Handelsblatt: Greece is equipped Capital
The ambitious armament programs of Greece, but also the “Ottoman” ambitions of Turkey again gather the interest of the German-speaking press.
“New fighter jets, helicopters and warships – Greece is equipped” is the title of the economic review article Handelsblatt. Starting with the supply of French Rafale fighter jets, the columnist points out that “next year. Greece wants to increase equipment spending sevenfold compared to 2020. This is provided for in the draft budget approved by the Greek Parliament on Saturday. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis does not just want to equip his country against the increasingly aggressive behavior of Turkey. Greece intends to establish itself as a new pillar in NATO’s southeastern wing, competing with Turkey, which is increasingly seen as a troubled partner because of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s divisive policies. Mitsotakis is supported by the United States and France, and not only for selfless reasons. “Both countries are expecting profitable contracts with Athens.”
The German newspaper correspondent stressed that “the delivery of fighter jets is just the beginning. The American equipment group Lockheed Martin is working with Hellenic Aerospace to modernize 84 older F-16 fighters. In addition, Lockheed Martin is hoping for another Greek “Greece is also being equipped at sea. In 2025, the navy will supply two Belharra frigates from the French Naval group. A third warship will follow in 2025.”
However, the report also referred to Turkey’s reactions: “The more the monetary and economic crisis in Turkey intensifies, the more aggressive the tone in Ankara becomes.” its interests on the battlefield. (…) According to estimates by Western analysts, with the new warplanes of Greece, it may acquire super-weapons in the Aegean.
Erdogan’s Ottoman dreams
The Swiss newspaper New Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), in the context of a broader geopolitical analysis of the Eurasian region, criticizes the reluctant role of many Europeans towards Turkey. Among other things, we read: “Turkey may participate in the international alliance against the Islamic State, but at the same time it surprised the Islamic State, which fought the Kurds of Rozava (in Syria) and maintained networks that opposed French counter-terrorism operations in France. Sahel. The Ottoman Caliphate may be abolished in 1924, but Recep Tayyip Erdogan still dreams of becoming the great caliph in the world of Sunni Muslims. He wants to set foot everywhere where the Ottoman Empire used to rule – Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Libya, Algeria – and erase from memory the defeats of the past. “It also has the demand to control the Turkish communities in Europe and forbids them to assimilate.”
How is Europe responding to all this? The columnist points out that “Emanuel Macron turned against Erdogan and intensified military cooperation with Greece. But for a number of years the German chancellor treated Erdogan, like Vladimir Putin, with a reservation that reached the limits of Me. “Merkel’s decision to scrap nuclear power and invest in lignite and natural gas has left her country in a state of dependence on the new Tsar, who is the main supplier for these forms of energy.”
Giannis Papadimitriou
SOURCE: Deutsche Welle