Turkish security council to discuss Greek islands as top agenda

Turkey’s National Security Council is meeting on Wednesday to discuss recent developments concerning Greek islands as the key issue amid escalating tensions between Greece and Turkey, state-run TRT reported.

Turkish media outlets reported that the National Security Council to be presided by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would discuss a recent deployment of armoured combat vehicles to the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos.

On Sunday, Turkish media reports said that Greece sent 23 armoured vehicles to Lesbos island and 18 others to Samos island. Turkish officials said the deployment is in violation of the islands’ non-military status according to international law.

On Monday, Ankara summoned the Greek ambassador and protested to Washington after accusing Greece of deploying United States armoured vehicles to two Aegean islands near the Turkish coast.

Greece lodged a complaint with the European Union, NATO and the United Nations after Erdoğan said that Turkey may launch possible military operation in the Aegean earlier in September.

Greece and Turkey, both members of the NATO defence alliance, have been at odds for years over maritime borders and energy exploration rights in the Aegean and east Mediterranean seas.