The neighbors are carrying out the “Kararlilik 2022” naval exercise, which at the given time with Ankara raising the tension, takes on a special character.
The Hellenic Armed Forces and especially the Navy remain on heightened alert since the presence of the Turkish fleet in the Aegean is expected to be more than intense next week. The neighbors are carrying out the “Kararlilik 2022” naval exercise, which at the given time with Ankara raising the tension, takes on a special character. While the information states that the participation of both the Turkish Navy Units and the other forces taking part in the exercise seems to be upgraded compared to similar exercises in previous years. The incendiary rhetoric and the constant threats from all the officials of the neighboring country, first of all President Tayyip Erdoğan himself, leave no room for complacency in Athens. Even in front of 45 leaders in Prague, the Turkish president did not hesitate to repeat the now well-known “we will come at night” showing that he has exceeded all limits of aggression.
The Turkish Navy’s navtex issuing service has already announced yesterday a series of naval instructions for exercises with real fire and also with the dropping of paratroopers. Ankara appears determined to provoke since navtex also concerns areas of Greek jurisdiction up to the heart of the Aegean including the “triangle” of Ai Stratis, Lesvos and Psara. And even at a time when the Greek Navy had earlier reserved almost the same area for its own exercise. While one of the Turkish naval directives concerns the dropping of paratroopers on small islands and islets in the Gulf of Smyrna.
Apart from the clear desire of the Turks to send a message of strength with a strong presence in the Aegean, the decision to send their ships to an area where Units of the Greek Fleet are to be trained and even to announce actual fire shows that they aim to escalate the tension at sea as well . Since they are already in the air almost every day they proceed with overflights over Greek islands, while the engagements with fighters of our Air Force have increased in recent days. It is characteristic that last Thursday in 8 cases the Turkish F-16 fighters were involved with Greek interceptor fighters.
The “Kararlilik” exercise is held every year in the Autumn in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean with the execution of real fires and the aim of training the Turkish navy in all forms of naval warfare. Frigates, corvettes, gunboats, fast patrol boats and submarines participate. But also landing craft with Marines. The exercise has a strong interdisciplinary character since, in addition to the naval units, air force fighters, unmanned UAVs and both transport and attack ATAK helicopters take part. As in all naval exercises of the neighbors, Turkish Coast Guard vessels are expected to be present. Units of the Greek Fleet as well as other land and air surveillance means are expected to monitor every movement of the Turkish ships.
