Tension between Turkey and Greece, a matter of a few kilometres
Turkish provocations continue in the Aegean Sea, fuelling an escalation between the two countries that is less and less likely to be stopped. The latest episode again concerns the broadcasting in Turkey of three navigational telexes that would cover Greek waters, in response to the militarisation that Greece is carrying out on some of the islands off the Turkish coast. This militarisation of the Greek islands is, in the eyes of Turkish diplomacy, contrary to the treaties signed between the two parties over the last century.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has itself published a statement on its website warning that the militarisation of some of the Greek islands violates the international agreements signed. These are the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923 after the end of the First World War, the Montreux Convention of 1936, the Paris Peace Agreement of 1947 after the end of the Second World War. Despite the fact that this militarization has gained ground recently, Turkey has been denouncing these events for decades.
For its part, Greek diplomacy claims that it was precisely the Montreux Convention of 1936 that reversed the demilitarisation of some of the islands - Limnos and Samothrace - in the Treaty of Lausanne 13 years earlier. This was reportedly acknowledged by the Turkish Foreign Minister himself before the National Assembly in July 1936. Similarly, in the eyes of the Greeks, the islands of Chios, Samos, Ikaria and Patmos would not have demilitarised status either because of the 1923 Treaty, the first three would not be included in it, and the last one, Patmos, would not even be under Greek domination before the signing of the peace with Italy after the Second World War. With regard to the Dodecanese islands, Turkey recognises the possibility of the existence of security forces linked to internal control, but claims that Greece exceeds this possibility by having aircraft and warships around the islands.
The fight for a military presence on the Greek islands is simply another pretext for making progress in a diplomatic confrontation which, despite the diplomatic efforts of other players, such as the United Kingdom or NATO itself, cannot be stopped. Furthermore, Greece believes that its position has become more consistent as a result of France's support, both diplomatic and military, since collaboration and military procurement agreements have been signed this year.
In this respect, the Greek and Turkish naval forces are certainly on an equal footing, given the control to which both armed forces are subject in order to counter the new capabilities acquired. The latest example was Greece's acquisition of the modern American F35s, aircraft which in this case were part of a Turkish pre-purchase - Turkey was part of the original group of countries that had participated in its development - and whose purchase was finally rejected by the United States, which also meant Turkey's expulsion from the project, due to the latest movements from Ankara, which were experienced with concern in Washington.
The use of these navigation telexes (NAVTEX) by Turkey to exert pressure and strain relations with Greece is not the first time this has happened and, given the evolution of the conflict, which is currently taking place in the political and diplomatic sphere, it will not be the last either. The conflict over territorial waters, Turkey's interest in the energy resources of Mediterranean waters and its interference in regional conflicts whose consequences go beyond Greece itself - migratory movements, political instability, etc. - are all factors that have a bearing on the development of relations with Greece. - The conflict over territorial waters, Turkey's interest in the energy resources of Mediterranean waters and its interference in regional conflicts whose consequences go beyond Greece itself - migratory movements, political instability, etc. - make it easier for Greek diplomacy to position itself in organisations such as NATO, but above all the European Union, where France's role also carries great weight, and it is precisely there that the French country is trying to exert its influence to stop this Turkish drift or, at least, to apply a series of sanctions that will drown a country that has seen in this headlong rush forward a way of managing its various internal problems and crises.
