Erdogan persists with aggressive stance
Military action hinted at just hours after Greek, Turkish defense ministers agree on need to talk
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ratcheted up his anti-Greek rhetoric Friday, less than 24 hours after Greece’s and Turkey’s defense ministers, meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels, had agreed on the need to keep communications open and the rhetoric low-key.
Pressed by reporters upon his return from a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to comment on the “militarization” of Greek islands and on heightened activity at the Greek port of Alexandroupoli, Erdogan replied: “These things do not scare us. We have taken measures, everything is ready… let them think about it.” When a Turkish reporter asked, “Is there a limit to our patience?” Erdogan replied: “There is no date for this. We might come suddenly one night. Is it possible to give advance notice on what we will do and when?”
Other Turkish officials, and Erdogan himself, have spoken in the past about Turkey suddenly invading Greece. But, given recent admonitions at the highest levels from NATO allies to keep things in the Eastern Mediterranean calm, some analysts pointed out that Erdogan, who made these remarks hours after meeting Putin, may have responded to Moscow’s aversion to stability on NATO’s southeastern flank and were calculated to please Putin.
Erdogan added that, on issues between Greece and Turkey, Turkey’s Defense Ministry is in talks with the United States and mentioned Thursday’s 40-minute meeting between the Greek and Turkish defense ministers, Nikos Panagiotopoulos and Hulusi Akar, saying that “we will discuss the result with Hulusi Pasha [Akar] when he returns.”
Erdogan’s statement contrasted with confidential leaks by Turkish diplomats that their country was ready to resume talks and Akar’s statement to Panagiotopoulos that the two countries should air and debate their differences, both at the lower levels – the working groups of experts – and higher up. Erdogan’s official position is that he refuses henceforth to talk with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, although the latter has said he is open to talks.
Even after the meeting between Panagiotopoulos and Akar, Greek officials had tempered their expectations, saying that meetings between the two are always cordial, but that this does not often result in Turkey abandoning its aggressive rhetoric, Akar himself being an example.
