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The Turkish Naval Forces Office for Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography announced on September 16 new navigational telex (NAVTEX), accusing Greece of militarizing the island of Chios in a violation of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.
On the same day Turkey announced a NAVTEX to extend the Yavuz drillship’s activities in Eastern Mediterranean to October 12.
The treaty officially settled the conflict that had originally existed between the Ottoman Empire and the allies, including Greece. It defined the borders of the modern Turkish Republic.
On September 13, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar accused Greece of arming 18 out of 23 Aegean Sea islands. The minister said the step was meant to escalate tensions and sabotage dialogue.
“According to our understanding, tension, provocation do not help anyone, especially Greece,” Akar said, calling on Greece to put aside “provocative behavior.”
Turkey’s drilling operations in Eastern Mediterranean and its last maritime agreement with the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) challenged the current naval border of Greece. This pushed Athena into taking serious military measures in the region.
Both Ankara and Athena have signaled a willingness to start talks on Eastern Mediterranean. However, the crisis is still apparently far from over.
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