Greece does not seem to expect much from the European Union with regard to the issues relating to Turkish provocation. This is because if the scenarios for the Summit in September are confirmed, it seems that the issue is pushed down as a priority, according to OPEN TV.
"We are spectators in the same play today - last year and 46 years ago when the "double crime" of the coup in Cyprus and the Turkish invasion took place. What we saw then, unfortunately, we see now. The Americans under President [Donald] Trump are pursuing an unprecedented pro-Turkish policy. The United States has never had a pro-Turkish president in its history. At the same time, Europeans are literally dragging their feet. I would say "people do not play." I give up. Turkey's threats are real. At any moment, it could create a very unpleasant situation for Greece and Cyprus," said Washington correspondent for Open TV and Ethnos, Michalis Ignatiou.
He went on to say: "There are two questions: whether the evil will happen by September and whether [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan will carry out his plans. Unless [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel - who does not want problems during the German presidency - has already agreed with Erdoğan that she will be disciplined. I doubt Erdoğan will be disciplined," added the Open TV and Ethnos correspondent.
"To be honest, both the military and American diplomacy make daily efforts. I say this out of knowledge. For the last 3.5 years we have been living with very unpleasant situations. It is important that both diplomats and the military talk to their counterparts and send the right messages. The latter says they do not want any military conflict between allies because American interests in the region will be dissolved. It is positive that they perceive such a thing. The question is who the U.S. president is and what he thinks about Turkey. I will refer to a new example. During the recent Trump-Erdoğan conversation, the main discussion was about Libya. The Turkish president reportedly insisted that [Libyan Muslim Brotherhood Prime Minister Fayez] Sarraj's forces should be allowed to strike Turkish mercenaries in Sirte. The official position of the USA is neutrality. As far as we understand, Erdoğan left this conversation with the impression that he got the green light for Libya," he continued.
"Discussing this issue with a diplomat, the answer I got was that American diplomacy and the Pentagon are very powerful agents of the American establishment," concluded Ignatiou.
Meanwhile, Nicholas Burns, former U.S. ambassador in Athens (1997-2001), who is currently serving as foreign policy advisor for Joe Biden's 2020 presidential election campaign, said that Trump's response to Hagia Sophia's conversion was "very disappointing."
“It is very disappointing that President Trump apparently did not even raise the issue with President Erdoğan in their recent phone call. That is a major missed opportunity,” he told Kathimerini.
At the same time, he noted that Biden’s statement “was right and forceful.”
“He criticised the Turkish decision and urged President Erdoğan to reverse it in order to secure ‘equal access for all’. I hope Greeks and the Greek community worldwide, including in the US, know how important a statement this is.”
