Assoc. Dr. Cihat Yaycı, Head of the Turkish Maritime and Global Strategies Center and Topkapı University Faculty Member, made evaluations regarding the recent arming of the Eastern Aegean islands with disarmed status by Greece.
Yaycı said that according to the 1923 Lausanne and 1947 Paris Peace treaties, on the 23 islands that were supposed to be in disarmed status, Greece could only have a detachment force to ensure security.
Stating that according to the provision in these treaties, Greece could have a pistol, sword and rifle of this strength, Yaycı said, "If this force exceeds 100 people, one machine gun can be given. Apart from that, the smallest military unit and weapons cannot be brought, no ship can visit the port. Military aircraft cannot pass over the islands. This issue is very important and very clear."
“THE NON-MILITARY STATUS OF THE ISLANDS IS VERY CLEAR IN LAUSANNE”
Recalling that the Greek army, while occupying Western Anatolia in 1919-1922, made a military build-up on the islands of Lesbos, Chios and Samos as it is today, Yaycı said following words:
"While the Italians were occupying the Mediterranean Region, they first concentrated on these islands, mainly Kos, Rhodes and Meis, and removed soldiers from these islands. This is the issue that Atatürk especially emphasized in the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne. The Turkish nation and the Republic of Turkey should not be subjected to such an invasion again. Since these islands are given away, they are actually out of our hands, the condition that these islands should be in non-military status will be stipulated so that the Republic of Turkey will not face such a threat and risk again. This is very clear in the provisions of the treaty and in the minutes. What Greece does today is not only to violate the provisions of the treaty, but also to deteriorate the status of the islands whose sovereignty has been transferred, provided that they are in non-military status, that is, the arming and militarization of these islands eliminates the sovereignty transfer condition of these islands."
“GREECE IS A STATE WITHOUT LAW”
Indicating that they have detected with photographs that the status of 23 islands in the Aegean Sea has been violated, Yaycı said, "Greece is a perpetual expansionist, expansionist and revisionist state that does not recognize law, treaty and rule. Greece has grown land 6 times, and 6 times it has grown by taking land from the Turks. It took the lands at the table without winning or entering a war in any of them."
“THE ISLANDS SHOULD BE RETURNED TO THE TURKS”
Saying "Greece, claiming that it was damaged in the Second World War, demanded that the islands given to the Italians be given to it," Yayci continued as follows:
"Article 16 of Lausanne states that the present and future fates of the Ottoman lands in question will be determined by the states concerned. In 1947, the fate of those islands was redetermined. In other words, those islands that were given to the Italians from the Ottoman Empire were taken and given to the Greeks, without Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire, at the table. This is illegal, it should be returned to the original. The current situation of these islands should either be back to the Turks or the Italians but never the Greeks. Now Greece has brought weapons donated by America to Lesbos, Chios and Samos. Greece, which tried to invade us from these places a century ago, is also concentrating on these islands with the influence of Western powers. Has Turkey ever dropped guns, cannons and bombs on these islands, no. If not, you (Greece) cannot revoke their status while the Lausanne and Paris Peace Treaties are in place. This is unacceptable."