Greece tells UN that Turkey is challenging its sovereignty

By DEREK GATOPOULOS
Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece has told the head of the United Nations that Turkey is directly challenging its sovereignty over islands in the eastern Aegean Sea. The four-page letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres accuses the Turkish government of pursuing a hostile and “revisionist” policy that is destabilizing the region. The letter, dated May 25 and signed by Greece’s permanent U.N. representative, was seen by The Associated Press on Thursday. Greece and Turkey have been at odds for decades over sea boundaries, but the disagreement flared in 2020 as oil and gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean intensified. Turkey is demanding that Greece demilitarize its eastern islands, maintaining the action is required under 20th century treaties.