WASHINGTON – The sovereignty of the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea is not in question, the US State Department noted in response to recent statements by Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

In a response to a related query by the Hellas Journal site, a spokesperson of the US State Department clarified that “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected and protected. Greece’s sovereignty over these islands is not in question.”

During an inteview to Turkish network TRT, Cavusoglu had raised the issue of the demilitarization of Greek islands, adding that Turkey had sent a letter to the United Nations on the issue. He further claimed that the militarization of the islands violated international treaties that established their ceding to Greece, therefore their sovereignty could be brought into question.

(ANA-MPA/P. Kasfikis)