Turkey Condemns Greece’s Patriot Deployment in Karpathos

Turkey has raised tensions in the Eastern Aegean, following a similar announcement early last week,  reacting strongly to Greece’s deployment of Patriot missile systems in Karpathos and the presence of F-16 fighter jets on Lemnos.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense issued a statement expressing “serious concern,” describing the Greek military moves as a violation of international treaties governing the islands. According to Ankara, these actions breach agreements intended to keep certain islands demilitarized, specifically referencing the Treaty of Lausanne (1923) for Lemnos and the Paris Peace Treaties (1947) for Karpathos.

The statement emphasizes that the islands were transferred to Greece on the explicit condition that they remain free of military installations. Turkey considers any unilateral attempt to change this status a fundamental legal violation that cannot terminate the demilitarized status.

Ankara also warned that Greece’s actions could harm relations with neighboring countries and NATO allies, particularly at a time of ongoing regional security crises. The ministry accused Greece of exploiting these tensions strategically and stated that Turkey is taking “all necessary measures” to address the situation.

Athens responded by noting that the Turkish statement has already been addressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in recent days. Officials also highlighted that during the recent talks between Gerapetritis and Fidan, Karpathos and Cyprus were not discussed, signaling that Greece considers the matter settled diplomatically.