The modern political system that governs Turkey has gradually evolved into an "elected dictatorship" and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself is an absolute ruler. Neo-Ottoman threats, even for war, are a daily reality.
For some specific reason, the constant Turkish challenges in the Aegean are taking place. Ankara, through the doctrine of the "Blue Homeland", denies that many islands have equal rights with the mainland.
The escalation has led to the claim that the sea-ruler Greece possesses the islands illegally, while Athens "fails" to extend its territorial waters to 12 miles or to declare an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as entitled to by the United Nations Charter Law of the Sea.
In Greece, everyone must one day consider whether they can imagine Israel receiving a hybrid attack from a neighbouring Arab country through violations, Navtex and statements by politicians and doing nothing. Statements that constitute a cultural insult!
Is it ever possible for that to happen? For months and years, Israel has been preparing to strike Iran's nuclear facilities.
Should Greece start thinking in the same pattern with a preemptive attack? For how long will the questioning of Greek sovereignty be tolerated?
Greece and Turkey have been on the brink of war several times. The problem is that the current political elite is inferior.
It is no exaggeration to say, as we saw in a previous article, that the Athenian elite is afraid of Turkey.
They usually wear their good suit to soothe Turkish aggression and overlook the fact that Turkish military planes fly 2.5 miles from Alexandroupolis and are not shot down.
It is difficult for this quality elite and insignificant educated elite to understand that the need for an overwhelming first strike is ultimately the best defence for Greece.
Within the Armed Forces of the country, I am personally sure that there are many young Kolokotronides. They are the ones for whom someone it is worth spending ink and time to formulate some thoughts. Thoughts that maybe one day, will function as fertilising seeds for dynamic military response of Greece against Turkish aggression.
The Greeks must be psychologically prepared for a large-scale military confrontation with Turkey if they want the country not to be the weak spectator of the Eastern Mediterranean without power and without a future.
The Hellenic Armed Forces are capable of inflicting incredibly heavy damage on Turkey (along with cold sweat) even during a mini-war. Citizens should be prepared for the Spartan understanding of life with few goods that the conflict will bring. The Greeks will be alone…
The advantage of a first strike
Turkey should understand that Greece is arming itself like a lobster lately (Rafale, Belharra, torpedoes, upgraded F-16 Viper…) for one reason only, that is, to be able to hit it late one night.
Listen now, the keyword of Turkey's tourism campaign this year to be as Turkaegean?
If Greece is resting on the laurels of the past and does not want to face its problems with force and throw its Armed Forces into battle, then it would be better to look for a master and submission. It would be better to rethink even its state entity.
But, let us claim here, that no Greek can the patriotism and the honour be questioned.
We learn a lot from Thucydides and all our ancestors. The generative phrase "Ουχ Ελληνικόν το προσκυνείν" ("Ouh Ellinikón to proskyneín" / "It is not a Greek act to fall on your knees and worship someone"), belongs to Kallisthenis, passed to the heroes of 1821 that liberated Greece from the Ottoman rule and, today, must become the mindset of all Greeks.
The policy of deterrence and not the policy of appeasement will freeze the smile of the Turks.
Peace by military force and only by military force, but, what can you do if you cannot avoid the coming war?
A decisive first strike will not only work in Greece's favour, not only will it neutralise any military armaments Turkey has in the land army (clearly Greece excels in its air force and in navy), but it will also act as a catalyst in changing the behaviour of its politico-military leadership for decades.
Turkey behaves badly against the ancient Greek nation. Greece’s enemies should know that Greece is not joking and the Greeks are completely united and are not afraid of death…
The non-fear of death has always shielded and saved the Greeks for thousands of years, and it is time now, Erdogan or, the new narrow-minded headache that will succeed him - to go down in history as the "defeated triumphant" who went to fight with the Greeks.
Dimitris Eleas is a New York-based political scientist who contributes to SLPress.
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