[ad_1]
One of Mao Zedong’s most popular views, according to which “political power is what springs from the barrel of a gunAnkara seems to have adopted in recent years, passing on the one hand a barrage of reinforcements armaments from the Turkish Armed Forces and on the other hand implementing an expansionist doctrine to the detriment of almost all its neighbors – and especially towards Greece. Making the most of its balance of power, which is based more on numbers and less on quality, Turkish propaganda seeks to portray Turkey as a regional superpower that has a decisive influence on developments in a vast region stretching from North Africa. and the southeast. to the Caucasus and the Balkans.
On the other hand, the Hellas Through its participation in a number of international organizations, although smaller in all numerical sizes – comparable – compared to the Turkish war machine, it appears to balance the region’s military forces to a significant degree, investing in the purchase of modern weapon systems. , that in a possible Greek-Turkish military confrontation could make a difference, achieving forceful blows to the eastern neighbor. Taking advantage of the multiple vulnerabilities that Turkey has, since the Imia crisis in 1996, and since then our country has proceeded to supply a series of weapons systems that alone are sufficient to cause incalculable damage to its adversary in the event of conflict or in the Aegean or in Evros. Against this background, the recent announcement by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotaki The implementation of a giant armaments program, worth € 10 billion, which will include, among other things, the supply of 18 new Rafale fighters, new frigates and modern weapons systems, will result in the restoration of balance. of power not only in the Aegean, but also more broadly in the SE Mediterranean area, thus balancing to a significant degree the military power between Greece and Turkey.
Balance of power
Turkey, one of the most populous countries in the region, has a large amount of human resources that can be found armed. An estimated 355,200 men (permanent and hoplite) are currently serving in its Armed Forces, a far greater number compared not only to Greece, but to any other European power. On the other hand, clearly less is the potential that serves the Greek: the number is estimated to be around 140,000 men. According to a recent study by the Cyprus Center for Strategic Studies, the recent reduction in military service combined with the massive “Gulenist” clean-up operations in the Turkish Armed Forces by the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2014 will lead to 2014, in 2014. There is a significant reduction in the correspondence between Greek and Turkish soldiers. More specifically, today there are 2.4 Turkish soldiers for every Greek, when in 2014 the relative ratio was 3.5 to 1. However, Turkey remains the country with the largest number of troops in Europe, with France leading the way. it followed with 204,000 soldiers, Germany with 181,000, Italy with 166,000 and the United Kingdom with 148,000.
However, despite their differences, Greece and Turkey have something in common in terms of their defense budgets, as they are both among the NATO member states that have more than 2% of their defense GDP.
With three open war fronts underway, in Syria and Libya abroad and with the Kurds in, Turkey has allocated around $ 19.4 billion of its 2020 budget for its defense spending. However, in essence, the precise determination of Turkish defense spending is an unsolvable puzzle, as this corpse feeds the costs of many different entities, whose financial data is inaccurate or made public in opaque terms, as they are not subject to a any control by competent audit institutions, such as Parliament. Such are the income and expenses of the Defense Industry Support Fund (SSDF), which is the main source of financing for the weapons programs, the payment of the K πολιy Korucular, the secret expenditure (Örtülü Ödenek) of the Forces Turkish Armed Forces and the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TSKGV), which has stakes in 18 national defense industries, including Aselsan, Havelsan, Roketsan and TAI, as well as Cyprus.
On the other hand, the Greek defense budget for 2020 amounts to about 3.4 billion euros. A significant portion of this fund is expected to be allocated to meet the current needs of the two major weapons programs already “running” in the ED, such as, among other things, the modernization of F-16 fighter jets. at the Viper level and the P3 Orion naval cooperation aircraft.
NATO figures
However, according to data (relative to 2019) provided by NATO, the difference between the two countries’ expenditures for the supply of new weapons systems or for the maintenance of existing ones is particularly obvious, with Greece lagging behind. significantly from Turkey.
In particular, our country allocated 12.5% of its defense budget to this end, compared to 38.6% for Turkey, which, compared to its GDP, won the leadership of NATO in this category.
Taking into account the above, but also the fact that Greece is once again called to face the Turkish threat and provocation in the operational field, in the next period the implementation of a new weapons program is expected that will restore the balance of power in Aegean. , at the same time increasing the quality advantage that Greek DE already has. against the Turks. In this context, special emphasis will be placed on further strengthening the Air Force and the Navy, which are the two Corps of the Hellenic Air Force. They bear the brunt of the undeclared war in the Aegean, which has recently escalated again. The supply of 18 new French Rafale fighter jets, the modernization of 85 F-16 fighter jets at Viper level, and the supply of spare parts for the Mirage-2000 will make a difference in the Aegean. Similarly in the Navy, the supply of 4 new frigates, the modernization of the MEKO type frigates and the purchase of heavy duty torpedoes for the latest generation Type 214 submarines, will greatly contribute to the Greek PN. to remain a dominant force in the southeastern Mediterranean for decades to come.
News Today:
The possibility of arson in Evros is investigated: 15 fires in just 48 hours
“Spy Game” – The dance of spies in Greece: unknown stories with Americans, Turks, Mossad and … blonde beauties
Unacceptable verbal attack by a driver on a woman riding the bus – Video
