Sitting on the fence?
It is interesting that even today Ankara cannot see a reason why it should stop pressing on with its claims in the Aegean. Despite the fact that the European Union is now so close to making a decision about whether to start accession talks with Turkey, and despite the support for Erdogan’s government that Greece continues to demonstrate on this matter, the Turkish Air Force is continuing its «work» in the Aegean, carrying out dozens of violations earlier this week, as well as a provocation by a Turkish Coast Guard patrol vessel near Imia. In Athens meanwhile, both the government and the opposition continue to display great understanding toward the Erdogan leadership. Indeed, both parties still share the conviction that a conflict has been developing over the past 20 years between Turkey’s ostensibly reformist politicians and its military leadership. And to make it entirely clear that the Greek government does not feel any hostility toward Erdogan’s government following fresh tension in the Aegean, Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis referred only to «the behavior of the military officials» which, he stressed, «does not comply with the positive climate in Greek-Turkish relations.» It remains to be seen to what extent the Turkish military will try Greek patience as regards Greek-Turkish «friendship» and to what extent Athens will continue to recognize two Turkish policies opposite Greece – that of the political leadership and that of the armed forces…
