"We do not take an aggressive stance towards any of our neighbors, especially Greece. We are in favor of solving problems through dialogue and peaceful means and methods within the framework of international law and good neighborly relations. We say that the Aegean should be a sea of friendship, that the wealth of both parties be fairly shared, that they live in safety and happiness. There is a moratorium between the two countries against conducting drills during the tourist season. We told them we were ready to expand on that and that we could discuss it. We are waiting. We have no hidden agenda."
This is what Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said, among other things, addressing Athens, repeating the Turkish positions for bilateral dialogue, in the context of which, according to analysts, the will of the stronger will prevail and, of course, for sharing the wealth of the Aegean as if Turkey has jurisdiction in Greek EEZ which includes the Aegean...
He said all this from the helipad of the submarine rescue ship of the Turkish fleet TCG ALEMDAR, as part of the "Rescue 2023" exercise that took place opposite Rhodes in Aksaz Bay.
At the same time, Turkey, according to a NATO statement, hosted the Anatolian Eagle exercise from the 3rd Main Air Base in Iconium and provided multinational participants with realistic combat training opportunities in a high-threat environment from May 5 to 12, 2023.
NATO's E-3A airborne radar provided support through command and control of the aircraft flying over Turkey.
Allied Eurofighter Typhoons from Britain's Royal Air Force participated along with fighters from Azerbaijan and Pakistan, which also took part. Qatar and the UAE were also invited who sent fighter jets to participate. These pilots worked together and developed their combined operational awareness to employ tactics in large force formations.
“We are pleased to host allied nations and partners in the Anatolian Eagle Command. Our Airmen worked to improve their skills and interoperability between participating nations in training such as: Composite Air Operations, Time Sensitive Targeting, Dynamic Targeting, High-Value Airborne Asset Protection and Air-to-Surface Operations," said Lt. Col. Hakan Girgin, Commander of the Anatolian Eagle exercise.
"NATO's flying radar has also contributed to these efforts. The training provided by the Anatolian Eagle exercise stood out as an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the readiness of the systems, aircraft and aircraft of the participating countries," the Turkish commander underlined.
Since it was first held in 2001, there have been 43 iterations of the Anatolian Eagle.
Over 39,000 personnel and 2,000 airborne platforms participated in approximately 26,000 sorties during these exercises. So far this year, 15 countries have participated in the various educational events.
In the face of complex, strategic challenges, the Alliance benefits from participating with Allies and Partners in exercises such as Anatolian Eagle to prepare Allied forces for the missions they will perform.
