FM Spokesman Slams Davutoglu's Provocative Statements On The Aegean islands

Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras on Saturday slammed the comments made earlier last week by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu that appeared to question the Lausanne as well as Paris treaties.

    “There is no question or doubt whatsoever about the status of any island or islet in the Aegean,” said Delavekouras, adding that any outstanding issues have been settled by existing international agreements.

Responding to a parliamentary question from the Turkish Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Davutoglu more or less left it to be understood that several articles pertaining to the sovereignty and demilitarization of the Aegean islands were open to interpretation. In other words, he openly created grey zones in the Aegean, with a concentration on the islands of the Dodecanese.

Davutoglu said that "maritime borders in the Aegean with Greece, are not determined by a valid agreement in order to resolve problems between both sides."

Turkish MP, Lütfü Türkkan's who who had filed the question in the Parliament to Davutoglu, asked the incredible: He asked the Turkish FM to explain why after Sept. 9, 1922 when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his colleagues (threw) the Greek soldiers in the sea, the Greek Army decided to return to these islands after 90 years which he said are being "occupied" by Greece. The islands that he is referring to are Agathonisi Kalymnos, Fournoi, Farmakonisi, etc.

He then said that the presence of the Greek military is very evident on these islands, church bells rings, and the Greek flag is hoisted, "while there is only one mosque on one of these islands." . (!!!!!) .

    "Who allowed the Greek army to return? Is it true, that they were allowed return, and why?" He asked.

As shocking, and absurd, as all this sounds, Davutoglu's answer only adds more fuel to the fire. Tossing every international treaty and agreement his country has signed, The Turkish FM said that some of these islands and islets in the Aegean Sea, which are located between Greece and Turkey are connected with the "ownership of the Aegean", and that there is no such international agreement to establish these maritime boundaries between the two countries. (!!!!!!!)

And if that wasn't enough, he then criticized Greece for violating both the Treaty of Lausanne and Paris to disarm the Aegean islands.

Combined Reports - MFA, www.defencenet.gr