Greek-U.S.-French Pact Is a Deterrent to Turkish Aggression
by Burak Bekdil • October 29, 2021 at 5:00 am
The strategic part of the deal states that France will rush to Greece's aid militarily in the event of a third country attacking Greece. The clause adds that "even if the attacker is part of the NATO alliance."
The accord rang alarm bells in Ankara. Turkey condemned the deal, along with "Greece's maximalist claims" and said the accord is a threat to regional peace and stability. Ankara did not say, however, why Turkey is never a threat to regional peace and stability when it buys frigates, submarines and other naval platforms.
One should ask the Turks why they are upset about a military deal between two NATO allies. What is the difference between Greece buying frigates from France, and Turkey, for decades, buying frigates and submarines from Germany?
The emerging military pact within NATO that brings together the allies Greece, United States and France is bad news for Turkey -- that is, if its President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan intends to fuel tensions in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas as part of his campaign strategy before presidential elections in 2023.
In recent months, Greek diplomacy has made a number of smart moves on the difficult chess board called the Aegean. These moves, coupled with Turkey's increasingly pressing problems at home and on foreign fronts, will restrict Erdoğan's aggression to "aggressive rhetoric" only, and rule out "aggressive action."
