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Aegean islands militarized as long as Turkey preserves “casus belli”

Defensive and military shielding of the Aegean islands is Greece’s commitment against Turkey’s provocations as for as long the Turkish casus belli is in effect, President Prokopis Pavlopoulos to Ankara’s reiterating calls of demilitarization.

“Let Turkey well understand that any form of defensive shielding of our islands in the Aegean – including, of course, their military shielding – is not only our right but also our commitment against Turkey’s provocation,” Pavlopoulos said on Monday.

“This right is clearly based, in particular, on Article 51 of the UN Charter, which gives to the states the right to preventive defense even in the event of an imminent threat, and in the case of Greece, the imminent threat from Turkey is self-evident,” not only because of the day-to-day provocations and threats, the President said recalling the Turkish “casus belli” against Greece.

“In a manner completely contrary to international law, Turkey preserves the ‘casus belli’ for the fully legal extension of our territorial waters,” Pavlopoulos stressed.

“We also make it clear to Turkey – and to every other direction – that our national sovereignty, in all its forms, is always non-negotiable,” Pavlopoulos said.

“grey zones’ do not exist in the Aegean, as this is totally clear as provided in the international and European law,” Pavlopolos underlined.

In June 1995, the Turkish parliament officially declared that unilateral actions by Greece would constitute a casus belli, i.e. reason to justify a war.

Turkey took this decision after the International Law of the Sea was modified and Greece expressed its intention to extend its territorial waters from 6 to 12 nautical miles.

In October 2018, Greece announced its intention to extend its territorial waters in specific areas in the Ionian Sea. Immediately the Turkish government stated that in no way, would it allow the extension of Greece’s territorial waters, as the casus belli continues to apply..

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