As the clouds gather over the planet, it becomes more urgent for Greece to increase its military deterrence capabilities and to strengthen its alliances. In the past few years, it has made significant progress on both fronts, but it remains uncertain whether our principal allies – the United States (and the rest of NATO) and the European Union – have adopted Greece’s positions as their own. This is because the most direct threat that Greece faces – from Turkey – is also the reason that the allies do not clarify their position. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has managed to present Turkey as an irreplaceable member of the Western Alliance and an important partner for the EU. Membership of NATO and cooperation with the EU provide him with greater influence in his relations with Russia, Iran and others. This he then leverages into greater influence with the West. In this way, for Turkey NATO participation means rights without obligations.

Greece is in a weaker position, because it aligns itself with its allies’ decisions, as in imposing sanctions on Russia. Erdogan, on the other hand, has supported Vladimir Putin as no one else, with significant rewards. Let’s not forget the huge inflows of money into Turkey before the presidential elections of 2023, when polls were showing that Erdogan might not be reelected. The freezing of Turks’ natural gas bills alone came to about $600 million, while other large amounts were of “undetermined” origin. Since then, Erdogan’s skill at playing all sides on the Ukraine issue has brought him many gains, and no consequences. On the contrary, even though the EU has not officially opened its doors to Turkey’s defense industry, Turkish companies have signed major deals with European counterparts.

All of this encourages Turkey’s ambition to control the whole region and to force Greece to accede to its demands. Greece’s diplomats point out all these issues, but Erdogan does it better. His statement on Monday, commemorating the naval battle at Preveza (western Greece) in 1538, when the Ottoman fleet defeated the Christian Holy League, highlights this. “I honor with gratitude admiral Barbarossa and his heroic sailors, who with this glorious victory turned the Mediterranean into a Turkish lake,” Erdogan declared. His defense minister, Yasar Guler, explained, for anyone who didn’t get the point. “With the spirit of Preveza, combining the spirit of renewal with the vision of the ‘Blue Homeland,’ with the capabilities of our national defense industry, with our ambition for the ‘Turkish Century,’ we will remain on our course with determination,” he said.

The message could not be clearer. If our allies don’t get it, it will be because they don’t want to.

Home

Erdogan summons Barbarossa’s spirit