Greece issued a tough response to claims made by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu who disputed the status of some Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, as Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Gennimatas promptly rejected his statement.

“The legal status of the Aegean and the islands is clearly defined by international treaties and there is no dispute. The constant repetition of arbitrary claims or interpretations of International Maritime Law in no way alters the unfounded or unlawful character of these claims,” he said replying to a question by a reporter.

He continued by pointing out that Greece had chosen the path of legality, and hoped Turkey would do the same.

The Turkish Foreign Minister had claimed during a televised interview that “there are islands whose sovereignty has not been established either in the Lausanne Treaty or in the Peace Treaty of 1948. That is why we are seeking exploratory contacts to resolve these issues. In order for Kardak (Imia) not to have a crisis again, that’s why we are discussing these issues with Greece.”