As the German press points out, most hope that the Turkish president’s war rhetoric is just part of his election campaign.
In Greek-Turkish and in particular in recent statements by Tayyip Erdogan, who puts directly against Greece Zeit Online focuses on dominance in the eastern Aegean region: «Greece has made a fuss. Erdogan’s statements are the latest provocation in a conflict that has been escalating for weeks. It threatens to destabilize NATO’s southeastern wing – even as the defense alliance seeks to rally against the war in Ukraine. And while Turkey is considered a difficult ally by many Western countries, most Greeks see their neighbors as enemies.».
Elsewhere the analysis observes: “Competition between the two neighboring countries has been going on for decades and has escalated many times, most recently in the summer of 2020 (…) Now Greece is equipped in anticipation of an intense summer. Because of the visible Turkish threathas been equipped en masse for two years, with billions of euros flowing into the navy and air force». In closing, reference is made to the attitude of the current German government, noting: “Unlike his predecessor, Angela Merkel, Olaf Solz recently found clear words about the conflict in the eastern Mediterranean, warning Turkey to show restraint.».
Another analysis for sharpening Erdogan’s rhetoricτα Turkish demands for the demilitarization of Greek islands and Greek fears, on the tagesschau.de website of the first channel of German public television. After presenting the Turkish threats and the Greek positions, the article observes: “Above all, the verbal escalation (of Turkey) creates uncomfortable feelings in Greeks. Most hope the Turkish president’s war rhetoric is just part of his campaign. Presidential elections will be held next year, and Erdogan has already announced his candidacy. However, the state of the economy is bad, with inflation exceeding 70% according to official data. So why not spark a conflict that has been simmering for decades in order to distract? No one really wants to predict how far Erdogan can go».
