Escalating provocations, the Turkish side proceeded to issue a new NAVTEX from the Izmir station with revisionist references to the Treaty of Lausanne, bringing back its baseless claims regarding the “demilitarization” status of islands which clearly contradict International Law. According to the text, “the Islands of Thasos, Agios Efstratios, Psara, Samothrace, Lemnos, Lesvos, Chios, Ikaria, Samos, Astypalea, Rhodes, Halki, Karpathos, Kasos, Tilos, Nisyros, Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos, Lipsi, Symi, Kos, Kastellorizo are under permanent demilitarization status according to the decision of the London Conference of February 13, 1914, the Lausanne Peace Treaty of 1923 and the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947. Therefore, military activities are not permitted to be conducted in the territorial waters of these islands“.
Read: Armed forces: Surprise readiness exercise in Evros and Aegean
It should be noted that the Turkish NAVTEX was issued against the backdrop of the readiness exercise being conducted by the Greek Armed Forces since dawn, with the activation of a joint rapid response force, which will last throughout today.
Turkish provocations: Full text of the NAVTEX
TURNHOS N/W: 0880/25
AEGEAN SEA – MEDITERRANEAN SEA
The Islands of Thasos, Agios Efstratios, Psara, Samothrace, Lemnos, Lesvos, Chios, Ikaria, Samos, Astypalea, Rhodes, Halki, Karpathos, Kasos, Tilos, Nisyros, Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos, Lipsi, Symi, Kos, Kastellorizo are under permanent demilitarization status according to the decision of the London Conference of February 13, 1914, the Lausanne Peace Treaty of 1923 and the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947. Therefore, military activities are not permitted to be conducted in the territorial waters of these islands.
Nevertheless, from time to time, certain stations broadcast nautical warnings stating that military activities will be conducted in areas that include the territorial waters of the aforementioned islands, which may endanger navigation safety and violate international treaties.
Caution is advised against such activities, as they constitute a violation and may endanger navigation safety.
Greek readiness exercise in Evros and Aegean
Surprise execution of a joint readiness exercise of the Armed Forces was ordered in Evros and the Aegean in the early morning hours of Wednesday following orders from the Chief of General Staff, General Dimitrios Choupis.
The objective of the Armed Forces exercise is to enhance operational readiness through the evaluation of procedures for implementing special plans, within the framework of the General Staff’s operational planning. Indeed, the exercise is conducted within the area of responsibility of the Chief of General Staff and covers sections of maritime and land space, including areas in Evros and the Aegean. For the implementation of the activity, the joint readiness force was activated, with participation of personnel and assets from the three branches of the Armed Forces, as well as from the Special Warfare Command (SWC) of the General Staff.
It is worth noting that the Armed Forces readiness exercise in Evros and the Aegean cannot be considered merely coincidental, as it takes place in the aftermath of Turkey’s new provocative move, with Ankara deploying the oceanographic vessel “Piri Reis” in the Aegean. This particular move reveals the neighbor’s intention to sabotage a potential Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting in New York next week during the UN session. A meeting that, according to well-informed sources at parapolitika.gr, “has not been finalized yet“. However, people with knowledge of developments argue that the reappearance of the “Piri Reis” could signal the “burial” of the Athens Declaration signed by Mitsotakis and Erdogan in December 2023, which aimed to end the continuous tensions between the two neighboring states.
