The Greek military units of Rhodes were fired on yesterday, the last day of the Tactical Exercise "KOLOSSOS-23".
Tuesday 12 December 2023, in the presence of the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Lieutenant General Angelos Houdeloudis as representative of the Chief of the General Staff of National Defence, General Konstantinos Floros, the Distinguished Visitors Day (DV DAY) of the Tactical Exercise After Troops "Kolossos- 23", with the participation of units and assets of the 95 ADTE "DIAGORIDES", the 1st Army Aviation Brigade "KILKIS LAHANA", the Special Warfare Command of the General Staff of National Defence and 1 pair of F-16 aircraft in Air Force Close Air Support missions.
The purpose of the exercise was to train personnel in realistic tactical scenarios, maximize inter-unit cooperation and promote interdependence and common operational understanding.
The exercise included the examination of operational artifacts in defensive operations by conducting mortar, artillery and tank firing, combined with fire from Attack Helicopters and Fighter Aircraft with demonstration by Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC). During the exercise, additional incidents were considered including the evacuation and airlift of a casualty, as well as other Logistics items.
The final phase of the exercise was attended by the Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Mr. Ioannis Pappas, the Commander of the Special Warfare Command of the General Staff of National Defence, Lieutenant General Dimitrios Houpis, the Commander of the Supreme Military Command of the Interior and Islands "Aigeas" Lieutenant General Sotirios Kostakoglou, Representatives of the Local Authorities as well as Officers of the Armed Forces and Security Forces.
Turkey of the "new era" in Greek-Turkish relations insists: You cannot conduct exercises in Rhodes
It is well known that Turkey has raised and continues to raise the issue of demilitarization of Rhodes, Kastelorizo, Karpathos and Kassos, as well as all the frontline islands in the Eastern Aegean.
The Turks argue that both Rhodes and Tilos are subject to a demilitarisation regime based on the 1947 Paris Treaty.
The funny thing is, of course, that Turkey has not signed this treaty, so it is not their responsibility.
The status of the South-Eastern Islands. Aegean (Dodecanese)
The Dodecanese were ceded to Greece "under full sovereignty" by the Paris Peace Convention between Italy and the Allies in April 1947. Furthermore, the provisions of that Treaty provide for the demilitarisation of these islands: 'The aforesaid islands shall be and remain demilitarized'. In the Dodecanese there are a number of national guard forces, which have been declared in accordance with the provisions of the CFE Agreement.
- Turkey is not a party to this 1947 treaty, which therefore constitutes a 'res inter alios acta' for Turkey, i.e. a matter which concerns other States. According to Article 34 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 'a treaty does not create obligations or rights for third countries' other than the contracting parties.
- The provision for the demilitarisation of the Dodecanese was made after decisive intervention by the Soviet Union and reflects Moscow's political expediency at the time. It should be noted, however, that demilitarisation regimes lost their raison d'être with the creation of the NATO and Warsaw Pact coalitions, as incompatible with the participation of countries in military coalitions. In this context, the demilitarization regime ceased to apply to the Italian islands of Panteleria, Lampedusa, Lampione and Linosa, as well as to West Germany on the one hand, and Bulgaria, Romania, East Germany on the other. Germany, Hungary and Finland on the other side.
Our islands and our eyes, as the Turks are temporarily retreating, but will come back again demanding to get their hands on the Greek island complex of the Dodecanese and other areas, to control the Greek Archipelago.
