"We expect Greece to act according to international law, agreements and good neighborly relations," Akar said during his visit to the country's missile producer Roketsan on Wednesday.

The military status of the islands in question did not constitute a serious problem in the bilateral relations until the Cyprus war of 1974, after which both Greece and Turkey re-interpreted the stipulations of the treaties.

Greece maintains the position that she has the right to demilitarize her islands in the same context as the rest of Europe, where the appliance of demilitarization statute on islands and territories ceased with the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Warsaw Pact; i.e. the cessation of demilitarization of Italy's Panteleria, Lampedusa, Lampione and Linosa islands, and West Germany from the NATO side, and the cessation of demilitarization of Bulgaria, Romania, East Germany, Hungary and Finland from the Warsaw Pact's side.

On the other hand, Turkey denounces this as an aggressive act by Greece and as a breach of international treaties. (ILKHA)