State Department: Greek sovereignty over islands not in question

The State Department is putting a brake on the Turkish effort to challenge the sovereignty of the Greek islands.

Answering a question on the Hellas Journal website regarding the statements made by the Turkish Foreign Minister about the Greek islands, a State Department spokesman clarified that our country’s sovereignty over these islands is not in question.

As he noted, “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected and protected. The sovereignty of Greece in these islands is not in question.”

Continuing, the spokesman reiterated the firm position of the United States, which encourages NATO allies Greece and Turkey to work together to maintain peace and security in the region and to resolve disputes diplomatically.

Avoid provocative rhetoric

However, he called for the avoidance of provocative rhetoric that could escalate tensions.

Finally, the statement of the representative of the American State Department ends with the remark that “Greece and Turkey are both strong partners and key allies of the USA in NATO”.