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Defense minister defends Greece's right to fortify Dodecannese islands
Greece has the right to fortify the islands of the southeastern Aegean in accordance to the United Nations article 51, in defense of its sovereign rights, security and the defense of its people, Greek Defense Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos said on Thursday. Tsohatzopoulos' statements came in reaction to the refusal of Turkey to allow the landing of a helicopter transport of Greece's naval chief to a Turkish base in the Aegean because the aircraft will land at the Dodecannese island of Rhodes. Hellenic Navy chief Vice-Adm. Georgios Theodoroulakis was originally scheduled to attend a command transfer ceremony at the Turkish naval base of Axaz.
The Greek defense minister also said that the explanation for the Turkish refusal was outdated and baseless as with the "Treaty of Paris of 1947 Greece annexed the Dodecannese Islands from Italy as a victorious force of World War II. Turkey was not a co-signer of the Treaty nor is there an article in that treaty prescribing rights toward the interests of third parties, thus (Turkey) does not have the right to react".
He added that Italy and Greece are the only countries that are involved in the Paris Treaty for the Dodecannese, and they never accepted the status of demilitarization prescribed by the treaty for northern Italian borders or the Dodecannese.
For this reason, Tsohatzopoulos said, these countries have a sufficient military presence one in northern Italy and the other in Dodecannese, based on their right to defend themselves.
Communists demonstrate during US envoy visit: US Ambassador to Greece Nicholas Burns, visiting the island of Rhodes on the occasion of the arrival of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "Harry Truman", was confronted by a group of Communist Party of Greece (KKE) members who raised a banner and shouted anti-American slogans as he emerged from a tavern on Wednesday.
Burns walked calmly into the street without any further incident.
The demonstrators then headed for the port, where members of the aircraft carrier's crew were disembarking, and hoisted the banner with the anti-American slogans again.
Earlier, Burns had visited Lindos and the medieval town. He called at the Synagogue in the medieval town, the Ibrahim Mosque and the Castle of the Knights and left for Athens later in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, a statement Burns reportedly made during a reception on the aircraft carrier on Wednesday night drew reaction from KKE and the Coalition of the Left and Progress.
In an announcement by the Dodecannese prefecture on the event, Burns reportedly said "the Marshall Plan contributed to the relegation of communists from Greece."
Later, the prefecture withdrew the announcement, while the interpreter at the event did not refer to "talk about communists" while translating Burns's address and none of the Greek guests reacted.
Both KKE and the Coalition party issued a protest for what Burns reportedly said.
Turkish air force violates Greek national airspace on seven occasions: The Turkish air force made new violations of Greek national airspace on Thursday, according to press reports.
A total of 10 Turkish aircraft made five infringements of air traffic rules in the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR), which developed into seven violations of national airspace in the regions of the islands of Lesvos and Kastelorizo. Greek aircraft took off immediately and intercepted the Turkish aircraft in all cases.
The reports said the Turkish aircraft were unarmed, while no engagements
took place during their interception.
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