Turkey complains Greece militarizing Chios; extends drilling activity off Cyprus

Turkey complains that Greece has been militarizing the island of Chios in a move that runs counter to a historic treaty, while at the same time, Ankara has announced the extension of drilling activity in the disputed Mediterranean waters.

The Turkish Naval Forces Office for Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography (OHNO) made the announcement regarding the militarization of Chios in a navigational telex on Tuesday.

Chios is located across from Turkey’s Izmir Province.

Turkey is opposed to Greece’s military deployment to islands in the Aegean Sea, considering it a provocation, and a threat to peace and security in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

The rearming of the demilitarized Aegean islands has always been a thorny issue between the two neighbors. Turkey argues that under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the final treaty concluding World War I, Greece has no right to militarize the Aegean islands.

Greece, however, cites the more recent 1936 Montreux Convention on Turkish Straits to defend its deployments. Turkey contests that argument too, saying the demilitarized status remains the same under the convention.

Also on Tuesday, Turkey issued a new maritime notice to extend the operations of an energy drilling ship in the disputed Mediterranean waters off Cyprus.

The new notice was issued for the Yavuz drilling ship, extending its operations until October 12.

According to the notice, Yavuz will be escorted by three other Turkish ships, and “all vessels are strongly advised not to enter” the area where they operate.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, with the northern third run by a Turkish Cypriot administration recognized only by Turkey and the southern two-thirds governed by the internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot government.

ME