Athens is looking for an antidote to “drone diplomacy”
Tayyip Erdogan posing in front of a Turkish UAV. The export boom of recent months “introduces” Ankara deeper into a number of regional conflict zones and strengthens its specific weight. (Murat Cetinmuhurdar / Pool photo via AP)
A few days ago, a rather unusual meeting took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the participation of the military. Its object was the way Ankara utilizes UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) in order to expand its diplomatic footprint even in areas where it has traditionally had limited or minimal impact. It was not the first time. Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias’s staff has, of course, dealt with the Turkish UAV phenomenon in the past, but the export boom of recent months, especially the Bayraktar TB2, has pushed Ankara deeper into a number of regional conflict zones and enhances its specific gravity.
After Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and Donbas in Ukraine, the Turkish UAVs initially and by the Ethiopian government against the separatist movement in the province of Tigray. Ankara’s penetration into Ethiopia, a predominantly Christian country with which Greece was considered to have natural ties, is indicative of the effectiveness of “drone diplomacy”. A few days ago (18/12) the Turkish presidency organized a “Turkey-Africa” meeting, where Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that Ankara wants to help heal the “wounds of colonialism”. Nigerian interest in “Turkish technology” was also expressed at the event. If these agreements are implemented, Turkey, which has begun to move to sub-Saharan Africa, after the successes in Morocco and Tunisia.
Apart from the African and Central Asian (Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan) interest in Turkish UAVs, but also the traditional ones friendly to the countries of Turkey (Albania), Athens is certainly concerned about Poland’s decision to buy the “Bayraktar TB2”, as well as the probability of supply. from Latvia and Hungary. Obviously Athens can not interfere in the armaments choices of its allies in the EU. As a result, Ankara is gradually gaining a very close relationship with EU member states. and NATO, especially those exposed to Russian aggression. It is no coincidence that Ankara has made good use of the presence of Turkish UAVs on the Ukrainian front and in Nagorno-Karabakh, where they have been confronted with Russian-made systems. Of course, what has been artificially silenced on the Nagorno-Karabakh front is that the Armenian armed forces were not only lacking in technology, but had enormous tactical weakness.
At the beginning of the year, Mr. Dendias has planned to travel again to Africa, this time to Nigeria and Angola.
From the very beginning, Mr. Dendias was very active in the effort of the Greek diplomacy to highlight the real dangers due to the aggression of Turkey, which is not limited to rhetorical threats, but extends to the intervention on fronts, where it chooses a warring side and equips it. In this sense, Turkey’s intervention in Africa does not have similar characteristics to the Chinese – based mainly on a Western parallel – which is purely economic. At the beginning of the new year, Mr. Dendias has planned to travel again to Africa, this time to Nigeria and Angola, and it was certain that, in addition to Greek vaccine diplomacy, he would also express his views on Turkish not so innocent “UAV diplomacy”. The African opening is not opportune for Athens and as everything will continue intensively, despite the objective difficulties due to the limitations of the pandemic.
As “K” has timely informed its readers, the action of the Turkish UAVs in the Aegean has now become part of the daily routine of the constant concerns of the Armed Forces. The action has specific staggered characteristics, as observed in the last two years or so. Initially, the UAVs were moved by the Turkish Armed Forces in order to convey the picture of the situation in the Eastern Aegean and their action was evaluated by the Navy, the Air Force and the GETHA during the crisis of “Oruts Reis” (August – November 20), but also in Evros. Now the Turkish UAV prototypes on an almost daily basis for violations of national airspace. At the same time, as unmanned aircraft, they often arrive to fly in international airspace, even in the center of the Aegean, where they operate normally, always under the close supervision of the U.S., which of course now monitors… surveillance through its own . of the systems and in particular of the Israeli HERONs stationed in Skyros. As a rule, UAV pilots now ask Athens for permission to cross the national area, which is rejected by formal procedures (the “Bayraktar” are war UAVs and not for commercial use) and then proceed to the formal violation.
Coping systems
The increased operational utilization of “Bayraktar” but also the gradual integration into the Turkish Armed Forces and much more deadly systems, such as “Aksungur” and “Akinçi”, is the main reason that has dictated Athens’ decision to proceed with the supply. . UAV response systems, in fact with a process of increased secrecy, as these discussions also include the need for transfer of know-how.