The Geopolitics Of South-East Europe And Importance Of The Regional Geostrategic Position (I)

South-East Europe

 

The geopolitical issue of South-East Europe became of very importance for the scholars, policymakers, and researchers with the question of the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire as one of the most crucial features of the beginning of the 20^th century in European history. A graduate collapsing of the one-time great empire was accelerated and followed by competition and struggling by both, the European Great Powers and the Balkan national states, upon the territorial inheritance of it. While the European Great Powers have the aim to obtain the new spheres of political-economic influence in South-East Europe, followed by the task to establish a new balance of power in the continent, a total collapse of the Ottoman state was seen by small Balkan nations as the unique historical opportunity to enlarge the territories of their national-states by unification of all ethnolinguistic compatriots from the Ottoman Empire with the motherland. A creation of a single national state, composed by all ethnographic and historic “national” lands, was in the eyes of the leading Balkan politicians as a final stage of national awakening, revival and liberation of their nations which started at the turn of the 19^th century on the ideological basis of the German romanticist nationalism expressed in a formula: “One Language-One Nation-One State”.[i]

Turkey Threatens to Invade Greece

While most would agree “it is high time for the West wake up and take Ankara to task”, then what? The megalomaniac running Turkey will only turn to China and Russia, further emboldening them. He has already purchased S-400’s from Russia in Turkey’s biggest hint to the West/NATO that its loyalty lies elsewhere and can be officially transfered quickly. They also don’t care if the equipment isn’t compatible with NATO equipment. It will be compatible overnight (with the axis powers) if they so choose.

This is one of those situations where a problem has gone on too long without a correction. The West is going to have to grow a spine or this will result in Turkey’s Hitler reestablishing the Ottoman Empire through bloodshed. It also is likely that it’s too late and Turkey won’t be stopped without going to war against it — which it also will likely foresee and officially align itself with the Sino-Soviet alliance beforehand.

 

(Photo by Elif Sogut/Getty Images)

 

• Turkey’s ruling party, and even much of the opposition, seem intent on, if not obsessed with, invading and conquering these Greek islands, on the grounds that they are actually Turkish territory.
• “The things we have done so far [pale in comparison to the] even greater attempts and attacks [we are planning for] the coming days, inshallah [Allah willing].” – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, February 12, 2018.
• The head of the state-funded Directorate of Religious Affairs, the Diyanet, has openly described Turkey’s recent military invasion of Afrin as “jihad.” This designation makes sense when one considers that Muslim Turks owe their demographic majority in Asia Minor to centuries of Turkish persecution and discrimination against the Christian, Yazidi and Jewish inhabitants of the area.

In an incident that took place less than two weeks after the Greek Defense Ministry announced that Turkey had violated Greek airspace 138 times in a single day, a Turkish coast guard patrol boat on February 13 rammed a Greek coast guard vessel off the shore of Imia, one of many Greek islands over which Turkey claims sovereignty.

Erdogan Chief Advisor Threatens To “Break The Legs” Of Greece’s PM

Turkish president #Erdogan's chief advisor Yigit Bulut threatens #Greece, says Athens will face the wrath of #Turkey worse than #Afrin offensive, vows to break arms & legs of officials, PM or any Minister, who dare to land on disputed Kardak/Imia islet in Aegean. pic.twitter.com/XPmATUchnm

— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) February 1, 2018

 

Yigit Bulut, chief advisor to Turkish President Erdogan, has threatened Greece over the disputed islet of Imia in the Eastern Aegean Sea.

“Athens will face the wrath of Turkey worse than that in Afrin,” Bulut said in a Television show of a private network.

“We will break the arms and legs of officials, of the Prime Minister and any Minister, who dares to step on the Kardak/Imia islet in the Aegean,” he claimed.

Germany says EU ‘will not be blackmailed’ as Turkey threatens to ditch refugee deal over visa-free travel

President Erdogan says: ‘You cannot demand the refugee agreement without fulfilling obligations’

Europe “will not be blackmailed” into granting Turkey visa-free travel by the threat to back out of a deal on refugees, Germany’s Vice Chancellor has said.

Talks on the issue and Turkey’s possible accession to the EU have been strained amid a continuing crackdown following the failed attempt to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

US warships may join EU in patrolling waters off Libya

American warships may join European Union vessels off the coast of Libya by the summer in a Nato-led attempt to slow the flow of refugees from Africa into Europe, it emerged at a meeting of the G5 world leaders in Hanover.

Until now, the EU, through Operation Sophia, has been entirely responsible for policing the international waters off Libya and Nato has been patrolling the much narrower Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece.

EU-Turkey deal gets reality check

The EU-Turkey deal, aiming to stop the flow of migrants into Europe via the Aegean Sea, came into effect on Sunday (20 March) but several outstanding legal issues and logistical challenges raise questions about how it would work in reality.

The deal under which the EU intends to return everyone, including Syrians, who arrives in Greece via smugglers, and resettle Syrian refugees directly from Turkey on a one-for-one basis, has not deterred migrants so far.

According to Greek authorities, 1,662 people had arrived on Greek islands by Monday morning, twice the official count from the day before, Reuters reported.

Russia warns Turkey over Aegean warship incident

Russia on Sunday warned Turkey to stop staging what it called provocations against its forces in or near Syria after one of its warships fired warning shots at a Turkish vessel in the Aegean to avoid a collision.

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“The Turkish military diplomat was given a tough explanation about the potentially disastrous consequences from Ankara’s reckless actions towards Russia’s military contingent fighting against international terrorism in Syria,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Russian warship fires at Turkish vessel in Aegean in stark warning

A Russian warship fired a warning shot at a Turkish ship in the Aegean Sea this morning, raising tensions further between the two nations, according to The Sunday Express.

Russia said the shots were fired at a Turkish shipping vessel in order to avoid a collision, the report reads.

They said in a statement that the Turkish boat had approached to 600m.

Greece Scrambles Jets to Intercept Turkish Warplanes in Airspace Violation

Six Turkish aircraft, two of them armed, violated the Greek airspace 20 times, defense officials said.

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Turkish planes, flying in a formation, violated Greek airspace 20 times on Wednesday, officials said, cited by the local Kathimerini newspaper.

Greece Might Allow Russia to Use its Military Bases –Greek Defense Analyst

You heard it on this site and from this post, first.

Situations like this, where Greece has turned full Communist, presents a major security risk for all of Europe. Instead of risking a third world war, the German-dominated EU and Russia will likely find compromise. This compromise would entail Europe kicking America out and joining forces with Russia, who will have successfully driven a wedge between the two — which is now underway. Or perhaps a war which NATO cannot defend Europe from could be the final straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Only time will tell. Either way, the German-led EU will split from America.

 

In an interview for Russia’s RIA Novosti, Greek defense analyst Ilias Iliopoulos noted that in the interests of closer military-technical cooperation with Russia, Greece could allow the country to use of its military bases, and that this possibility may well be discussed during the Greek Defense Minister’s visit to Moscow later this week.

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The analyst recalls that the event, which “has great political and symbolic significance,” comes on the heels of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ “historic” visit to Moscow last week.

“The Tsipras visit held a great political importance. As for defense matters and Kammenos’s visit, I believe that Greece must do everything it can to move closer to Russia on issues of defense, defense policy, technology, cooperation and defense diplomacy. Greece, as you know, is the only NATO country to which several advanced Russian defense systems were exported several years ago. The country’s air defense is very largely based on Russian systems.”