The ‘alert’ for the Turkish provocations and the ‘rape’ of Menendez in Ankara

By Dimitris Gatsiou

Ankara is adding new episodes to its… mosaic of challenges, whether it is related to the Aegean and the violations of the national airspace, or to the instrumentalization of the refugee-immigrant issue.

The Greek authorities are in… a state of alert, especially since the leadership of its neighbor decided to use, once again, in the… game of blackmail towards the West the refugee-immigrant issue, with Athens watching, at the same time, decisively and coolly the moves of Ankara which… further burdens the climate of tension in the Aegean.

Turkey’s counter… wrote yesterday 49 violations by eight F-16s and a total of five overflights, further negatively ionizing the environment, a few hours after the announcement by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through which Athens summoned, among other things, the neighbor to the east for attempt to create a border issue, on the occasion of the incident with the 38 migrants in Evros.

In this climate of tension caused by the neighbor’s movements, the resounding messages of the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the American Senate, Robert Menendez, to the leadership of Turkey are particularly important. The criticisms of the violations in the Aegean are, in fact, another … rap in Ankara, at a time when President Erdogan has his sights set on the US Congress regarding the upgrade and purchase of new fighter aircraft F -16.

Mr Menendez’s warning shots come after reports carried by Russia’s TASS news agency that the neighboring country is poised to sign a new deal with Moscow to supply the S-400 system.

“I am deeply concerned by reports that Turkey is considering further purchases of the Russian S-400 missile defense system, a delivery that would constitute another clear violation of United States sanctions imposed by the Countering America’s Adversaries Act. through sanctions”, said the president of the Foreign Relations Committee of the American Senate, who is visiting our country.

At the same time, the fact that the democratic senator, who expresses his support for Greek justice on a regular basis, mentioned both the provocative violations of the national airspace by Turkish fighters, as well as the ramparts that Ankara is putting up, is of particular importance for our country. in the accession process of Finland and Sweden to NATO.

“Between the ongoing competitive violations of Greece’s airspace and the delay in Sweden and Finland’s NATO accession process, I sincerely hope that Turkey will change course and live up to its responsibilities to the defense alliance, being the constructive partner in the region that we all hope it can be. The United States must be clear: any expansion of Turkey’s ties to the Russian defense sector would be a grave mistake,” Mr. Menendez noted.