Turkey protests US, Greece over ‘violating non-military status’ of Aegean Greek islands
Eastern Mediterranean conflict is steadily turning into a fresh strain in already-troubled US-Turkey ties, as Erdogan lashes out at Washington and Athens over the military buildup in the Dodecanese islands.
The US and Greek ambassadors to Turkey have been summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry in Ankara in a protest against the deployment of US-made armored military vehicles on two Aegean islands, in what Ankara describes as a violation of several international agreements.
In a protest note delivered to the Greek ambassador today, Ankara demanded Athens stop these violations, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu News Agency reported, citing the Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
Ankara also asked Washington to comply with the non-military status of the Dodecanese Islands and take necessary measures to prevent the use of US-made military equipment in these violations, in a similar note handed over to the US Embassy, the report added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at both Washington and Athens after a Cabinet meeting today.
