Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photo: Flip through Facebook of the Turkish Presidential Palace (file photo)
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has clashed with Greece for several days over island disputes and airspace violations, threatening that Turkey may respond to the Greek threat with a “surprise attack”, suggesting that the outside world cannot rule out the possibility of Turkey launching an offensive once morest Greece. The Greek foreign minister countered that it would defend its sovereignty. Greece and Turkey have always been incompatible with each other. They have pushed NATO allies to the brink of war on three occasions. Today, bilateral relations have deteriorated due to new and old hatred.
According to the Associated Press, Erduan told a news conference in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, that “I’m not talking in my sleep” and choked: “If I’m talking regarding us Can pounce when the time is right” means “when the time comes, we will suddenly strike”. Erduan has also made threats before taking military action once morest Kurdish militias in the past.
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias responded that in the past few days, Turkish officials have continued to make “outrageous remarks” once morest Greece, including Erdan’s “possible invasion” of the Greek islands. “I advise anyone who wants to attack and conquer to think 3 or 4 times, we have the ability to defend our country, our independence and territorial integrity,” Dundias said bluntly.
Both Greece and Turkey are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). ) is also a common fuse. The recent re-emergence of disputes between the two countries began with the Turkish government’s accusation that Greece had violated international agreements by militarizing islands near Turkey’s Aegean coast, and Greece’s use of missile systems to target Turkish warplanes during NATO exercises in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Dundias said Greece needed to defend its eastern Aegean islands, including the tourist resorts of Rhodes and Kos, from their more militarily powerful neighbors. Turkey insists that the islands are occupied by Greece.” The largest landing fleet in Europe and a complete Turkish army are stationed opposite the Aegean islands. Turkey has also repeatedly violated Greece’s airspace and territorial waters.
According to Dundias, Turkey violated Greek airspace 6,100 times this year and territorial waters 1,000 times. Greece dispatched fighter jets to intercept Turkish military aircraft almost every day, and often simulated the outbreak of air battles. There have been clashes between the air forces of the two countries, resulting in fatalities. Erdogan warned: “There are some illegal threats once morest us. If these illegal threats continue, people’s patience will be exhausted. When the time comes, we will take the necessary action”.
Both Greece and Turkey will usher in elections next year, and Turkey is currently in an economic quagmire. Analysts believe that Turkish government officials make more and more remarks once morest Greece, which will strengthen the nationalist foundation of Erduan. Turkey has designated August 30 as Victory Day, celebrating the Turkish army’s defeat of the Greek army in 1922.
Turkey maintains that the Aegean islands were given to Greece under the treaties of 1923 and 1947, on condition that they not be armed. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has repeatedly stressed that if Greece insists on arming the islands, Turkey will begin to question Greece’s sovereignty over the islands. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Turkey’s stance on questioning Greece’s sovereignty over the islands was “ridiculous”.
