The Greek Foreign Ministry issued a harsh statement in response to the unfounded claims by the Turkish Defence Minister, Hulusi Akar that Greece had illegally armed 16 islands in the Aegean Sea urged Greece to demilitarise them.

“It is at least hypocritical for a country that systematically violates the territorial integrity, and sovereignty of almost all of its neighbouring countries, a country that threatens a neighbour and ally with war if it exercises its legal rights, a country that touts it is violating the UN weapons embargo on Libya, to be invoking international law.

And it is natural that such a country cannot realise how its neighbours are forced to take every measure of their legal defence for their territory, despite the fact that this right is enshrined in the UN Charter itself, that is, the gospel of international law.

We continue to have legitimate concerns as despite the international community constantly urges this country to respect international law thιs encouragement is falling on deaf ears.”