No – not between Greece and Turkey.
It’s summertime. The media, always ready to ignore the real stories in politics (DSM, Plame, etc.) are even lazier during this season. Which is probably why this story pops up again in the media this July; it’s actually a long standing conflict.
More below:
So, where is the feud?
Relations are getting slightly testy between Denmark and Canada!
In a conversation today with Canada’s ambassador to Denmark, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted with regret that the Canadian Minister of National Defence had paid a visit to Hans Island without prior notification of the Danish Government. At the meeting the head of the Danish Foreign Ministry’s Legal Service handed over a note to the Canadian ambassador reiterating the Danish Government’s regret.
Hans Island = Hans Ø in Danish, and is located just about midway between Greenland and Ellesmere Island at almost 81° north (link to map).
On July 13, 2005 Canadian soldiers landed on Hans Island and erected an Inuit Inukshuk along with a Canadian flag. One week Later Canada’s Defence Minister Bill Graham flew by military helicopter to the island and walked about in an obvious symbolic gesture. Five days later Denmark announced that it would be issuing a formal letter of complaint to Canada which stated in part Denmark’s regret that Canada had visited Hans Island without prior notification to the Danish government. Tha next day Greenland’s Deputy Premier issued a statement declaring that Canada had occupied Hans Island.
Here’s another article from Canadian media, somewhat tongue-in-cheek as far as I can determine – Canada finally faces a real challenge.
Bill Graham has now tossed a rock — or more specifically, an Arctic boulder — into that placid pond. Along with creating a most amusing summertime diplomatic diversion, the defence minister’s unopposed occupation of Hans Island effectively challenges the notion that Canada can achieve its personal best without raising a sweat.
It’s summer – what do you make of this? Who will prevail?
[editor’s note, by ask] Crossposted from European Tribune.
