FIRST ON FOX: Expansionist rhetoric has been a significant concern in NATO for a number of years amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however in response to Greece’s prime protection official, the safety alliance ought to take critically comparable threats from inside its personal coalition, specifically from Turkey.
A decades-old feud over the island nation of Cyprus between Greece and Turkey, each of which have been members of NATO since 1952, has plagued the alliance for over half a century and spill-over conflicts pushed the 2 nations practically to the brink of battle within the Nineteen Nineties.
Although relations between Greece and Turkey have turn out to be much less outwardly hostile lately, Erdoğan’s pursuit of regional pure assets coupled together with his controversial geopolitical actions within the Center East and Aegean Sea have lengthy drawn criticism that he’s seeking to “recreate” the Ottoman Empire.
Nikos Dendias, minister of nationwide protection of Greece, delivers a speech for Greece’s Independence Day in Athens March 25, 2024. (Giorgos Arapekos/NurPhoto through Getty Pictures)
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“There’s some individuals in Turkey that return to the Ottoman instances and consider that they may recreate the Ottoman Empire, together with elements of Greece, elements of Syria, elements of Iraq, elements of Iran, half of the Caucasus, and so forth.,” Greek Protection Minister Nikos Dendias stated throughout an interview with Fox Information Digital.
“I hope that that is daydream, however it creates loads of issues within the relations with Greece, loads of issues inside NATO.”
Erdoğan, who has been president of Turkey since 2014, has lengthy been criticized for his aggressive method in coping with regional nations like Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Israel, but in addition his oppressive practices at dwelling which have focused non-Sunni communities, together with Shiites and Christians, journalists, ladies and Kurds. It is a problem that has not solely blocked Turkey from becoming a member of the European Union, however has more and more held geopolitical ramifications for the U.S.
The U.S.’s chief ally within the combat in opposition to ISIS in Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has discovered itself in Ankara’s crosshairs because it views the Kurdish-affiliated power as being akin to the terrorist community, the Kurdistan Staff Celebration (PKK).
Turkey has routinely focused the group and prompted worldwide concern over how the SDF will be capable of proceed to successfully combat ISIS ought to the Trump administration withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.
U.S. forces present army coaching to members of the YPG/SDF, which Turkey considers an extension of PKK in Syria, within the Qamisli district within the Al-Hasakah province of Syria Aug. 18, 2023. (Hedil Amir/Anadolu Company through Getty Pictures)
“ISIS, allow us to be frank and sincere, is down however not out,” Dendias stated. “The ideology behind ISIS, the ideology behind the Muslim Brotherhood is there, is alive and kicking.
“And I’ve to say, the worst factor that you are able to do in life is overlook your allies, overlook the individuals who fought by your facet in your hour of want, and switch in opposition to them or overlook about them,” the protection minister continued. “I am talking in regards to the Kurds combating in opposition to ISIS for years. They shouldn’t be forgotten by the West.”
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The autumn of the Bashar al-Assad regime has renewed issues over regional stability, and the shut dynamic between Trump and Erdoğan has raised extra questions on how the Turkish president will pursue his regional ambitions.
Dendias argued that the shut relationship allegedly shared between the 2 world leaders is not going to essentially embolden Erdoğan and will uniquely place Trump to “whisper” within the ear of the Turkish chief and remind him that “worldwide legislation, worldwide [rules] of the ocean, is a lifestyle on this trendy world.”
“I assume that it’s going to not be good in any respect for NATO and wouldn’t be good in any respect for the US of America to encourage Turkey to create an enormous drawback within the jap entrance of NATO, taking additionally under consideration what’s occurring within the Center East and what’s occurring between Russia and Ukraine,” the protection minster added.
The Blue Homeland-2025 Train, organized by the Turkish Naval Forces Command within the Black Sea, Aegean Sea, and Jap Mediterranean, commenced Jan. 8, 2025, in Mugla, Turkey. (Sabri Kesen/Anadolu through Getty Pictures)
Earlier this month, Turkey relaunched army workout routines within the Black, Mediterranean and Aegean Seas generally known as “Blue Homeland,” which Greece has lengthy seen as a present of power and prompted long-held maritime disputes to resurface.
“This [is a] new Turkish neo-imperialist, neo-Ottoman method,” Dendias stated. “It began showing someplace within the first decade of the twenty first century … which, in essence, claims that half of the Greek islands within the Aegean belong to Turkey.
President Donald Trump, throughout his first presidency talks with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as they arrive collectively for a household photograph at a summit of heads of state and authorities at NATO headquarters in Brussels. (AP Photograph/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) (AP Photograph/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
“And typically they even go additional. They declare that Crete, an enormous island with essential NATO presence and an American base in Souda – once more, ought to belong to Turkey.”
The protection minster stated Greece’s tense relations with Turkey have made its defensive posture in NATO distinctive as a result of it has compelled Athens to be on prime of its protection spending, a problem that has as soon as once more turn out to be a prime matter of debate within the NATO alliance on account of Trump’s push to have all nations meet a 5% GDP spending restrict, up from 2%.
The newest NATO spending figures launched in June 2024 present Greece was the fifth-highest spender on protection within the alliance, spending greater than 3% of its GPD, whereas Turkey got here in 18th and spent simply over 2% of its GDP on protection.
ANKARA, TURKEY- MAY 13: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (L) of Greece shakes arms with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey throughout a press convention after their assembly on Could 13, 2024 in Ankara, Turkey. (Yavuz Ozden/ dia pictures through Getty Pictures)
Dendias stated European nations have to collectively agree on how they view safety menace ranges and the significance of protection spending.
“No matter President Trump’s place on 5%, it is an inner challenge and must be resolved,” Dendias added.
“The largest menace is nations that don’t abide by worldwide legislation and don’t abide by worldwide legislation of the ocean. Nations that consider that borders [are] one thing you could disregard, that treaties and worldwide treaties ought to work provided that it is to your benefit,” Dendias stated. “That’s the greatest menace to the entire world, not simply Greece.”
Extra inquiries to Dendias about President Trump’s latest feedback on his refusal to rule out army intervention in buying Greenland and the Panama Canal weren’t answered.
The Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C. didn’t reply to Fox Information Digital’s questions however as a substitute pointed to an announcement issued by the Turkish Minister of Nationwide Protection, Yaşar Güler, who forward of the “Blue Homeland” workout routines stated, “Our nation, situated on the very coronary heart of a area surrounded by conflicts and disputes, constantly emphasizes its dedication to worldwide legislation and peace in stopping tensions and resolving crises.
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“We method the event of our relationships with our neighbor Greece inside this framework and take vital steps towards resolving issues,” he added. “The efforts to painting Turkey’s willpower to guard its rights and pursuits within the ‘Blue Homeland’ as ‘historic expansionism and aggression’ are nothing greater than a futile try to disregard the rights granted to Turkey by worldwide legislation.
“Nonetheless, whereas striving for a peaceable answer, we strongly emphasize that we’ll by no means compromise our nationwide rights and pursuits,” Güler stated earlier this month.