The 51st Commando Brigade, previously stationed in Tunceli, has been relocated to Söke in Aydın province, opposite Greece's Samos Island, with about 2,000 troops now deployed there. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on Greece for good neighborliness, saying the militarization of the islands poses a threat.
The relocation of the brigade under Brigadier General Yaşar Karaoğlu came after Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the islands near the Turkish border. Greece's defense agreement with Israel and the arming of the islands were among the issues that increased Ankara's reaction. Greek experts drew attention to the military buildup along the Söke-Foça-İzmir line.
