The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be protected, he noted. State Department on the issue of the «militarization of the Greek islands» in Aegean Sea raised by Turkey.
During a briefing for accredited journalists at the US State Department, a Turkish journalist said that Athens was arming the islands in violation of international treaties and asked what the US position was on the issue.
State Department spokesman Ned Price replied, «Our position is the same as what you heard a few weeks ago: the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected and protected.».
Mr. Price reiterated the US government's long-standing position, urging diplomatic resolution of differences and avoidance of provocative rhetoric that could lead to renewed tensions.
«We continue to encourage our NATO allies—Greece and Turkey in this case—to work together to maintain peace and security in the region and to resolve their differences diplomatically. We urge our allies to avoid rhetoric that could further increase tensions. Greece and Turkey, of course, are both strong partners. They are key NATO allies of the US, and we will continue to urge them to de-escalate tensions,» he insisted.
