From: sadi@physics1 (Sadi Turgut)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.greek,soc.culture.turkish
Subject: Demilitarization of the Islands
Date: 3 Sep 1992 09:48:12 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: physics1.berkeley.edu

 The Turkish stand on the militarization of Aegean islands
were not represented well. In this article I will try to
do this, but I won't be able to cover the whole topic, since
I don't have much time.

 The islands subject to demilitarization measures should be
investigated in three branches.

- The two islands which are close to the straights Lemnos
  and Samothrace should be demilitarized according to the
  4th article of Lozan.(Which deals with the status of the
  Straights.)

- Lesbos, Chios, Samos and Ikaria (East Aegean islands) should
  be demilitarized acc. to the 13th article of Lozan.

- And finally Dodacanese islands should be demilitarized according
  to the 14th article of Italian Peace treaty (10 Feb., 1947)

 Now, Greece is claiming that the Motreaux treaty (1936) has
changed the status of Lemnos and Samothrace, and they point out
a speech made by Tevfik Rustu Aras as a proof. The matters are
not that simple however. The speech of Aras does not mean a change
of existing agreements. Greeks first of all, should have a much stronger
argument about this. First, let me explain the Turkish stance
roughly.

 The re-militarization of Straights region is in an added protocol
of Motreaux treaty. In that protocol, they define the region
which can be militarized as the region mentioned in the beginning
of the text of the Motreaux treaty. Well folks, in the beginning
of the text, the region is defined as "Dardanelles, Marmara Sea
and Black Sea Straight" and there is no mention of Aegean islands.

 Also, the treaty says, it was signed for the security of Turkey
and the Black sea countries, and there is no mention of Greece.
So, by just looking at this, since the militarization of these
islands is a threat to the security of Turkey, you can easily
conclude that, the islands were in no way implied in the
militarization clause.

 The bottom line is, there is no mention of Aegean islands
in the treaty, and so nobody can conclude that the islands
were "implied." This is why Greece is always referring to the
speech made by Aras and not anything substantial.

 This is not the whole story. If you follow the reports of the
Special commision that discussed the demilitarization of
the islands in Lozan, you can conclude that if Motreaux changed
the article-4 of Lozan, then the 13th article should be applied
to Lemnos and Samothrace. (I can write about this in more detail later,
if special interest arises.) Anyway, the main problem is:
13th article is violated also.

 However, Greece does not say that Lozan-13 and Paris-14
was changed. The militarization of these islands still
continues today. For the case of Italian Peace treaty in Paris
they say Turkey didn't sign that agreement, so she does not
have the right to protest. What is the Greek argument for
the violation of Lozan-13, I don't know, but I don't think
that there is any. Also, Greece shows the existance of the
4th Army in the Turkish mainland as a reason for the militarization
of those islands. However, this has nothing to do with the argument
and does not give one the right to violate the existing agreements.

 Anyway, the short conclusion is: Even if the Status of Lemnos
and Samothrace was changed by Montreaux, (which wasn't) the other islands
(Lesbos, Chios, Samos and Ikaria and Dodecanese) should still be
demilitarized and Greece is openly violating the existing
agreements.

 This was not a good job. If there is more interest on this
topic and if I have enough time I can write in more detail.

 Sadi Turgut
-- 
Disclaimer: My opinions are only mine. They are not necessarily
shared by the other members of my nation, ethnic group and/or religion.