Athens prepared for all scenarios
Athens is reportedly prepared for any eventuality as the unprecedented rhetorical escalation by Ankara in recent weeks unfolds, spearheaded by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself.
Part of this escalation tactic deployed by Erdogan is also attributed by diplomatic and other circles in the Greek capital to the ruling AKP’s need to rally the Turkish audience, known for its penchant for nationalist rhetoric.
Another element behind Erdogan’s stance is also linked to Turkey’s attempt to regain access to US arms. Erdogan believes that pressure exerted at a time when attention is focused on the war in Ukraine, where Turkey has given some credentials to the West, with export of Ukrainian grain, could pay off.
Erdogan is also seeking the acceptance of Turkish uniqueness in NATO, as Washington strives to maintain an alliance of states already facing political problems from soaring living costs.
This effort also hides a practical aspect, as without American parts and support, the Turkish Air Force, the vast majority of whose fighters are F-16s, will face operational problems.
Erdogan’s attitude and its occasional adjustments, depending on international developments, is not something Athens is downplaying. This is clear from the diplomatic effort it has launched to highlight Turkish aggression.
From a technocratic perspective, Athens sees Ankara’s moves as part of a wider bid to build a revisionist narrative. To this end, analysts cite the Turkey-Libya maritime accord of November 2019, the two crises of 2020, in Evros and the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as Ankara’s weaponization of the refugee issue.
What’s more, Turkey has proceeded to formalize its challenge to the Greek sovereignty of Aegean islands while seeking to intervene in Greece’s internal affairs, mainly through the action of the Turkish Consulate in Komotini, which has become the focal point of the coordination of moves to manipulate the illegal procedure to elect the religious leaders of Thrace’s Muslim minority.
