargo on Libya, to invoke international law,” the ministry said on Thursday.
“And it is natural that this country does not understand that its neighbors are obliged to take all measures for their legal defense throughout their territory, despite the fact that this right is enshrined in the UN Charter itself,” the statement added.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday that 16 out of 23 Greek islands should be demilitarized and accused Greece of violating international law.
IN its statement, the Greek Foreign Ministry expressed its concern that any calls by the international community for Turkey to respect international law “fall on deaf ears.”
