Greece denies reports regarding potential Israeli interest in Aegean islands

Greek diplomatic sources have officially denied reports circulating in Turkish media that Israel is considering purchasing or leasing Greek islands to create emergency evacuation sites. These reports, originating from CNNTurk, suggested that Israel was looking for 'safe havens' to protect its population from potential Iranian missile threats. The claims linked the proposal to Israeli political figures associated with Benny Gantz's Blue and White party and the Jewish National Fund. Greek officials stated these allegations are entirely untrue and lack any basis in reality, emphasizing that national sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable. Similar rumors reportedly surfaced in 2012 under Ehud Barak and again in 2022, but were never pursued or officially confirmed. Tahsin Ertugruloglu, foreign minister of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, criticized the reported scenario as a flawed concept. Greece maintains that there have been no government-level discussions on this matter with Israel.