The 3+1 scheme, supported by Greece, Cyprus, and Israel with the assistance of the USA, maybe the starting point for cooperation, which will then be expanded.
Greek politicians, academics, and analysts are developing an argument in think tanks and conferences to substantiate an approach that Greece should be tolerant, if not encouraging, of Turkey’s new role in European defense. The thoughts developed by veteran politician and former foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis at this year’s meeting of the “Circles of Ideas” taking place in Athens are indicative and coherent in this line of thought.
In summary, the former foreign minister argued that Turkey, which was said to be “isolated” and “economically disintegrating,” is now a country “that wants to be a regional power,” “it has a war-ready army that can welcome coffins without anything happening,” “it is a country with 80 million people, a new world”, “it is a country that has been strengthened because of Syria,” “it seems to be closing its existential problem, that of the Kurds” and “it wants to play a role that the Arabs will not recognize.”
Based on these assumptions, the experienced politician, known for her consistent positions regarding the strategy of appeasing Turkey and good cooperation regardless of conditions with Greece, spoke about what is currently developing for European security.
Turkey wants to enter European defense “and has all the qualifications,” chief among them the impressive development of its defense industry. Mrs. Bakoyannis characterizes Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s effort to put Turkey in European defense as an opportunity and suggests “we should read reality correctly” and move as a country “without blinders and fears because things are very difficult.”
The aim of these statements is not to politically criticize Dora Bakoyannis. But its position concisely and coherently presents the arguments of this perspective. As an alternative to this strategy, what could Greece do in the new conditions that have emerged after the emergence of the Trump presidency in the USA?
To acquire an active and leading role in the formation of a strong ‘Alliance of the Willing,’ not only at the military level but also at the economic, commercial, energy, military industry, and innovation levels that will start from the Eastern Mediterranean will be connected to the countries of the Middle East and the Gulf and will aim to partner with India as well.
This ‘Alliance of the Willing’ will not be under the European umbrella, and the Directorate will be formed with France, Britain, and Germany, at least at its base, but will be under American involvement. Such a partnership in the East will naturally exclude Islamic Turkey and any jihadist axis, looking forward to a ‘New Order’ of peace, development, and security in the regions it commits.
The starting point of this ‘Alliance of the Willing’ could be the 3+1 scheme already supported by Greece – Cyprus – Israel with the assistance of the US, which will initially expand to North Africa with the participation of Egypt, a country of 100 million people and a massive army, with expansion to Morocco, Tunisia, and eastern Libya.
In the east, the ‘Alliance of the Willing’ will move to Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and other Gulf countries to pursue convergence with the massive and nuclear India. In this way, Greece will have responded very creatively to Turkey’s entry into Europe.
Nothing is as it seems. Turbulence is definitely predicted…
Menelaos Tassiopoulos is a geopolitical analyst and editorial consultant for the newspapers Apogevmatini and Parapolitika.
