Turkish commandos have reportedly practiced capturing a Greek island and planting a Turkish flag on it during the recent Mavi Vatan (Blue Homeland) 2022 naval exercise which commenced on April 11 and concluded on Thursday this week, reported the Nordic Monitor.
According to the media outlet, the Mavi Vatan exercise- named after an aggressive naval doctrine, was held simultaneously in the Aegean and Black seas and the eastern Mediterranean with the participation of 122 ships and 41 aircraft and still highlights Turkey’s continuous targeting of Greek islands as it did the previous year. The fact that the imaginary enemy in the war games is Greece also confirms this writes Levent Kenez for Nordic Monitor.
‘Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar attended the exclusive observer day activities and addressed a group of officers, including foreign military attachés. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated the participants via video link.
‘According to the plan, underwater offense teams (SAT) started to attack targets on Yılancık Island, near Muğla. While one team dropped into the water from a helicopter, another team approached the island underwater. The teams were accompanied by another team that parachuted down to the island from a helicopter. After the teams destroyed the enemy targets, the Turkish flag was raised on the “captured” island.
‘Despite the fact that the exercise was conducted with Greece in mind, the Ministry of Defence in a message it posted on Twitter advised that Defence Minister Akar extended a hand of peace to Greece and that this friendly hand, which was sincerely extended, should be taken.
‘In his speech to the observer delegation, which he reserved entirely for Greece, Akar said the current problems with Greece should be resolved within the framework of good neighborly relations in accordance with international law.’
