The statement of the Ministry of National Defense Mr. Dendias yesterday in the presence of his Cypriot counterpart Mr. Vassilis Palmas, about the naval base in Mari was not just by chance, since it is known to both the Ministry of National Defense and the competent intelligence services (EYP ), what exactly the Turks have been methodically preparing on the island for a year.
"We also talked about the expansion of the EVANGELOS FLORAKIS Naval Base in Mari, Cyprus, so that it can accommodate modern ships such as the Belharra* Frigates of the Hellenic Navy, which we will receive shortly," said Mr. Dendias, among other things.
Scenario of naval blockade of Cyprus by Turkey
Turkey has a unique way to attempt to coerce Hellenism into accepting its illegitimate claims and that is through war episodes and potential hostilities.
The scenario of naval blockade of islands and islets has been the permanent scenario of Turkish aeronautical exercises in the Aegean for 15 years.
Erdogan and his Minister of Energy have warned us that in a reasonable period of time, we will have investigations in the Eastern Mediterranean, which Nicosia and Athens will not accept, it is possible that we will have an escalation of the situation and a slide into a scenario of an aeronautical blockade of Cyprus, which, it should be noted, does not belong to NATO.
The Turks have been moving forces and conducting highly aggressive exercises for months in Cyprus
As is well known, a Turkish tanker "unloaded" self-propelled guns, in the occupied port of Famagusta, on December 29, 2023, as revealed by Cypriot journalist Yannos Charalambidis in the "Simerini" newspaper, in a move that shows Ankara's intentions in combination with past reinforcements.
"The firepower of the Turkish artillery and the fact that all the Squadrons are already deployed testify to: A) Attila's clear offensive layout. B) The great power and depth of fire, which offers the release of aviation forces for other areas, where it will be possible to need them even outside Cyprus, such as e.g. the Aegean.C) The speed that the Turks want to give to their action, so as to limit the reaction time of the National Guard to a minimum. With the speed, volume and depth of fire they seek to cause big hits, key, panic and paralysis, so the fall and surrender will be possible in a short period of time", says Mr. Charalambidis and he is absolutely right.
All the Turkish ground units in Cyprus have been "ramposted" to "smother" the National Guard and the ELDYK unit, in the shortest time (at least that's what the Turks think), for this reason they have been positioned in a "Crescent" shape with the inner side facing Nicosia.
Turkish FIRTINA guns, Leopard-2 tanks and towed guns together with Kasirga missile systems are in an offensive formation in Cyprus, to start operations whenever there is literally "half a chance".
All the exercises of the Turks last summer were of an offensive type with "tank and TOMA attacks, in the phase of invading enemy territory".
Cypriot analysts have been saying for months that Turkey is preparing provocations in Cyprus, and possibly after the hybrid operations in the Dead Zone, it is looking for reasons to push Turkish forces even deeper into Cypriot territory.
The operations in Pyla and elsewhere by the Turks were aimed at measuring reactions especially abroad, which unfortunately were subdued, while the UN also put the burden on the Greek Cypriot side on the occasion of the shelters.
What is the risk, what is the minimum we must do
We should not expect any external help in any scenario of "aggressive operations under any pretext" in Megalonis, but as Greece do what was not done in 1974.
To permanently send our Warships and fighter jets at every opportunity, and to make it clear to Ankara, that in any offensive operation by the Turks, they will be fully attacked in the region without an ultimatum, informally setting a casus belli of our own.
Cyprus does not affect Nicosia but also Greek foreign policy, since the island's security is part of the Greek military security plan.
The transformation of the Occupied into a huge Turkish aeronautical base affects the Aegean and reaches our country's plans for mining in the south of Crete.
The most serious, however, is the inauguration of the base of drones equipped with missiles based at the occupied old airport of Lefkonikos.
According to secure information, Ankara aims to create a large naval and air base on the island, with the aim of connecting them with the base in Alexandretta and Libya, with the main aim of controlling the Eastern Mediterranean and preventing the construction of the East pipeline Med.
The Turks no longer count on the US, nor of course NATO, and as soon as they receive the US F-16Vs and the engines for the KAAN aircraft and the ALTAY tanks, they will immediately show the west their neo-Ottoman facade by blowing up everything US plans for the region.
But this concerns the Americans and their interests, but Hellenism must be fully prepared for a Greek-Turkey military conflict over Cyprus, and let many experts declare that this will never happen.
