Ankara is testing Athens…

Clearly the Turkish provocations in the Aegean are of an experimental nature, i.e. of exploratory intent. 

They even fit into Game Theory’s aspects which rather curiously escaped the attention of Finance Minister, Mr. Yanis Varoufakis. 

From one side, there is Greece under economic collapse which this time may actually not avoid the tragedy of exiting the eurozone and Turkish diplomacy from the other side which sees that our country offers almost nothing in geopolitical terms to its alliances. 

Greece is thus the weakest link in the European geo-economic and geopolitical chain despite the amount of 1000 billion Euros, which was received as a financial support during the last 35 years. 

In this current phase, therefore, due to the overall developments in our region, Europe is tired with Greece and Turkey knows it very well. 

As the Greek ambassador in the OECD, Professor George Prevelakis, accurately points out in his article, by watching the way our economy evolves, if the country either voluntarily or by decision of its partners, distances itself from the European geo-economic affairs, it will inevitably go over a period of economic and political transformation. 

For a period of weeks or even months, until a new system with new balances is formed inside and outside the country, an “opportunity-window” will be opened for any forces conspiring against the interests of our country. 

Conditions of this type are extremely rare. A similar opportunity cannot easily be lost - especially by forces with strong diplomatic and military experience and tradition, especially currently that Turkey, at the informal Islam-West war, is one of the most solemn players.  

In the same way, Turkey’s role is also important in the burning Middle East region where nothing is any longer stable. 

Given, thus, this instability, Turkey will try to strengthen its position in the region by implementing at the same time 'visions' of its President, Mr. Erdogan and also of its Prime Minister, Mr. Davutoglu. 

We note that on Friday, February 27th, the Institute "Turkey, 21st Century," which is the official think tank of the Turkish government and is funded by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been promoting outside Turkey an article by its Chairman, Professor Umit Ozntagk, President Erdogan’s close friend, in which the direction of Turkish policy in the Aegean was being specified. 

The resume of the article is no different than "the claim of 16 lost islands of the Aegean (Inousses, Fimena, Fournoi, Agathonisi, Arki, Pharmakonisi, Kalolimnos, Platia, Kyra Panagia, Yali, Sirna, Gavdos, Dia, Dionisades, Gaidouronisi, Koufonisi), which are inhabited by Greeks." These islands, according to the apparently neo-Ottoman professor and friend of the Turkish president, "are illegally being occupied by Greece." 

On the same day, Turkey issued a NOTAM 0889/15, i.e. Notice to Airmen, which announced the use of a major Aegean region stretching from Skyros to Limnos for a period of 10 full months so as to be used for military drills and as firing terrain violating every concept of international law and any sense of Greek sovereign rights. 

The pursuit of the Aegean’s division, which is being planned by Ankara for at least half a century, was actually expressed in the above practical way not only amidst the Greek airspace but even within the Greek mainland since the southeast end of Limnos was also bound! Greek government’s reaction was prompt and exact. 

They immediately rejected the Turkish NOTAM saying that "... any infringement of our National space will be attacked with gunfire or sank", continuing with extremely strong acts towards the EU, NATO, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the UN Secretary General by internationalizing Turkey's attack, an attack which, as we emphasized earlier, was of a "testing" nature and intended to record intentions.  

Consequently, the matter is far from being considered as closed. An additional reason which supports the latter version i.e. of recording intent is the fluidity of the developments in our region. 

As rightly pointed out by Mr. G. Prevelakis, who could predict the overthrow of regimes in North Africa? Who could imagine the rise of ISIS, the Masonic revision of Middle East’s map, as it was shaped by the Sykes-Picot agreements? 

The Turkish territorial integrity may be threatened for the first time since the founding of the Turkish Republic. Diplomatic thinking had worked with these facts for decades but they have been reversed within weeks. 

Why could Greece be an exception? In the current informal conflict conditions of Islam versus West, any reassuring argument underestimates the crisis transmission mechanisms from Middle East to the West. 

It ignores the complex and fluid geometry of the alliances and of large, medium or small forces, which operate between the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. 

It fails to take into account the variety of the alternative strategies which inevitably are being processed by the United States to prevent the geopolitical avalanche in the region. 

Among, then, this regime of uncertainty, the participation of our country in the European Union, NATO and in other International Organizations consists of a guarantee which no one should think of shaking. 

If these guarantees will be disturbed, because someone wants to sell "progress" and other relevant “goods”, then the worst will be ante portas - beginning with Grexit, which some senseless people promise.