Why October is considered critical for the occurrence of a “hot” episode – “Steel” shield from the Armed Forces from Evros to Kastellorizo and Crete – How the GEETHA and Staffs are preparing for all eventualities – “Locked” by the entire Fleet the Archipelago, the Land Army controls every movement of the opposite side, the Air Force “haunts” the Turks.
Our country has now entered one of the most difficult phases of Greek-Turkish relations in recent years, with the situation not only not escalating, but literally smelling of gunpowder.
With the attempts at reconciliation having fallen on deaf ears and the diplomatic initiatives having completely failed, everything shows that the only thing left for the Turkish regime is to make its next move and escalate the tension on the ground as well. Experienced military and diplomatic analysts point out that it is only a matter of time before Turkey attempts the… awarded passage to the Aegean, the Ebro or even the Eastern Mediterranean.
Why bored? Because Greece is not Syria, it is not Armenia, it is not Iraq. It is militarily powerful, operationally ready and determined to respond to any aggression. Tayyip Erdoğan and the Turkish regime are well aware of the deterrent power of our country, which is why they will try to take advantage of every possible and… improbable opportunity to set “fire”. After all, the tension is at the highest levels and a spark is enough to ignite the peace in our neighborhood.
What could that spark be? An accident in the air, a “crash” at sea? No one can know, since Ankara has the initiative of the moves as to where, when and how it will decide to make the next move. Also, Turkey has placed immigration high on its agenda and an attempt to use it either in the Evros or on the islands is not ruled out, with our country however having formed plans to deal with even a double front in the Aegean and Evros.
After all, the experience of 2020, with the attempted invasion of Evros with a siege battering ram of thousands of immigrants, offered valuable knowledge to the military leadership. The Chief of GEETHA, General Konstantinos Floros and the Chief of GES, Lieutenant General Charalambos Lalousis were then summoned together with the EL.AS. to face an unprecedented threat. Because it is different to have an army facing you and threatening your borders, and another to have to deal with civilians. The military leadership then managed to successfully face the extreme challenge, gained important experiences and above all sent a resounding message that “Evros is not falling”.
From then until today, things on the Evros have changed significantly, with our country having almost completely shielded its north-eastern borders, having strengthened its forces along the entire length and declaring that whoever attempts any action on the “river”, he will face the Greek fire.
This was followed by the crisis of the summer in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, where our Navy took action there. It was July 21, 2020 when Turkey attempted to massively withdraw its fleet from Aksaz Naval Station and move it to Rhodes and Kastellorizo. The perspicacity of the General Commander, Vice-Admiral Stylianos Petrakis and the determination of the Fleet Commander, Vice-Admiral Panagiotis Lymberis, to bring all the Greek ships to the Aegean lined up for a naval battle, convinced the Turks that Greece was not joking and was prepared to strike. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar’s statement that “Greece’s reaction was excessive” confirms the panic of the Turks when they saw their radars filled with… blue dots all over the Aegean.
But also in the crisis with the ORUC REIS, our Navy was the “shadow” of the Turks from August to December, with the crews staying at sea for even 150 days. The “backlash” of the Turkish flagship and its near-sinking by the Greek frigate LIMNOS, once again highlighted the experience, determination and seamanship of the Greeks. The “wooden walls”, albeit of old construction, not only endured and stood in front of the Turkish ships, but made sure to inform Erdogan that bullying and provocations do not pass in the Archipelago.
From then until today, the surface units of our Navy, as well as the submarines, have not been complacent for a single hour. In all the “key” points of the Archipelago, hidden in rocky islands and constantly patrolling, the ships and submarines of the Navy form a “steel” wall throughout the Aegean. The orders from the Chief of General Staff, Vice-Admiral Stylianos Petrakis are clear: High readiness, continuous training and quick reflexes for a dynamic response, if necessary.
And something extremely important: The morale of the crews is high, after the correction of the wage injustice, with the Fleet allowance giving financial breathing and motivation to the executives who are on missions at sea, to continue with more zeal, with more passion and concentration the function they perform.
As for the Air Force, whatever we write will be little. The “hawks” of the HAF under the guidance of the Chief of the GEA, Vice-Captain Themistocles Bourolias, continue to dominate the Archipelago, fully prepared for any eventuality, for any action challenging Greek sovereignty.
You know, the Air Force does not need a crisis to prove its power… it proves it every day in the battles over the Aegean, in the interceptions of the brazen Turks, in the surveillance of the Turkish UAV’S day and night, in the moments when they put the Turks in a “kill” position . The orders to our gunpowder-smoked pilots from Vice Admiral Bourolias are clear: great attention, calmness and restraint in any provocative or even aggressive action.
After all, the provocation attempt is extremely possible and the fields that Turkey can attempt it in are many, from an air accident to a search and rescue incident. As we said, Ankara has the initiative of the moves as to where, when and how it will decide to make the next move, with our country, however, having already decided what its own first move will be. And she will definitely be convincing again…
However, what is worth emphasizing is that at the critical time the Armed Forces will give the answers they need to those who question our sovereignty. United and determined, the three Branches will not allow a millimeter of Greek territory to be lost. And this is something that both the Turkish regime and the Greek people should be well aware of. The coming weeks will be particularly difficult for Greek-Turkish relations. It requires composure, sobriety and clear targeting. The enemy is common and is opposite. We must all face him together, united, like in 2020 when cooperation and solidarity were seen on the field, from Evros to Kastellorizo.
