Russians who have fled to Turkey since February may be in for a nasty surprise. Tensions between Greece and Turkey continue to escalate rapidly, with saber-rattling on both sides becoming more and more active. As a result, any incident with the military on the borders of these countries can spontaneously develop into a full-fledged armed conflict. For the Russians hiding in Antalya from the mobilization, the situation is aggravated by the fact that the main territories of the “conflict escalation” are the Greek islands, which means that a potential war could start just in the resort area.
The Turkish National Security Council has been actively discussing the escalation of tensions between Greece and Turkey over the past few days. Chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the council discussed Greece's recent deployment of armored fighting vehicles to the Greek islands of Lesvos and Samos. Dozens of armored vehicles were sent there: 23 armored personnel carriers to the island of Lesbos and 18 more to the island of Samos.
“Turkish officials have said the deployment is a violation of the non-military status of the islands under international law. Ankara summoned the Greek ambassador and protested to Washington,” Turkish media reported. The fact is that the deployed armored vehicles are American.
According to Ankara, the islands should remain demilitarized in accordance with international treaties. At the same time, President Erdogan has already accused Greece of provocations against Turkey. “We will not fail to protect the rights and interests of our country from Greece, using all the means at our disposal, when necessary,” Erdogan said after the cabinet meeting. Experts recalled that similar statements were made before Turkey's military operations in Syria and Iraq. Thus, as emphasized in the media, Erdogan is actually threatening to use military force against a neighboring country.
Greece, in turn, said that they need to protect the islands, many of which are located off the coast of Turkey, from a potential attack from Turkey. “Greece is not a country that threatens its neighbor with war or gathers large landings on its coastline, as Turkey did,” the Associated Press quoted a “Greek government official” as saying. However, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis officially adheres to the same harsh rhetoric as Turkey: “violation of the borders of Greece, whoever undertakes it, will not go unpunished,” he said. The Greek prime minister also reminded that “in the 21st century there is no place for imperial visions of other eras” and added that history teaches that whoever violates borders will eventually be punished. As a result, there is a certain risk that the coast of Turkey may soon cease to be an attractive place for those who fled from mobilization.
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