"Kastelorizo is a Greek island"

An explicit assertion that Turkey recognized Kastelorizo and Thrace as integral parts of Greek territory was given by the foreign ministry of Turkey, Mr. Ahmet Davutoglu, during a joint press conference with his Greek counterpart, Mr. Droutsas, in Athens.

“Kasterolizo is, naturally, a Greek island. There is no contention issue. When the issue was put on the table, I stated that Kastelorizo is geographically located in the Mediterranean “stated Mr. Davutoglu, while the noise caused by his interview in the daily newspaper has not yet abated.

In the interview in question, Turkey’s foreign minister revealed that during the exploratory talks between Athens and Ankara, a discussion took place concerning bilateral disputes in the Aegean, while he made it clear that Kastelorizo was not discussed.

Trying to dispel the impression created by Mr. Davutoglu’s topic shift, Mr. Droutsas underlined that for Greece, exploratory talks are aimed at delimiting the continental shelf from Evros to Kasterlorizo.

Upon completion of his meetings with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Athens, Mr. Davutoglu will travel to Thrace on Wednesday and Thursday, visiting Kavala and Thessaloniki as well.

“Thrace is an integral part of a territory that I cannot dissociate from Crete and the Dodecanese”, stated the Turkish Foreign Minister, when asked to clarify what the purpose of his visit to the region is. Mr. Davutoglu described the Muslim minority as “managers of a bridge of peace between the two countries”.

Greece is a free and hospitable country, said Mr. Droutsas on his part, indicating that our country respects the religious freedoms of all citizens and supports a model of harmonious coexistence.