Kathimerini Greece Newsroom
Tensions between Greece and Turkey have returned to the forefront after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued fresh warnings over the militarisation of Greek islands, while Ankara also revived its objections concerning disputed areas in the Aegean.
The latest rhetoric has drawn particular attention in Athens because it follows closely on plans associated with Greece’s new “Achilles’ Shield” air defence programme and comes at a time of closer security cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Israel.
For Cyprus, developments are of particular relevance. Nicosia has increasingly developed defence and strategic ties with both Athens and Israel, while the Eastern Mediterranean remains an area of competing geopolitical interests involving Turkey, Greece and other regional powers.
Speaking after attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, Erdogan called on Greece to abandon what Ankara describes as the militarisation of islands with demilitarised status.
He also made comments interpreted in Greece as a reference to Kastellorizo, saying that if Turkey were simply to raise its voice from the town of Kas, “they would hear us” across the sea.
Kas lies on Turkey’s southern coast, directly opposite the Greek island of Kastellorizo.
Erdogan said Turkey wanted to maintain good-neighbourly relations with Greece but insisted that Ankara would “do whatever is necessary” to protect what it considers its rights.
“Turkey has no ambitions regarding anyone else’s territory, but it will not allow anyone to violate its own rights,” he said, according to reports of his remarks.
He warned Greece against interpreting what he described as Turkey’s calm approach as weakness and again demanded an end to the militarisation of certain eastern Aegean islands.
The comments have revived memories of the considerably sharper rhetoric exchanged between Athens and Ankara before the devastating February 2023 earthquakes in Turkey, when Erdogan repeatedly used the phrase that Turkish forces could “come suddenly one night”.
Diplomatic dispute over the Aegean
At the same time, Ankara has reportedly submitted a diplomatic note objecting to elements of Greece’s new Special Spatial Framework for Industry, including provisions relating to renewable energy projects in the Aegean.
Turkey has used the issue to restate its long-standing position on so-called “grey zones”, referring to geographical formations whose sovereignty Ankara claims has not been conclusively settled through international treaties.
According to Turkish media reports, Ankara warned against activities that it believes could alter the status quo in the Aegean and rejected what it described as attempts to advance territorial claims through environmental or planning initiatives.
Greece rejects the Turkish position and has repeatedly stated that there can be no discussion of its sovereignty or sovereign rights.
The dispute comes as Athens considers further infrastructure and energy projects in the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean, including plans for subsea electricity connections in areas where Turkey has asserted continental shelf claims.
Such projects are also closely watched in Cyprus, where the development of energy and electricity links with Greece and Israel has become an important strategic objective.
‘Achilles’ Shield’ adds to Turkish unease
Another important factor is Greece’s planned “Achilles’ Shield”, a multi-layered air defence system expected to incorporate advanced radar and weapons technology.
The programme has attracted attention in Turkey partly because of Greece’s expanding military cooperation with Israel. Reports have linked the project to the possible deployment of Israeli-made systems, including on Greek islands.
For Ankara, this cooperation takes on additional significance against the backdrop of increasingly strained relations between Turkey and Israel.
The growing security relationship involving Greece, Cyprus and Israel therefore gives the latest Greek-Turkish tensions a clear Eastern Mediterranean dimension.
Although Cyprus is not directly involved in the Aegean disputes, the island's geographic position and its defence partnerships mean that changes in the regional security environment are closely followed in Nicosia.
Turkish intelligence chief visited Athens
Despite Erdogan’s rhetoric, a recent visit to Athens by Ibrahim Kalin, the head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organisation, did not appear to produce an immediate crisis in bilateral relations.
Kalin met his Greek counterpart, Themis Demiris, before both officials travelled to the Maximos Mansion for talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
According to reports, Greek-Turkish relations were discussed, but Kalin did not deliver an ultimatum or convey a specific demand from Ankara.
The Turkish official was said to have adopted a reassuring tone, although Athens remains cautious about judging Ankara’s intentions solely on the basis of diplomatic contacts.
Activity near Kastellorizo
Erdogan’s latest intervention also followed the presence of the Turkish research vessel Tubitak Marmara south of Kastellorizo, in an area Ankara has incorporated into its Fethiye-Kas National Marine Park.
Turkey declared the marine park by presidential decree in August, covering an area close to the Kastellorizo island complex.
Meanwhile, Greece has reported continued violations of its national airspace, increasingly involving unmanned aerial vehicles. Eleven violations were recorded on Tuesday, according to Greek reports, involving a CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft and several drones.
Athens seeks EU support
Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis briefed his European Union counterparts on Turkey’s recent actions during an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Wicklow, Ireland.
He told fellow ministers that Greece remained committed to international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes but would not accept any compromise affecting its sovereignty or sovereign rights.
Gerapetritis also called for European solidarity in response to what Athens regards as aggressive actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean.
The Greek government is seeking to draw greater EU attention to security developments in the region at a time when much of the bloc's foreign policy focus remains fixed on Russia’s war against Ukraine.
For Cyprus, which has repeatedly sought stronger European engagement in Eastern Mediterranean security and in the island's own unresolved political situation, the Greek effort to place regional tensions more prominently on the EU agenda carries additional significance.
The immediate diplomatic contacts between Athens and Ankara suggest that neither side is currently signalling an imminent confrontation. Nevertheless, Erdogan’s renewed focus on the Greek islands, Turkey’s diplomatic objections and the changing defence partnerships in the Eastern Mediterranean indicate that familiar disputes between the two neighbours are once again becoming more prominent.
