A new invasion of Syria was announced on Thursday night by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan convened the National Security Council today to discuss military operations on his country's southern border against "terrorist" organizations" such as the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Since mid-April, the Turkish army has launched raids against PKK positions in northern Iraq, while the Turkish president has announced similar operations in northern Syria.
According to a Turkish presidency press release, "information was gathered and additional measures were discussed regarding ongoing operations within the territory and beyond our borders against terrorist organizations" including Kurdish fighters (PKK/KCK-PYD-YPG), Gulenists and members of the self-proclaimed Islamic State - "... as well as any kind of threat to national security."
Erdogan claimed that the operations already underway and those to be launched to eliminate the "terrorist threat" on Turkey's southern border "do not in any way target the territorial integrity of neighboring countries" and stem from national security needs.
The planned military operations mainly target Kurdish movements that Ankara denounces as "terrorist organizations."
The planned military operations mainly target Kurdish movements that Ankara denounces as "terrorist organizations. Besides, Turkey raises objections regarding Sweden and Finland's NATO membership, accusing the two Scandinavian countries of sheltering PKK and YPG militants.
In fact, today's meeting approved the military operation to create a 30-kilometer "security zone" in Syria, which the Turkish president had announced during his last cabinet meeting when he attacked Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
At the same time, Ankara once again proceeds to distort the truth in an attempt to show that Greece is the one causing tensions in the Aegean while at the same time it speaks of "abuse of alliances" in the wake of Mitsotakis' speech to Congress.
"Greece's increasing provocative actions in the Aegean that violate international law and the treaties to which it is a party (hinting at the demilitarization of the islands) were examined in the Security Council, as were Greece's efforts to abuse the alliances of which it is a member and in which it should actually cooperate," the statement said.
The communiqué added that "we made it clear that we will continue to resolutely defend the rights and interests of our nation".
The Security Council meeting
comes just hours after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's new rant against our country.
Specifically, as Hurriyet reports, speaking to reporters immediately after his visit to Israel, he responded to a question by speaking against our country on the occasion of Ankara's now well-known narrative about the alleged demilitarization of the Aegean islands, saying: "We are not bluffing. If Athens does not comply, we will move things forward."
Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu made the following remarks regarding Greece's statements and moves in recent days: "We have openly told the US: they have a policy of balance on both Cyprus and Turkey and Greece and the Aegean islands We see a deviation from this balance, we told US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, we warned the US. Although people said that bases in one NATO member country are not a threat to another NATO country, this increase did not escape our attention, of course."
Continuing, however, Mevlut Cavusoglu noted that: "On the other hand, it is contrary to international law for Greece to cancel the status of the islands given to it conditionally under the 1923 Lausanne Peace Accords and the 1947 Paris Peace Accords. Whatever reason Greece may find, its justification is not valid. What are the conditions that it will not arm these islands? Greece has been arming them since 1960 and we said that if it does not retreat, the sovereignty debate will begin, it is clear. We are extremely serious, we are not bluffing because they are conditional islands. If Greece, which talks about international law in every speech, does not comply with it, we will go further. The steps that Greece is taking are aimed at being a threat to Turkey."
Greece's letter to the UN
It should be noted that the Turkish Foreign Minister's threats come a few hours after the disclosure of the letter that Greece is sending to the UN regarding Turkey's positions on the demilitarization of the Aegean islands and their sovereignty by Greece.
With this letter, it completely deconstructs Turkey's unilateral and unsubstantiated claims about the Aegean islands, according to diplomatic sources. The letter will be delivered within the next few hours to the UN Secretary General, the same sources noted.
It will be recalled that on September 30 Turkey had sent a letter to the UN on the demilitarization of the islands. Nine months later, Foreign Ministry Secretary General Themistocles Demiris sent the Greek side's position to Antonio Guterres.
The letter stressed that the Turkish claims constitute a new development that seriously undermines regional peace and stability. It describes as "legally, historically and factually untenable" Turkish claims that Greek sovereignty over the eastern Aegean islands is dependent on their demilitarization.
Athens stresses that all islands have full rights to all maritime zones without the slightest legal challenge. It even cites two legal cases decided by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, one between Cambodia and Thailand and the other between Libya and Chad.
The letter also stresses that it confirms Turkey's persistent practice of raising issues that have no legal basis, "a practice that adds to the instability that this country causes with its actions."
It is recalled that in recent days Ankara has escalated tensions with Athens, both in terms of rhetoric and its actions. Yesterday, the small Turkish research vessel "Yunus" sailed through the Aegean Sea to start activities between Lesvos, Chios and Lemnos, following the issuance of a NAVTEX. Meanwhile, two Turkish F-16s flew over Oinousses and Panagia on Tuesday night.
This was preceded by Recep Tayyip Erdogan's personal attack on Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with the Turkish president angrily declaring that he was cutting off all contact between the two countries and that the Greek prime minister "no longer exists" for him.
Source: Proto Thema
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