Two scenarios are seen by Panteion University Professor of International Relations, Costas Yfantis, behind the saber rattling of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoglu, who, by formalizing a second Turkish casus belli against Greece, upgraded his bellicose rhetoric.
Cavusoglu even announced actions on the part of Ankara for the practical questioning of Greek sovereignty.
An overt link between demilitarization and Greek sovereignty
The issue of demilitarization is long-standing on Ankara’s agenda. “The” upgrade “of the Turkish provocation lies in what has to do with the fact that the slogan of demilitarization is now openly linked to sovereignty, that is, to whom the islands belong,” said Mr. Yfantis, speaking on ERT radio’s First Program.
Turkey now, said Mr. Yfantis, at the highest possible level, expresses the view that the Greek islands of the eastern Aegean were ceded to Greece under the conditions of Lausanne and Paris in 1947 on the condition that they remain demilitarized. “The upgrade is very serious, it poses a threat that no one can ignore, given the overall package of Turkish claims where the spearhead is the casus belli,” said Mr. Yfantis.
The worst case scenario
According to the professor, their goal is two scenarios, as he characteristically said, one very bad and one less bad. “The very bad scenario is that Turkey is no longer interested in any compromise in the Aegean and the East Mediterranean and will continue to pressure Athens in order to completely overturn the provisions of the Treaty of Lausanne. One hopes that this will remain at a diplomatic political level.
The least bad scenario is that this legitimate dimension of the Turkish claim, which is taken as such for the first time, aims to force Athens to negotiate between two very bad options. One is to finally accept Turkey’s firm position that the islands have no rights in the maritime zones except territorial waters and that even these are limited, in order to avoid a comprehensive negotiation that Ankara hopes will impose on us and has to do with the sovereignty of the islands and the overall revision of the Treaty,” explained Mr. Yfantis, according to ertnews.gr.
Greece’s defense agreements
Asked if there is a connection between Turkey’s recent stance and the international defense agreements that our country has entered into, Mr. Yfantis replied that indeed, Turkey sees that Greece stubbornly refuses to adapt to Turkish regional preferences and ambitions and because there is a process of restoring the balance of power.
All these agreements with the Greek armament program, the freezing of the upgrade of the Turkish air force, all this may lead to a safe assessment that Ankara is driven to put as much pressure as possible, in this time window that exists while the [Greek] armament [program] is in progress, to delegitimize or generally deconstruct the international legal advantage that the country has.
Latest News
Retail Sales in Greece Up 0.8% in Q4 2024: ELSTAT
Retail businesses in the food and fuel sectors posted a turnover of €6.82 billion in Q3 2024, a 1.2% increase compared to €6.73 billion in Q3 2023
September in Greece Winning Tourists Over from US, Germany
Tourists continue to visit Greece off-season into Sept. with the number of inbound travelers up by 6.6% and a 7.9% rise in travel receipts.
Bank of Greece Governor Says EU will Retaliate to Trump’s Tarrifs
The Bank of Greece Governor defended the independence of central banks amid criticism from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who had publicly commented on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powel
September in Greece Winning Tourists Over from US, Germany
Tourists continue to visit Greece off-season into Sept. with the number of inbound travelers up by 6.6% and a 7.9% rise in travel receipts.
Bitcoin Surges Toward $100K Amid Pro-Crypto Optimism in US
According to Reuters, the cryptocurrency surged to an all-time high, briefly exceeding $96,898 during Asian trading hours.
Greek Driver Violations at a Touch of a Button
Traffic offences recorded in the last five years by Greece’s “Driver Behavior Control System” are now available on Gov.gr Wallet
Milan Tops List of Most Expensive Streets, Athens’ Ermou Holds Steady at 15th Place
In Athens, following Ermou Street is the southern suburb of Glyfada and Tsimiski Street in Thessaloniki.
New Gov.gr Service Enables Secure Reporting of Minor-Related Delinquency
It should also be noted that via the recently introduced initiative ‘Safe Youth’ application citizens have access to specially tailored informative material regarding the safety of children and adolescents
Thousands Strike in Athens Over Soaring Living Costs and Stagnant Wages
Inflation, particularly in food prices, has been crushing Greek households
Greece Overhauls Property Valuation System
Greece plans to launch a revamped property value registry in 2025 and overhaul the way objective values are calculated to enhance tax revenue and improve transparency.