With a new NAVTEX inside the Greek continental shelf, with air space violations and harassment of Greek fighter jets, Turkey keeps challenging Greece Greece in a twisted “We come in peace.” The Defense Minister in Ankara reiterates that that “energy surveys will continue indefinitely” yet at the same time claims Turkey wants “peace and dialogue” with Greece.
Speaking to state-run news agency anadolu, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Turkey wants dialogue, wants peace and is waiting for Greece at the dialogue table.” Rejecting German efforts of mediation, he said that “Greeks and Turks must discuss their problems alone.”
“If our Greek counterparts decide in the coming days to come here, we will be very happy to host them,” Akar said adding “for the problems in the Aegean, Turkey is in favor of dialogue. Let’s talk. We are open to dialogue, we want peace and tranquility but we also want what belongs to us.”
He said that the seismic surveys in the area will continue indefinitely.
It rains NAVTEX
For a second time since beginning of the month, Turkey extended the NAVTEX reserving sea areas within the Greek continentals shelf for gas and oil surveys by vessel Oruc Reis. According to the new NAVTEX, the seismic vessel is scheduled to conduct survey near the Greek island of Kastellorizo.
The new Navtex issued on Thursday, reserves the same area as before until September 1, 2020.
Another Turkish NAVTEX reserves areas north of Cyprus where a military exercise with real ammunition is due on Sept 1-2.
Greek F-16s were harassed by Turkish Fighter jets on Thursday morning. The F-16 was returning from Cyprus where they participated in the Joint Cypriot, Greek, French and Italian Exercise “EUNOMIA 2020”.
Air space violations
At the time when the Greek planes were flying in the airspace, where the Athens FIR and the Nicosia FIR are in contact, they were harassed by Turkish fighters.
Specifically, the Turkish aircraft approached the Greek F-16s flying in pairs at close range, resulting in so-called “dog fights” collisions between the aircraft of the two countries.
Officers from the Greek Air Force pointed out to media, that the Turkish fighter jets, without having submitted a flight plan to the Cypriot and Greek authorities, harassed the Greek fighters that had complied with the air traffic rules during their participation. in exercise.
Greece
Greece has repeatedly told its partners in the European Union and the NATO that it wants dialogue with Turkey but not under a regime of threats.
Following the Informal Defense Ministers meeting in Berlin on Wednesday, Greek Minister of Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos said that Greece cannot have a dialogue with Turkey as long as its forces remain in the area.
Autocrats and dictators understand only force greater than their own. Greece does not posses that force. The EU must step up, subordinate all self interests and present a determined and unequivocal stand with Greece in her hour of need. A belligerant bully must be confronted.
Europeans know all too well the outcome of tolerance of a nationalistic, expansionist and aggressive state.
Bravo, Minas! Erdogan and his camp followers only understand confrontation (bullying) and the only way to defeat bullies is to stand up to them. The EU as a whole, and individually, must let Erdogan know that what he is proposing and doing is in contravention of international laws (of which they are signatories) and will not be tolerated. All of Erdogan’s actions are a mask for the political problems he has internally(which he attempts to crush with tactics reminiscent of pre-World War II). A free and democratic Turkey, were it to exist, would not venture along such a dangerous path.