Last month came a warning that Turkish-Greek tensions threatened to disrupt the unity of NATO. Turkey accused Greece of militarizing the Aegean Islands, but Turkey’s constant threats and intimidation forced Greece to increase its defense spending. Erdogan has stated repeatedly his goal of a revived Ottoman Empire. In June, he threatened Greece and warned it “to stay away from actions that will result in regret, just as they did a century ago.” Then in August, he defined Greece has having a “vile character,” threatened war, and accused Greece of being on stolen land.
There’s a pattern to be discerned in Islamic supremacist Turkey under Erdogan, the ongoing Palestinian jihad against Israel, and the war against India in Kashmir. In each case, Islam failed to hold on to these territories, and a seething rage persists that results in all manner of aggression, while Muslims posture as the victims. Turkey should not be in NATO in the first place, and given its troublesome presence, it should long ago have been thrown out.
“Rising tensions between 2 of NATO’s biggest militaries are driving fears of the first war between alliance members,” by Constantine Atlamazoglou, Zee News, November 2, 2022:
Greece and Turkey are two of NATO’s oldest members, joining together in 1952, but their relationship and the tensions between them predate the alliance, and membership has done little to ease their disputes.
In recent years, ties between Athens and Ankara have deteriorated to the point that some believe a war could break out between them.
The countries occupy strategically important territory in southeastern Europe, and they field two of NATO’s biggest militaries, making the stakes of a potential clash much higher.
Due to persistent tensions with Turkey, Greece has been one of the few NATO members to maintain defense expenditures above the alliance’s 2%-of-GDP goal. Greece’s defense spending in 2022 was the highest in the alliance as a share of GDP.
Although much of Greece’s defense spending has traditionally gone to personnel costs, significant equipment purchases under its current administration, which took office in July 2019, have also made it one of the alliance’s biggest spenders on hardware. (NATO also calls for 20% of members’ defense spending to go toward equipment purchases and upgrades.)
Greece is placing a strong emphasis on its air force and naval fleet in particular.
Since 2020, it has purchased 24 French-made Rafale jets, 4.5-generation multirole fighters that are considered very capable and technologically superior to any Turkish aircraft. Athens is also upgrading 84 of its F-16s to the latest Viper configuration and has applied to join the F-35 program.
Greece plans to buy seven MH-60R anti-submarine warfare helicopters, and it has installed a version of Israel’s Iron Dome over its eastern Aegean islands. The system is tailored to counter Turkey’s large drone fleet.
On the naval front, Greece has purchased three FDI HN frigates from France with the option for a fourth one. It is also in the final stages of selecting four more corvettes for its already sizable navy.
Greece maintains the largest tank force among NATO’s European members…..
Jim J Fox says
Erdogan appears to have the intellect of an uneducated Muslim. Obsessed with resurrecting the Ottoman empire, which is a ridiculous dream. Not going to happen.
Turkey is reverting to Sick Man of Europe status with an economy on the skids & military as convincing as Putin’s.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Oh, Erdogan’s military is a lot more effective than Putin’s, given what they helped Azerbaijan do, and given what they themselves have successfully done in Syria so far – hold a part of that country. If anything, it’s Russia which is a military joke, when it has to pull in military equipment from countries it normally supplies, such as Iran and North Korea. If there were hypothetically a war b/w Turkey and Russia, Turkey would win, and that too without NATO support
PMK says
To say that ‘Turkey should not be in NATO in the first place’ is an overstatement. The world of 1952 was a different time. The USSR loomed large in the decision to admit Turkey to NATO. Also, the Kemalists were firmly in charge in Turkey and their goal was a secular state that could become a prosperous nation and live in peace with the West.. Ataturk was a nationalist and it was his belief that Islam hindered the growth of a nation. By rejecting the idea of pan-Turkism, he made it possible for Turkey to grow. Given its proximity to the Soviet Union, Turkey secured its future by allying with the West. Its goal of a secularized, western-leaning nation made it a partner in the Cold War.
Granted, times have changed. Erdogan'[s dream of a ‘Greater Turkey’ would have it take over large sections of Iraq, Syria and most of Armenia along with half of Bulgaria. That’s probably just for starters. It can’t happen, but the continued rhetoric and the desire for some sort of legacy could lead him to take foolish chances, as Milosevic did in his desire for a ‘Greater Serbia’. There will be no winners if armed conflict arises.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
True, but the fact is that just as in the 90s we never stopped regarding Russia as an adversary, we didn’t stop regarding Turkey as an ally. And today, neither of them are. Only saving grace is that Ukraine has made a mockery out of Russia’s military
Then there is also the fact that Turkey heads one of the few international organizations organized solely on race (the Arab League being the other major one). It started the Turkic Council, which has as its members Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and most recently Uzbekistan. Only Turkmenistan declined to join so far
mick says
Maybe so, but while Erdogan restricts theT and E river flow to Syria and Iraq, by ca 50%, he cannot expand his empire south east.
My guess is that he is using the migrant bomb in Turkey,, (3.7m?), to weaken Greece, squeeze short term cash/ concessions from Europe and expand the Ouma westwards.
I have not visited the area for 25 years.
GreekEmpress says
Every day I look at Greek reporter there are stories like this:
https://greekreporter.com/2022/11/03/erdogan-threatens-greece-new-missile-athens-range/
Constant provocations.
Erdogan would like nothing better than dominating Greece, Armenia, and the rest of Cyprus.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Probably Bulgaria, Kosovo, Bosnia, Serbia as well
Alkflaeda says
As a UK citizen, one of the major reasons why I voted to leave the EU in 2016 was that there was talk of Turkey joining the EU. I had no problem with Polish people, Lithuanian people and people from the old Commonwealth countries coming to the UK – but the thought of unlimited migration from an Islamic country three times the size of the UK really concerned me.
kq6kq6kq6 says
You are still in danger. From what I’ve read, London is mostly a Muslim city. The Muslims are a pampered group. The police there overlook many of the crimes that are committed by the Muslims. And more and more Muslims are crossing the English Channel to make their home in Britain.