The Kastellorizo Encirclement

The tiny Greek island of Kastellorizo (also known as Megisti, or Meis in Turkish)—located just one nautical mile off the Turkish coast—is set to become the backdrop for a critical assessment of Greek-Turkish relations. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is visiting the island to attend events marking its 1943 liberation from Italian occupation. The visit offers a literal and figurative vantage point to gauge room for diplomatic improvement and assess ongoing tensions in the Aegean Sea.

Turkey's Escalating Rhetoric and Maritime Disputes

Bilateral tensions have resurfaced in recent months over overlapping maritime claims. A fresh point of contention isTurkey's declaration of marine parks, including one near Kaş, directly opposite Kastellorizo. In response, Mitsotakis warned that Greece might consider expanding its territorial waters, a move that could challenge Turkeys’s maritime borders. Public statements from leadership reflect the underlying friction:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently noted the extreme proximity of the two nations, telling reporters, “I think they’d hear us from Greece if we shout from Kaş,” when questioned about Greece arming the Aegean islands.

Erdoğan later reinforced this stance, stating that while Turkey has no territorial ambitions, it will not permit violations of its rights. He cautioned Athens against interpreting Turkey level-headed approach as weakness and urged Greece to halt the militarization of demilitarized islands.

This political climate coincides with Turkey celebrating the anniversary of the Great Offensive, marking the withdrawal of Greek forces from Izmir over a century ago.

Turkey's demilitarzation ideas

Ankara's Position: Turkey opposes any Greek military presence on these islands, arguing it violates the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty, which mandated their demilitarization.

*Turkey did not sign the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty because it was not a party to the negotiations. Turkey maintained a neutral stance throughout most of World War II, only declaring war on Germany and Japan in February 1945, and it never engaged in active combat. Because the 1947 Paris Peace Treaties were specifically negotiated between the victorious Allied powers and Italy (along with other minor Axis powers), Turkey was not present or involved

Athens' Position: Greece maintains that it has a right under international law to defend its sovereignty, citing an active security threat from Turkey.

Why Kastellorizo Matters So Much

Kastellorizo is tiny geographically, but strategically enormous. The island sits only a few kilometers from the Turkish coast but hundreds of kilometers from mainland Greece. The dispute is not really about the island itself. The real issue is that under international maritime law, Greece argues Kastellorizo generates:
- Territorial waters
- Continental shelf rights
- Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rights

If fully recognized, those maritime zones help connect Greek and Cypriot maritime claims across the Eastern Mediterranean. Turkey rejects this interpretation. From Ankara's perspective, Kastellorizo gives Greece a disproportionately large maritime footprint.
Therefore:
Kastellorizo is a symbol of a much larger struggle over energy resources, maritime jurisdiction, and regional influence.

We want them all

According to analyses from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Greece argues that Turkey cannot legally demand the enforcement of this demilitarization clause. Under international treaty law, a country generally cannot claim rights or enforce obligations from a treaty it is not a signatory to (pacta tertiis nec nocent nec prosunt). Turkey, conversely, argues that the demilitarization status constitutes an "objective status" that must be maintained regardless of who signed it.