Bracing for pitfalls of Mideast turmoil

As the war in Israel and the Gaza Strip rages and amid concerns that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan might reopen Turkey’s borders to increase migratory pressures on the West and inevitably Greece, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired a meeting on Thursday of the National Security Governmental Council (KYSEA), the country’s top decision-making body on foreign affairs and defense matters.

“All aspects of the crisis in the region were discussed, with an emphasis on security, internal and external. The Greek authorities are always on alert. The policy of guarding the land and sea borders continues with undiminished intensity,” a KYSEA announcement said.

More specifically, the coast guard and the authorities in Evros, in cooperation with Frontex, will increase patrols and the deployment of personnel and means. In addition, efforts are being made to ensure that the existing channels of communication with Turkey remain active.

Despite the fact that Ankara has recently been cooperating on the migration issue, Greece is bracing for all possible scenarios that could stem from the war in Israel, given the testing experiences of 2015 in the Aegean and 2020 in the Evros border region.

Although this worst-case scenario would obviously not be linked to Greek-Turkish relations but to an overarching goal of Erdogan to project himself as the leader of the Muslim world, it is clear that such a development could also affect the upcoming talks between the two countries.

KYSEA also agreed that Greece must remain vigilant regarding the possibility of terrorist attacks on potential targets in the country with increased police surveillance at the Israeli and US embassies, synagogues, Jewish schools and cemeteries, as well as businesses of Israeli interests.

Moreover, the National Intelligence Service (EYP) will be more involved in monitoring the situation at points of interest, such as migrant detention centers, where a total of around 3,000 Palestinians reside. There are also a few Palestinian organizations with around 500 members. EYP is also in contact with intelligence services of allied states. 

KYSEA also extensively discussed the capabilities currently available to Greece and how they can be used if required. 

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis attended the joint meeting of the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council states. In the coming days, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias will travel to Saudi Arabia, a key country for the future course of events.