The flagship newspaper of the Greek-American community, The National Herald, reported Wednesday that Turkey “has provoked Greece by submitting a map to UNESCO claiming parts of the Aegean Sea – which has been the primary point of contention and discussions between the countries during a period of calm.”
The UNESCO map was a manifestation of Erdogan’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine, which includes Turkey’s claims to sovereignty over various lands that once belonged to the Ottoman Empire. Erdogan refuses to recognize the Treaty of Lausanne, which ceded the Aegean islands in question now to Greece, despite the fact that the Republic of Turkey duly ratified the treaty on Aug. 23, 1923, as well as the fact that Turkey and Greece are both members of NATO and thus are supposed to be allies.
Erdogan appears to be calculating that he will not get any pushback within NATO for claiming the internationally recognized sovereign territory of another member state, and he is likely right about that. This isn’t the first time he has claimed Greek territory, and almost certainly will not be the last, yet Turkey doesn’t seem to be in any danger of losing its NATO membership.
I think NATO is trying to out distance the UN as a joke.
I wonder who will win.
Where’s Dracula when you need him, isn’t he supposed to be undead? Come back now Vlad, please?
Turkey is asshole.