Turkey calls on Greece to demilitarize Aegean islands

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey has called on Greece to withdraw its armed forces from Aegean islands, warning that his country will challenge the status of the islands if it fails to demilitarize them. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused Greece on Tuesday of building a military presence on the islands in violation of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the 1947 Paris Treaty. He said the islands were ceded to Greece on condition that they be kept demilitarized. The minister’s comments come amid a new escalation in tensions between the NATO allies. Greece argues that Turkey has deliberately misinterpreted the treaties regarding armed forces on its eastern islands and says it has legal grounds to defend itself following hostile actions by Ankara.