“The Turkish president Erdogan does not seem to have any inhibitions in maintaining the tension and therefore it is not possible to make any prediction where he will go”, estimates the former Minister of National Defense, Evangelos Apostolakis, in an interview with “Naftemporiki” and Michalis Psylos , but adding that “nothing can be ruled out”.
“Erdoğan has worn the “peacemaker’s cape” and unfortunately he is getting congratulations from various sides”, emphasizes Mr. Apostolakis.
He even claims that “in such a climate, the NATO summit does not seem to have helped Greece at all.
“There was no brake on Ankara’s ambitions and challenges.”
Mr. Apostolakis refuses to make predictions as to whether the summer will be “hot”.
But he estimates that “too many mistakes are made in the way we handle the case”, because “when we are taken for granted and submissive to everyone, no one will pay attention to us”.
He even adds that he had predicted a long time ago that Turkey would extract from the US the upgrade of the F-16 aircraft.
“Certainly a lot is changing after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the consequences of that invasion.
“The EU, NATO and the US reacted, trying to take steps to stop this war.
“It is very important to strengthen the cohesion of NATO and to be able to prevent actions like the one currently underway in Ukraine.
“However, together with the upgrading of NATO, which resulted from the war, the role of Turkey was also upgraded.
“The Turkish president emerged as a protagonist and began to play the role of a mediator – if it is possible for a country that occupies 40% of the territory of an EU member state, Cyprus, to claim such a thing.
“If it is possible for the leader of a country that has launched a war in Syria, Libya, Armenia to appear as a “mediator”.
“Erdoğan has worn the sheepskin of the peacemaker and unfortunately he is getting congratulations from various sides.”
“The way Turkey is moving has proven to be effective.
“You see what happened at the summit with the case of Sweden and Finland joining NATO.
“No one expected that these two countries, which are known for their democratic values and traditions, but also for their support of human rights, in order to join NATO, would give in to the pressures of Turkey and possibly the USA and even with such a humiliating degree.
“Unfortunately, Turkey appeared to be strengthened and supported by everyone and no one wants to say no to it.”
“She believes that no one can pressure her, nor can measures be taken against her, beyond various prompts and recommendations to stop the tension.
“Already, Erdoğan, returning from Madrid to Turkey, speaking to journalists, said that “even though they are pressuring me to meet with the Prime Minister of Greece, I refused, because it would be a waste of time”.
“With such a climate that has formed, the NATO summit does not seem to have helped Greece at all.
“Erdoğan’s ambitions and challenges have not been slowed down.
“The Turkish president does not seem to have any inhibitions. It will maintain the tension.”
However, after the Friday prayer, the Turkish president asserted that “although it is not his concern to go to war, if the Greek violations in the Aegean continue, he will do whatever it takes”…
“Every day, Erdogan finds a way to make a provocative statement, causing a concern, which it is wrong to interpret only that he is doing it for internal or pre-election reasons, because his popularity has fallen and elections are approaching in Turkey.
“We should face the situation with the real facts.
“Let’s see how we’re going to deal with the challenges and the inevitable possibility of some engagement.”
“From what you saw, the action of the Greek frigate at that time was quite effective.
“We stood in an area that was rightfully the Greek EEZ and we obstructed the Turkish vessel and it did not continue the investigations.”
“I don’t want to make predictions. You see what the situation is, you see what the challenges are.
“I have said before that on the one hand we are looking for theories that make us complacent, that Turkey is doing all this for internal consumption.
“And while we should be making some moves, we have put the burden on asking for help from allies who are doing the least.
»What the development will be is directly related to how we handle it.
“When we are taken for granted and submissive to everyone, no one will pay attention to us.”
“I don’t want to make predictions, but, analyzing the situation, one sees that Erdogan has a strategy.
“And with the blackmails and tensions he is gaining some points.
“It cannot be predicted where Erdogan will take it, but nothing can be ruled out…”.
