Amid escalating Turkish provocations, with Ankara raising revisionist issues over the past 24 hours by reintroducing through NAVTEX the “demilitarization” of 23 islands, along with new announcements for exercises in the Eastern Aegean and violations of Greek airspace, Air Marshal Konstantinos Iatridis explains how to interpret Turkey’s latest moves. Speaking to Parapolitika 90.1 journalists Vasilis Skouris and Sotiris Xenakis, he connects Ankara’s provocative stance with the emergence of new interest from Chevron and the expansion of the American company’s plans for hydrocarbons, while explaining the significance of the joint readiness exercise in Evros and the Aegean by the Greek Armed Forces.
“We find ourselves in a situation of action and reaction,” the Air Marshal emphasizes, adding elsewhere in his interview: “What’s happening at the energy level worries Turkey, and the electrical interconnection also bothers them.” Explaining the message behind the Greek Armed Forces exercise, he stresses it was precautionary, designed to “send a message” and that Greece is “acting preventively.”
Air Marshal Iatridis on Greek-Turkish relations: What message does Ankara send with “Piri Reis”
Elsewhere, Mr. Iatridis emphasizes regarding the Greek side: “It responded correctly, sending a deterrent message through the exercise. Turkey understands all this. Turkey faces tremendous pressure from Syria and Chevron.”
Referring to Turkey, the Air Marshal said Ankara remains consistent with its Blue Homeland doctrine. Making special reference to the oceanographic vessel “Piri Reis” that entered the Aegean, he emphasized: “It can conduct research in the water column, not on the seabed or continental shelf.” Regarding the oceanographic vessel, he added that it has symbolic and geopolitical character, but “disputes that Kalogeroi is under Greek jurisdiction,” something that happened before with “NOTAM 714.”
While not perceiving Turkey’s latest action with the “Piri Reis” as extreme escalation, he noted that if the vessel enters the six nautical miles, then things change.
“Turkey wanted to send a pressure message,” the Air Marshal clarified, adding: “We must see the big picture. We don’t have calm waters; we have running waters without major waves. Turkey constantly provokes. You saw what it did in Kasos, what it did with the Marine Parks.”
Audio with Air Marshal Iatridis’s interview on Parapolitika 90.1:
