Turkey’s Erdogan warns Greece to demilitarize Aegean islands

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Greece to demilitarize islands in the Aegean Sea and says he is “not joking.” Turkey says Greece has been building a military presence in violation of treaties that guarantee the unarmed status of the Aegean islands. Speaking on the final day of military exercises taking place near Turkey’s Aegean coast, Erdogan told Greece “to stay away from dreams and actions that it will regret.” Greece and Turkey are NATO allies, but the neighboring countries have a history of disputes over a range of issues. Greece maintains Turkey has deliberately misinterpreted the Aegean treaties and says it has legal grounds to defend itself following allegedly hostile actions by Ankara.