The escalation of the tension in the Aegean Sea by the Turkish side clearly demonstrates the plans of the neighbors.
The daily disclosure of photos and videos by the Turks with their ships within a few meters of Imia, can be nothing less than the culmination of a concerted and deliberate strategy. A strategy which began with the questioning of the Lausanne Treaty and the subsequent repositioning of the Turkish Foreign Ministry concerning gray zones in the Aegean. Without taking into account … the excursion around Imia of the Turkish gunboat, with … the leadership of the Turkish army on board.
So it is clear that we are already at a time when Greek -Turkish relations have again entered a particularly sensitive point. At a moment, in fact, that both countries are in a critical period, as the problems in economics in Greece and with everything Erdogan causes in Turkey and the fronts that he has opened (Kurdish, referendum, Kemalists etc.).
The bad thing is that we have a government unable to manage anything and Turks have an over-insolent leader. And this mix is explosive.
Let us not forget that our defense minister is Panos Kammenos and Prime Minister is Tsipras who any negotiation he undertakes, he loses.
The substance, also, is that Greece has not provoked.
Even in the Cypriot affairs, the way in which Turkey is attempting to impose a solution solely with their own interests and strategic objectives.
And that essentially — in combination with our own nationalist lobby’s- have torpedoed the original Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots agreement.
The particular questions that arise are many.
- What will happen –if everything goes well until then- the end of 2017, when research on oil and gas, is projected to intensify in the Cypriot EEZ? And even in areas which Turkey considers its own continental shelf?
- What about the, according to Turkey, “gray zones” in the Aegean? In which Turkey started to operate most recently again, undermining the Greek sovereignty in these?
- What about the daily questioning of Greek sovereign rights in the Aegean through “rain” from NOTAM and NAVTEX;
- What about the constant claim of Search and Rescue responsibility until the middle of the Aegean?
- What about the planned opening of oceanographic research by a Turkish vessel, in the middle of the Aegean?
- What about the commitment for a year of the region from Thassos to Astypalea, in the midst of Turkish military exercises?
- What about the ongoing daily violations of Greek airspace and the flights of Turkish fighter aircrafts over inhabited Greek islands?
All these constitute a clear piracy of Turkey in the Aegean, in its attempt to challenge the status quo.
And another question:
If this piracy is answered by the Greek side, then we will not have a major or even a smaller incident?
What will follow it? I do not want even to think about it.
Necessarily conversations will follow.
With an agenda of ALL Turkish claims in the Aegean.
And may the God of Greece help us …
Much more now that our country is at an apparent weakness and the international scene is unstable and uncertain.
And Erdogan on the other side, announces at every direction through non-diplomatic sources, that Greece will pay as it deserves the non extradition of the eight Turkish coup participants…
As we said: Piracy in the 21st century!
