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Tayyip Erdogan continues direct threats of war against Greece, threatening to explode the intense diplomatic efforts that are being developed at all levels in the last 24 hours to defuse the crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean. Indeed, efforts that, as Turkish officials and the Sultan himself claim, support, blaming the failure of plans to start a dialogue in Greece.
Despite the collapse of the Turkish economy and internal troubles largely explaining why Erdogan continues this rhetoric while speaking behind closed doors about dialogue, this tactic has started to drain the patience of Greece and its allies. who in the next period, which will culminate with the Summit at the end of September, will be called upon to make drastic decisions if Turkey does not calm down.
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Next Wednesday, the day of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting, there will be an extensive debate on Greek-Turkish. Despite NATO’s efforts to avoid embarrassing situations that would jeopardize its own mission, hence the low-level debate on whether there is room for a technical dialogue on a conflict prevention mechanism, the question of the Eastern Mediterranean will become on the table.
However, expectations appear to be low as substantive negotiations on de-escalation are under way in Greek-Turkish with a focus on Berlin rather than NATO.
Threat to Greece and … Erdogan rips maps
However, in this case too, the work of Berlin and Brussels to move the talks forward becomes particularly difficult because of Ankara.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s verbal challenges, in addition to overcoming all limits, have become particularly tedious as they are repeated, like a magnifying glass, every day for several months.
On Saturday, Erdogan went a step further by adding particularly belligerent rhetoric to his “repertoire.” Speaking in Istanbul on the occasion of the inauguration ceremony of a hospital, the Turkish president made clear threats against our country and stated that he will not accept international documents or maps with which Turkey does not agree.
In particular, he threatened Greece with military action, while describing his country’s provocative actions in the eastern Mediterranean as a simple quest to uphold Turkey’s “rights” and “justice.” At the same time, he accused Athens of trying to “imprison” Turkey in a small maritime zone around its shores.
“Turkey has the political, economic and military power to get rid of immoral maps and documents imposed by others,” he was quoted as saying by Anadolu Agency. “Either they will understand it politically and diplomatically, or they will experience it painfully on the battlefield,” he added.
The Dendia message – Panagiotopoulos in Stoltenberg
A few hours earlier, and continuing with the barrage of consultations on the occasion of the European Summit that will take place on September 24 and 25, the Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, had a telephone conversation with the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg.
This contact comes two days after Stoltenberg’s tweet that set Athens on fire and the issue of reducing tension between Greece and Turkey.
According to diplomatic sources, the talks focused on events in the eastern Mediterranean and the need for Turkey to reduce tensions, with the withdrawal of ships as a precondition for dialogue.
They also discussed Stoltenberg’s proposal for a mechanism to de-escalate tensions in the context of the well-known Athens positions.
Initial discussions on this reportedly took place last week, when Mr. Stoltenberg was in Berlin, where, in addition to Nikos Panayotopoulos, he also met with Ungret Krab-Karenbauer.
In fact, the dialogue between the two sides came to light, SKAI revealed.
The dialogue in question:
Panagiotopoulos: As long as so many boats remain at this point, the risk of something happening increases due to the excessive concentration, fatigue and stress of many boats in such a limited area.
Stoltenberg: Okay. What I can do;
Panagiotopoulos: mediate so Erdogan can find a way to withdraw all ships immediately.
Stoltenberg: The whole war?
Panagiotopoulos: All wars.
Stoltenberg: And the Oruc Reis?
Panagiotopoulos: Of course, the Oruc Reis. If the warships retreat, that too will go away, because he never leaves without the company of warships.
The EU is ready for sanctions if Turkey does not comply
For its part, the European Union says it is ready to impose restrictive measures if Turkey does not lower the tension, reiterated the Commission representative in charge of foreign affairs, Peter Stano.
“The EU is very clear about its solidarity with Greece and Cyprus and the EU’s expectation towards Turkey was expressed both in public statements and through the commitment of High Representative Borrell, who had a telephone conversation with his Foreign Minister.” Tsavousoglu briefed him on the discussions with the foreign ministers and the EU’s expectations of seeing de-escalation, dialogue and engagement, and not unilateral steps that are challenging and contribute to escalating tensions, “said Peter Stano.
In addition, Stano stressed that “the EU has clarified what will happen on our part if there are no signs of de-escalation. That is why the council is willing to initiate discussions on possible restrictive measures, but we all hope that it will be possible to advance through dialogue and discussions “.
The role of the Turkish media
In this climate, Ankara, through the media controlled by the vast majority of them, continues the dangerous game of impressions.
On this occasion, renowned media spoke about the transfer of 40 tanks to the Greek-Turkish border of Evros, news that they were forced – without ruling out that there were interventions from above given the critical situation in the Eastern Mediterranean – to deny little time after. speaking of a planned transfer of tanks from Syria, which, however, are not aimed at Evros and a measure that does not concern Greece in any way.
In particular, according to the Anadolu agency, the news about the transfer of the tanks to the Greek-Turkish border does not reflect the truth.
As a journalist from the Turkish agency points out, this is a planned activity of the Second Army based in Malatia and it is not a transfer of troops to the border with Greece.
#Turkey deploy tanks to #Greece Syrian border border, claims Turkish private news agency İHA.
About 40 tanks. #Erdogan #Greece_Turkey #Syria pic.twitter.com/4QMo8b3YLQ
– Nikhil Choudhary (@NikhilCh_) September 5, 2020
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