The recent statements by Greece’s Defense Minister Nikos Dendias regarding plans to deploy precision-guided missiles on Aegean islands have drawn a sharp rebuke from Turkish officials, who warn they will “resolutely neutralize any threats.”
The tension stems from a new Greek defense doctrine outlined by Dendias. Speaking at a conference, the Minister argued that Turkey is the biggest threat to Greece and that Athens needs tangible military measures against it.
Greece’s new doctrine
Dendias announced that, as part of this new doctrine, Greece will continue its ambitious armament efforts and deploy missile systems in the Aegean.
“The Aegean will not be protected solely by the navy. It will be protected primarily by mobile missile systems deployed across the islands. We will seal off the Aegean Sea from land. This will also free naval operations from being restricted to this narrow sea,” Dendias stated.
The missiles are primarily planned to be supplied by Israel.
Turkey’s reaction
Sources from the Turkish Defense Ministry quickly responded to Dendias’s comments, describing them as escalatory, unrealistic, and fanciful.
They emphasized that such statements serve no purpose other than damaging the positive bilateral atmosphere established by the recent agreement between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
According to a report in the Hurriyet newspaper, Turkish officials said that “While Türkiye is firmly committed to transforming the Aegean Sea into a zone of peace and stability, it will resolutely neutralize any and all threats.”
The same officials added: “All the developments in our regions, including our neighbor Greece’s military activities, are being closely and carefully monitored.
“The Turkish Armed Forces are not a threat to anybody that does not pose a threat to itself. However, it has the strength and determination to eliminate any threat that may be directed against our country.”
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