Turkey warns Greece over military drone plans on Rhodes

Turkey has issued a warning to Greece regarding plans to establish permanent infrastructure for military drones on the island of Rhodes. The Turkish Ministry of Defense claims that such actions violate the island's demilitarized status and could negatively impact peace, stability, and good neighborly relations in the Aegean.

Greece is moving forward with plans to create a permanent support facility for V-BAT unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at Maritsa airport in Rhodes. This infrastructure is intended to support the deployment, maintenance, and permanent operation of these surveillance and reconnaissance drones, which utilize vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. Rhodes would become the second Greek island to host a permanent drone military base, following Skiros.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense stated that any attempt to violate this regime is “incompatible with Greece's obligations under international law” and affirmed that Turkey will protect its rights and interests derived from international treaties. Conversely, Turkey welcomed the Greek government's decision to relocate Patriot air defense systems from Karpathos to Crete, describing it as a positive step toward de-militarizing that specific island.