Türkiye continues its regular tactic challenging the rights and Greece’s jurisdiction in the Eastern Mediterranean prior to the meeting for the promotion of CBMs (Confidence-Building Measures).

See Also 

Israeli kicks Palestinian flag trapped with explosives

Yesterday afternoon competent Greek authorities of Heraklion Station issued a NAVTEX HA14 -354/25 for military activities in the area of Kastellorizo. Türkiye immediately responded by issuing its own announcement for the same exercise claiming that Greek authorities were in the wrong.

With NAVTEX 0394/24, Turkish officials declared that the Heraklion Station delivered an announcement concerning an area for which the responsibility of issuing a NAVTEX lies within Türkiye and that this was the reason for reissuing the announcement for NATO activity in the previously mentioned  area.

The Turkish Smyrna Station had circulated another NAVTEX (0391/24) on Friday, repeating the familiar claim of alleged obligation for the demilitarisation of the Greek islands of Ai Strati, Psara, Samothrace, Lemnos, Mytilene, Chios, Ikaria, Samos, Astypalea, Rhodes, Halki, Karpathos, Kasos, Tilos, Nisyros, Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos, Leipsoi, Symi, Kos, and Kastellorizo, going even further by demanding that these islands and their territorial waters be excluded from exercise planning.

Türkiye’s action, merged with threats, underlie the two marine parks that have aggravated the climate between the two countries further challenging talks between delegations that will be led by H. Lalakis and M. Aksapar in Athens today.

According to sources no further political drama will escalate and discussions will be limited to provide better communication between the Armed Forces of the two countries.