Trap Greece and the United States of Türkiye’s tactics

the turkeywith its new stronger and more experienced foreign policy team, well-connected personalities and of course very close Erdogantries to It is submitted again Toward the WestTo restore channels and restore their lost credibility.

One of the conditions of this approach, which is dictated by the state of the Turkish economy, Erdogan will seriously negotiate it, holding in his hands a good card called the annexation of Sweden in NATOknowing, of course, that the Americans also have a good card called the F-16.

Normally, the supply of new fighters to Turkey should be linked to a change in its attitude towards Greece, as many US-Greek parliamentarians have requested, and Menendez has set as a condition.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and White House They will have to consider if it is a purely unconditional and transactional relationship USA – TürkiyeUltimately, Americans will hurt themselves. Every time a problem arises, Ankara will compromise on something.

So there are serious reasons to impose rules on US-Turkish relations, After the role of Ankara has been upgraded because of the war in Ukraine And because the global environment strengthens regional powers, such as Turkey, which violate international law and sometimes try in hybrid ways to impose their desires.

However, the American side does not seem to be moving in this direction. It is clear that he is looking for a formula for the Turkish fighters, as long as Ankara changes its position on the issue Sweden And regardless of whether it adheres to a more general compliance towards its allies and NATO.

The group’s position on the fateful Synod NATO On July 11-12, at Vilnius From Lithuania, through a barrage of messages, actions and communications, it is trying to convince the US administration that it is wrong to link the launch of F-16s to Sweden’s accession, without pressuring Turkey to change its behavior towards Greece as a whole, it is crucial.

Equally wrong is the last suggestion blinkin Which allegedly sets as a condition for the discussion about the concession of American fighters to Ankara, to be given to the old Ukraine F16 Block 30 which it has in its fleet. Ordinarily, approval should not proceed without tangible signals that it will drop its expansionist claims against Greece and that it will not use American weapons against a member ally. NATO.

At this point, an insufficiently highlighted danger enters the public debate: how the soft tones of the past months on the part of Turkey are trying to corner Athens.
Calm in the Aegean Sea does not cost Türkiye. On the contrary, it provides her with the possibility of claiming that she is making good moves towards Greece. These violations are zero and Turkish fighter jets About the Greek Islands, he may have an argument up his sleeve blinkin against Congress.

The logical argument that Turkey has abandoned its revisionist behavior is gradually aligning, so the way must be opened to obtain F16.

This is exactly where she was chosen to lower the pitch in the Aegean Sea for four to five months. He tries to trap her Athens And Washington In a situation where it will not be easy for the senators to continue to argue that a condition for the repeal of the sale ban F16 Violations and is removed flight.

If I ventured an estimate, I would say that Türkiye would have lifted its veto Sweden until a class to NATO In Vilnius, which takes place during Greece’s exit from the long run before the elections. A step that will lead to the acceleration of the US government or even an attempt to bring the matter to Congress, without, of course, excluding the condemnation of the legislature, whose senior officials (Sommer, Menendez, etc.) are vehemently opposed to this agreement.

In the scenario, however, Athena protests, saying the concession F16out of the subject Swedenmust be related to Greco-Turkish, such as the war victims And the “Blue Homeland” doctrine, Ankara will certainly try to blame us for spoiling the good climate. And it will support its firm position, that bilateral issues cannot be resolved with arbitrators, except at a dialogue table between the two countries, where, as is known, Turkey will not only put the maritime areas, but all of its claims.

It is expected that in such a situation, conditions of tension will return to Greek-Turkish relations, along with accusations that Greece is acting as a protector of Greek-Turkish relations. United States of Americathat Alexandroupolis threatens the security of Turkey, as the Turkish media has written again in recent days, and that the Americans do not follow a policy of equal distances, as evidenced by the fact that Athens is one step ahead of buying F35.

One thing is for sure, Türkiye is in a hurry. the Erdogan You are well aware that with the 2024 presidential election approaching and United States of America You will enter the pre-election period, and the votes of the Greek diaspora will be counted more and more. the Biden He will not be able to follow the Greek-Turkish policy of Pontius Pilate and show a relaxed attitude towards Turkey with a revisionist attitude especially towards a country – a member of NATO.

The Greek diaspora will more and more highlight that there is no way that the United States of America, which has been so actively involved against Russia precisely because it violated the territorial integrity of Ukraine, could not put in its place a revisionist player – a NATO member, and even challenge The sovereignty of another member of the alliance.

* Konstantinos Filis Associate Professor at the American College of Greece, and ANT1 International Affairs Analyst, presents the show “Greece in Its World”, which is broadcast on the ANT1+ platform