Greece has rejected Turkey’s accusations of violating international treaties in the Aegean, dismissing Ankara’s protests over the deployment of Patriot missiles to the island of Karpathos as “unfounded and unilateral.”
The diplomatic rift has widened as the spillover from the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran reaches the Eastern Mediterranean.
Earlier this week, Turkey deployed six F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems to the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus.
Ankara billed the move as a "legitimate, balanced security approach" to counter threats from the regional war.
Greek Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Lana Zohiou said that Greece’s defensive stand is non-negotiable and strictly compliant with international law.
Ms. Zohiou said that the status of the eastern Aegean islands is governed by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the 1947 Treaty of Paris—the latter of which Turkey is not even a party to.
"The prevailing uncertainty and risk of further escalation in the war call for prudence and composure, not for baseless claims," Ms. Zohiou said during a briefing for diplomatic correspondents.
The surge in military activity follows a drone attack on the British RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus last week.
In response, Greece dispatched four F-16V fighter jets and two frigates to the Republic of Cyprus to bolster the island's defenses.
Greek officials said that supporting Nicosia is a "historical obligation" and a purely defensive reaction to the deteriorating security environment.
Turkey, acting as a guarantor power, countered that Greece is exploiting the regional crisis to militarize islands that should remain demilitarized.
Still,, Athens maintains that the right to self-defense is enshrined in the U.N. Charter, especially as foreign outside forces increasingly influence the regional stability of the Eastern Mediterranean.
By Antonis Telopoulos