Türkiye files protest with Greece, US amid military buildups in Aegean islands

Ankara on Monday, Sept. 26 summoned the Greek ambassador and protested to Washington after saying Greece deployed U.S. armoured vehicles on two Aegean islands near the Turkish coast.

Turkish security sources shared aerial images over the weekend showing ships loaded with US armoured vehicles docking at two Greek islands, Lesbos and Samos.

The Turkish foreign ministry told the Greek envoy that Athens should "stop violations" and respect the non-military status the islands were assigned by international law.

In a note to the US embassy in Ankara, Turkey told Washington that its "weapons should not be used in breach" of the islands’ agreed status, Anadolu said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan separately blamed Greece of staging "provocations" and playing "perilous games".

Greece filed a formal complaint with the European Union, NATO and the United Nations after Erdoğan hinted at a possible military operation in the Aegean earlier this month.

Erdoğan said Greece was not Turkey’s equal and rejecting diplomatic talks.

He also vowed to defend Turkey’s interests with "any means at its disposal" in the islands row.