Greece's Foreign Ministry fired back at Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday, rejecting his claims that Gre...

Greece's Foreign Ministry fired back at Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday, rejecting his claims that Greek island militarization threatens regional stability and calling Turkey's complaints legally baseless. The ministry's statement was direct: Greece shapes its foreign policy independently and is not being "weaponized" by anyone to destabilize the region. Athens said Turkey's repeated demands for demilitarization of Aegean islands have no foundation in international law and have been categorically rejected multiple times. The status of the Eastern Aegean islands, Greece said, is clearly defined by existing international treaties. As a sovereign state, Greece has every right to take whatever measures are necessary to exercise its right to self-defense. The sharpest part of the response came at the end. The ministry called it contradictory for Turkey to label Greek defensive measures a "threat" while Turkey itself continues to maintain an active casus belli, a formal threat of war, against Greece in the event Athens exercises its legal sovereign rights over its own territory. That threat has been on the books for decades and Greece made clear it has not been forgotten. Athens said it remains committed to good neighborly relations and dialogue, but only on the condition that Turkey fully respects international law and drops its threats and unfounded claims. #GreeceTurkey #Aegean #GreekForeignPolicy