With the days counting down to the meeting of Gerapetritis Fidan in Turkey, Athens is investing in maintaining the climate of calm, which Ankara seems to be trying to undermine.
This morning it went ahead at will to commit an area in the heart of the Aegean for exercises from early September to the end of October. A few 24 hours ago, Ankara challenged Greece's jurisdiction east of Karpathos, saying that for the exercise that the French navy wanted to carry out, the hydrographic station of Antalya was responsible for issuing NAVTEX.
Today the Turkish Defence Ministry spokesman referred to Greece and Cyprus where provocateurs set fire to a mosque giving Turkey the opportunity to present itself as the defender of Muslims everywhere, saying:
Our Turkish Armed Forces continue to protect the rights and interests of our country and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus without compromise in the Aegean and the Mediterranean. We continue our mutual efforts with our neighbour Greece to continue and develop the positive atmosphere that has recently developed.
Another important issue is the situation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on the island. We stress that two sovereign, equal and independent states are the only solution in Cyprus. We strongly condemn the attack on the Köprülü Hacı İbrahim Agha Mosque in the city of Limassol on 26 August. Such acts of hatred, which threaten Muslims, the Islamic world and the common values of all humanity, and which have been experienced in the past, have shown once again how justified and realistic the vision of a two-state solution in Cyprus is.
Turkey, as a guarantor country, will continue to be the guarantor of peace, tranquility and security in Cyprus within the framework of international agreements and legitimate rights under international law."
The Turkish president yesterday, paraphrasing history at will, spoke of the destruction of Smyrna in 1922 by the Greeks, stating:
"Turkish flags flew in the skies of Smyrna which was destroyed by the fleeing enemy 15 days after the start of the Great Offensive. Thus, the war on the field was won against the enemy who had been polluting the eternal homeland of Anatolia with his treacherous ambitions and his dirty boots for almost 3.5 years."
Athens' response was immediate and severe: "Hostile statements are counterproductive and do not contribute to the consolidation of the climate of calm, cooperation and dialogue that is being attempted to build in Greek-Turkish relations in the current period."
Yesterday also the congratulatory post by the Alliance's Land Forces Command in Izmir to Turkey prompted a written appeal by Greece to the NATO General Secretariat with diplomatic sources saying: "The letter states that it is unacceptable to link Turkey's National Armed Forces Day with a victory day against an allied country."
On the ground, Greece, Egypt and the US are conducting an interdisciplinary exercise in the greater Alexandria area of Egypt. 34 Countries and Organizations have been invited to participate in Exercise "BRIGHT STAR 23" with personnel and assets, while from the Greek side the participation of the three branches of the Armed Forces, as well as the Special Warfare Command (SPC) of the Hellenic Armed Forces is planned, as follows:
- From the Land Army, 3 AH-64 Attack Helicopters (E/EP) and 1 Mechanized Infantry Group.
- From the Air Force, 4 F-16 Fighter Aircraft and 1 EMB - 145H Airborne Early Warning & Control System (ASWCS) aircraft.
- From the Navy, 1 Frigate (F/G) with its organic Helicopter (H/C), 1 Armoured Submarine (A/G) and 1 Unorthodox Warfare Group (UWG) of the Submarine Disaster Command (SDC).
- From the ICF, 10 Zodiac Mk V Type Elastic Boats, 4 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs), 2 POLARIS MRZR Special Mission Vehicles, 1 Marine Company, 1 Naval Special Operations Group (NSEG) and 1 Special Forces Group - Special Operations Forces (SF-SOF) of the Special Parachute Division (SFD).
- Staff officers, liaison officers and observers at the Exercise Headquarters.
During the exercise, complex operational scenarios of air, naval and special operations will be carried out, focusing on countering threats of terrorist acts, unmanned systems and unconventional warfare in general, which will contribute to enhancing interoperability and military cooperation between the participating countries, and to combating common threats and risks in the wider Mediterranean and Middle East region.
This exercise demonstrates the high level of military cooperation that Greece has developed with Egypt and the United States, highlighting its stabilizing role in the wider region.
