Turkish political scientist, candidate of political sciences Kerim Has on December 30, in an interview with Izvestia, pointed out a possible benefit for the United States from the conflict between Turkey and Greece.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he could send Turkish Typhoon short-range ballistic missiles to Athens if they “do not remain calm” and also do not change course to expand their weapons arsenals.
Greek National Defense Minister Nicholas Panagiotopoulos said Turkey’s threats were more indicative of provocative revisionism than the behavior of a NATO ally, TASS writes.
“When Erdogan shouts like that, uses such rhetoric, it is very beneficial for the Americans. Because Greece has always treated the United States coldly, cautiously. And in recent years, when Erdogan threatens, many American bases have appeared in Greece, the military is being deployed, equipment,” Khas said.
At the same time, according to the political scientist, a military conflict between Turkey and Greece is unlikely.
“I don’t think Erdogan wants a military conflict with Greece. Such rhetoric is needed by the Turkish leadership before the elections. Greece also uses the rhetoric of Ankara, there are also elections in 2023. Both parties benefit. There will be no military conflict, primarily due to the fact that NATO members will not allow it,” he said.
In recent months, Ankara has stepped up its military rhetoric against Greece, accusing Athens of building up its weapons arsenal on the Greek Aegean islands close to Turkey’s coastline. So, on December 6, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said that Ankara is ready to raise the issue of the sovereignty of the Aegean Islands , if Greece does not stop “provocative actions.”
Earlier, the Turkish Defense Ministry accused Greece of violating international agreements, including the Lausanne (1923) and Paris (1947) treaties, after the transfer of armored vehicles to the islands of Midilli (Lesbos) and Sisam (Samos) in the Aegean Sea, which have the status of demilitarized.
In mid-October, The New York Times chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe, Stephen Erlanger, opined that the growing tension between Greece and Turkey could escalate into a full-scale war between the countries and lead to a split in NATO. While both countries are NATO allies, the other members of the alliance still disagree on a number of bilateral disputes, including maritime boundaries.
Turkey and Greece have been arguing over a range of issues for years, including the status of islands in the Aegean. The high-level dialogue between the countries resumed in January 2021, after nearly five years of efforts to ease tensions over border disputes in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
Source : iz.ru