Athens’ move to the UN comes at a time when tensions between the two NATO member states have once again become extremely high. Turkish fighter-bombers currently fly almost daily over inhabited Greek islands to provoke.
The Turkish government in Ankara believes that Greece has lost its rights over the islands because of its military presence. This is not in accordance with the Treaties of Lausanne (1923) and Paris (1947), according to the Turks. Athens, on the other hand, justifies the militarization with the threat of numerous landing craft on the Turkish coast and the right of each state to self-defense.
The dispute over the islands is just one of many conflicts between NATO allies. Recently, Turkish leader Erdogan publicly broke off contact with Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis. The Turks are angry about the close cooperation between the Greeks and the United States, which have military bases in Greece. Mitsotakis warned Americans not to sell fighter jets to Turkey in a speech to the US parliament. Ankara and Athens are also arguing about natural gas reserves in the seabed.
