Turkey shows that wants to bring back scenes reminiscent of the summer of 2020, as it re-launched Oruc Reis in the Eastern Mediterranean and specifically in the sea areas north of Cyprus until 21 December. At the same time threats to the research vessel Nautical Geo continue.
The move with the Oruc Rice which will be escorted by the ships Ataman and Genghis Khan, comes in the wake of harassment by Turkish warships during the investigations by the French-owned Nautical Geo research vessel for the EastMed pipeline in the Greek and Cypriot EEZ.
In this way Turkey shows that it is willing to pull the rope to the edge. Besides, the signal of its intentions was given by the Ministry of Defence itself and personally by the Turkish Minister Houloussi Akar, who claimed that the Nautical Geo violates the Turkish continental shelf.
Indeed, Akar announced that Turkey will continue its pursuit of the Nautical Geo, foreshadowing a climate where tensions will run high in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean.
«There are plans to carry out research in the east of Crete and in the southwest of Cyprus in violation of our maritime jurisdiction. We said we would never allow it.. We did and we did not leave this ship in that area. We are determined in this matter, we will not let our rights be violated,» the Turkish Defence Minister said.
Insists on the Blue Homeland
Essentially these are moves that give flesh and blood to Turkish threats of a hot incident in the region, clarify what Mevlut Cavusoglu meant when he spoke about «a response on the ground» and make it clear that Turkey will continue unwaveringly in the implementation of the «Blue Homeland» doctrine, whatever this may mean for the situation in the Aegean.
It is no coincidence that the Turkish Ministry of Defence chose to post a video of a recent Turkish naval exercise in the Aegean Sea, writing that «our heroes are always ready for the Blue Homeland».
Kahraman Leventlerimiz Mavi Vatanımız için daima hazır...
Deniz Kuvvetleri Komutanlığımızca, “Şehit Asb.Kd.Bçvş. Hüseyin Bulut Fiilî Silah Eğitimleri” 05-06 Ekim 2021 tarihlerinde Ege ve Doğu Akdeniz'de başarıyla icra edildi.#MSB #TSK pic.twitter.com/Uk60IZe1ph
- T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) October 8, 2021
Challenges the Greek sovereignty of the Aegean islands
Turkey wanted to send a threatening message about its preparedness and these initiatives come in the wake of the annoyance and anger they had expressed over both the Greek exercise Parmenion and the photo of Greek Deputy Defence Minister Nikos Hardalias. in Oinousses as part of the Parmenia exercise. In fact, Akar himself did not fail to comment on this, who, in black and white, wondered: «Isn't it a challenge to come to the island of Oinousses and conduct exercises?».
The these Turkish moves are taking place at a time when Ankara has now upgraded its aggression in the Aegean as it not only calls for the demilitarization of the islands of the East Aegean but directly challenges the Greek sovereignty of islands of large size and population.
In addition the Turkish Navtex through which the Oruc Reis re-enters the Mediterranean comes one day, not only after the vote in favour of the defence agreement Greece and France, as well as the completion of the major aeronautical exercise between Cyprus, Greece, France and Italy in the Eastern Mediterranean called «Eunomia 2/2021».
