Image source: topwar.ru
The uneasy relations between Turkey and Greece, which are members of NATO, have been going on for many years. The countries are bound by historical hostility and unresolved territorial disputes. From time to time, Greek-Turkish relations are greatly strained. And now a new aggravation has even led to the fact that the retired Greek general Yannis Egolfopoulos made threats to bomb the strategic bridges of Istanbul connecting Europe and Asia.
The reason for a new increase in tension between the countries was the islands in the Aegean Sea, which washes the shores of Greece and Turkey. Ankara has accused Athens of supplying weapons to 12 islands near the Turkish border. According to the Greek side, weapons are necessary only for self-defense. Ankara reacted to this with a puzzled expression - to defend from whom, if both countries are members of the same military alliance... In addition, disputes continue over Turkey's exploration of natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean.
The escalation of tensions was also facilitated by the recent speech of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, delivered to members of the US Congress, when he accused Turkey of destabilizing the situation in Cyprus.
Turkish President Recep Erdogan issued a sharp response during his participation in the AFS 2022 military exercises and warned that Greece must recognize its borders and adhere to them, otherwise it will receive a decisive response.
After these statements, the media from both sides started talking about a possible military clash.
In connection with the next escalation of relations between the two countries, retired Turkish General E. Karagosh said that a war between Turkey and Greece is inevitable, calling for the strengthening of the Turkish air force.
In an interview with one of the Turkish private channels, Karagosh said that Turkey has no problems with its land and naval forces, but it must strengthen the power of its air force.
In turn, Turkish expert on military and security issues Mehta Yarar ruled out the beginning of any direct military clash between the two countries, pointing out that Athens relies on Western support in its actions and that they will not be able to conduct a military confrontation against Turkey due to the disparity of forces between the two sides.
Yarar noted that Ankara requires Greece to comply with the Lausanne Agreements of 1923 and the Paris Agreements of 1947, which provide for the preservation of the 12 islands demilitarized.
On the other hand, according to the Greek political scientist Taki Barbarakis, today there is a lot of popular support for the Greek government on the issue of arming the Aegean islands, and public opinion in Greece believes that arming the islands is the sovereign right of Athens.
According to the Greek analyst, Athens bases its armament of the Aegean islands on Article 51 of the UN Charter, which provides for the "right to self-defense", since the Greek government has repeatedly stated that it took this step to counter any potential threat from Turkey.
Against the background of this difficult situation, Greek General Yannis Egolfopoulos, who threatened to strike at Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, and the leader of the Turkish Nationalist Movement Party Devlet Bahceli, who reminded the Greeks of the fate of their ancestors buried at the bottom of the Aegean Sea, added fuel to the fire.
