Turkey continues to up the ante and behave in the Mediterranean as a regional Islamic supremacist bully. As a result, Greece is now building up its military, developing its defense industry as Turkish President Erdogan warns that “Turkey will continue to follow a determined and active policy in the eastern Mediterranean.” Erdogan issued a thinly-veiled threat to Greece: “I advise those who, instead of sitting around the table with us, show defiance with their dilapidated military forces, to carefully inspect our diplomatic efforts and military operations of the past four years.”
Erdogan has also continued to threaten to “open the gates” and allow hundreds of thousands of Muslim migrants to flood into Greece and the EU in general. Meanwhile, Turkey has been busy shooting down Syrian migrants — women and children included — as they attempted to cross into Turkey.
“Greece to Boost Military Amidst Tensions with Turkey,” Associated Press, September 8, 2020:
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece will bolster its military with new arms, more personnel and by developing the country’s defence industry, the government said Monday, as a tense standoff with neighbouring Turkey has led to concerns of open conflict between the two NATO allies.
Ankara is facing off against Greece and Cyprus over oil and gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Greece and Turkey have deployed naval and air forces to assert their competing claims.
“The Turkish leadership is unleashing, on a near-daily basis, threats of war and makes provocative statements against Greece,” Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said. “We respond with political, diplomatic and operational readiness, determined to do whatever is necessary to protect our sovereign rights.”
Petsas said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis would be announcing details of plans to upgrade the country’s military during his annual state of the economy speech on Saturday….
On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan characterized Greece’s armed forces as “dilapidated” and called on Athens to seek a dialogue with Turkey. He also criticized the EU, which has backed EU member Greece in the dispute.
“I advise those who, instead of sitting around the table with us, show defiance with their dilapidated military forces, to carefully inspect our diplomatic efforts and military operations of the past four years,” Erdogan said following a Cabinet meeting.
“Turkey will continue to follow a determined and active policy in the eastern Mediterranean,″ Erdogan said.
Last Saturday, Erdogan warned Greece to enter talks over conflicting eastern Mediterranean territorial claims or face the consequences.
“They’re either going to understand the language of politics and diplomacy, or in the field with painful experiences,” he said….
In Athens, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said Turkey was the only regional country “that threatens its neighbours with war when they want to exercise their legal rights — in blatant violation of the U.N. Charter.”….