Dendias’ provocative remarks could harm Turkish-Greek thaw
Defense Minister Nikos Dendias’ certain remarks could hurt the fragile normalization process with Türkiye, which moved into a new chapter with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s landmark visit to Athens in December after a long period of tensions marked by disputes over migration, energy exploration in the Aegean and territorial sovereignty.
While Ankara has affirmed it wouldn’t budge on any issue that would harm its national interests or the rights of Turkish Cypriots, it maintains its positive attitude for good neighborly relations and often stresses the need for utilizing the potential for cooperation.
However, despite the risk of jeopardizing the positive atmosphere, Athens last week issued a new Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and a NAVTEX – an international navigational warning to ships – for its troops to carry out active drills in the territorial waters of demilitarized islands in the Aegean.
The issue in the past often drew Ankara’s ire for being a “unilateral activity” in a zone Türkiye says coincides with an area licensed for the Turkish Petroleum Corporation by the Council of Ministers on behalf of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
More recently, the Turkish public has been discomforted by Dendias’ certain provocative behavior and remarks, including expressing “concern” over improving ties with Türkiye.
Last week, the Greek minister said: “Although Türkiye has toned down its rhetoric recently, there is still no change in its position, not even remotely. What conclusion should we draw from this? Greece must not have any illusions while planning for the next decade.”
In an interview with Makis Provatas on Feb. 21, Dendias also dismissed Türkiye’s claims on territorial waters in the Aegean.
“Turks know very well that beyond 3 miles is Greek territory,” he said. “They are trying to create an island problem to form a second line of defense to the first one, which is entirely wrong that Greek islands don’t have the right to a continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone. In other words, they’re creating a second challenge, which is unacceptable.”
On the first day of 2024, Dendias visited Lemnos and emphasized Greek military presence on the island, which is one of the Aegean islands meant to be demilitarized under postwar treaties.
“I think everyone knows the strategic location of the island and its importance for the defense of our homeland and its extensive rights in the Aegean Sea,” Dendias told reporters, noting the island’s role in ensuring Greek sovereignty during the Balkan Wars.
Dendias similarly rued how Türkiye took leaps in the defense industry while his country did not “produce a single thing” and “took steps back instead.”
“I don’t view the issue as a competition with Türkiye but looking at my country, at its needs and its potential, I am not at all ready to say that the present situation is acceptable. It can do a lot better,” Kathimerini quoted the minister.
He also argued Greece must prepare its armed forces for possible “instability” after the end of Erdoğan’s latest term in 2028.
Greece has the highest defense budget as a share of the gross domestic product (GDP) of all the NATO allies, which is meant to counter the protection of Turkish interests in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Dendias isn’t the only Greek official making such arguments.
Greek premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis too has expressed he doesn’t expect normalization with Türkiye to be without turbulence.
For Mitsotakis, the demarcation of the continental shelf and economic exclusive zone is the only “difference” between the countries, but even if the issue isn’t resolved, Türkiye and Greece “should be able to coexist and focus on a positive agenda.”
He is expected to visit Ankara this May as a reciprocation for Erdoğan’s visit.