Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Kastellorizo, Ro, and Strongyli this week, and Turkish media erupted in...

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Kastellorizo, Ro, and Strongyli this week, and Turkish media erupted in response. Front-page coverage across multiple outlets framed the visit as a string of treaty violations, with one headline calling it a calculated provocation. Nefes ran the story on its front page with the line "Every step he takes is a crime," arguing the visit reignites Greece-Turkey tensions and derails the diplomatic rapprochement of recent years. The outlet also questioned the legal status of Ro and Strongyli, calling the whole affair a "show" set to continue. Aksam went further, declaring that Mitsotakis "is playing with fire" and labeling the visit a "dangerous political show." Sozcü tied the visit directly to the militarization question, claiming that Mitsotakis toured islands where, under the Treaty of Lausanne, "not even a pin" is permitted to be placed. Ankara is interpreting Mitsotakis's inspection of military units and his participation in ceremonies marking the integration of the Dodecanese into Greece as a deliberate act of escalation. Turkish officials have linked the visit to Erdogan's recent remarks that "if we raise our voice from Kas, they will hear us" on the other side of the Aegean. Turkish analysts are also reading domestic politics into the move, noting that Greek elections are expected in spring 2027 and suggesting Mitsotakis may be shoring up his national security credentials ahead of that vote. Greece has long maintained that the militarization of the eastern Aegean islands is a lawful response to Turkish threats, a position Ankara flatly rejects. The back-and-forth over island status under the 1947 Paris Treaty and the Treaty of Lausanne has been a fixture of bilateral disputes for decades. #Greece #Turkey #Kastellorizo