Dendias Announces 522 Fortification Projects in Evros and the Aegean

Greece is responding to renewed Turkish demands for the demilitarization of its eastern Aegean islands with a large-scale military construction program, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said from remote Thrace.

During inspections of military facilities in Didymoteicho, Alexandroupoli and Xanthi, Dendias presented a defense plan extending to 2030. Its centerpiece is a program of 522 fortification projects across Evros, the islands and key rear support positions.

The announcement followed recent calls by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for Greece to abandon what he called “the wrong path” over the islands’ military status. Athens says its sovereign right to self-defense, as recognized under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, is not negotiable.

Eight specialized units are already producing prefabricated reinforced-concrete elements to speed construction. The 316th Regional Technical Workshop in Xanthi, for example, makes high-strength interlocking blocks that are transported to designated sites to reinforce combat positions and protect military personnel.

The Defense Ministry is also linking military fortification with support for service members. A housing program will build thousands of modern homes, with its initial phases focused on Evros and the islands. Greece’s wider defense roadmap includes reorganizing its force structure and adding technologies such as the recently approved Achilles Shield anti-missile and air-defense program. The government presents these measures as part of a network intended to strengthen national sovereignty through 2030.

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Abandon the wrong path