Turkish media are once again targeting Greek military chief General Konstantine Floros due to visiting the Greek islands of Gavdos, Karpathos, Kastelorizo and Ro. Floros gave well wishes to the guards of the critical outposts for the Christmas holidays.
📌2ος Σταθμός-Καστέλλι
133 Σμηναρχία ΜάχηςΜε τα Readiness των 335 και 336 Μοιρών της #ΠΑ στο "Φρούριο Κρήτη" pic.twitter.com/JAoPWbr7Ej
— GEN Konstantinos Floros (@ChiefHNDGS) December 27, 2022
Pro-government and opposition press in Turkey described Floros' visit as a "challenge", repeating the narrative that these are either "demilitarised" islands or "disputed sovereignty".
📌4ος Σταθμός-Κάρπαθος
Στο νησί μας στην Ανατολική είσοδο του Αιγαίου, με το προσωπικό:
- Της Διοίκησης Άμυνας Νήσου
- Του Αεροπορικού Αποσπάσματος
- Του 9ου Σταθμού Αναφοράς
- Του Ναυτικού Παρατηρητηρίου pic.twitter.com/j2eL6kOWHh— GEN Konstantinos Floros (@ChiefHNDGS) December 27, 2022
"A new step came from Greece increasing the tension with Turkey," writes Esha Haber, commenting on the posts by Floros after his visits to the islands of Gavdos, Karpathos, Kastellorizo and Ro, where he exchanged wishes for Christmas and the new year with the guard.
"The head of the Greek military continues the provocations in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, who visited islands with a demilitarised regime," reports Takvim newspaper.
"The Greek leader provokes with his visit. The Greek military chief visited the demilitarised islands and islands of disputed sovereignty included in the EGAYDAAK list," writes the opposition Cumhuriyet defiantly.
This is the infamous "EGAYDAAK" list, an acronym for the phrase "Egemenligi Anlasmalarla Gyranas'a Devredilmemis Ada Adacíkve Kayalíklar" i.e. "islands, islets and islets whose ownership was not granted to Greece by international agreements and treaties".
Lately, Turkish media, faithfully following the government's line, have been targeting Floros, for understandable reasons.
Last November, newspapers and networks in Turkey showed his statements on the day of celebration of the Greek Armed Forces with big headlines.
General Floros had pointed out at the time that Greece wishes and is working for peace, but: "whoever makes the fatal mistake of 'coming', should know in advance that he will find in front of him a new Marathon, a new Salamis and a new 731".
The Turkish media took the clear warning of Floros as a "provocation", a "threat", characterising it as "scandalous" and linking it to the recent military operations of the Turkish armed forces in the north of Syria and Iraq.
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