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Greece embarks on military procurement campaign;

Erdogan to Macron: "Do not mess with Turkey"

The Prime Minister has announced the largest equipping program in two decades, which will include fighter jets from France, in the shadow of the crisis in the Mediterranean around energy reserves.

Erdogan threatens Macron, backing Greece and Cyprus: "You will have problems with me."

Pompeo in Nicosia: "Concerned about Turkey's steps"

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• Greece

• Turkey

• Recep Tayyip Erdogan

• France

• Emanuel Macron

News agencies

Saturday, 12 September 2020, 23:31

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In the video: Erdogan addresses the crisis with Greece (Photo: Reuters, Editing: Nir Chen)

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsutakis has announced a significant upgrade of the army, in Athens' most comprehensive plan in the last two decades.

This is against the background of growing tensions with Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean around the energy deposits in the region.

"It's time to strengthen the armed forces, these initiatives are a solid plan that will become a national shield," Mitsotakis said in a speech delivered in the northern city of Thessaloniki.

The conservative prime minister has said Greece will buy 18 French "Raphael" fighter jets, four multi-purpose battleships and four helicopters for the navy.

In addition, it will recruit an additional 15,000 troops and flow resources to the local arms industries and protection against cyber attacks.

The crisis between Greece and neighboring Turkey, NATO members, has spilled over into other European countries and raised fears of a military confrontation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned France "not to mess with his country" in light of the support it gives Greece and Cyprus United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Cyprus and expressed "deep concern" over Turkey's move in the region.

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The quarrel island that threatens to ignite a war between Turkey and Greece

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Greece will recruit another 15,000 troops.

PM Olmert's Speech Tonight (Photo: Reuters)

The Greek prime minister has promised that the army will also be equipped with new weapons against tanks, torpedo missiles and air missiles.

He said the plan, which includes upgrading four battleships already in naval service, was also intended to benefit thousands of new jobs.

More details on the cost of the plan and the source of the weapons are due to be provided tomorrow.

French Defense Minister Florence Farley welcomed the arms deal and said Greece would be the first European country to be equipped with the latest French aircraft.

The last time Greece embarked on such a procurement campaign was in the early 2000s, but most deals were shelved because of the cost of the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Some of the agreements were tainted with acts of corruption and bribery later investigated by parliament, and two former defense ministers were sent to prison.

Europe fears a military clash.

Exercise of Greek and US armies off the coast of Athens (Photo: AP)

It is estimated that Mitsotakis formulated the plan after talks with Macron during the summit of Southern European leaders in Corsica earlier this week.

While other EU and NATO countries are taking a cautious line with Turkey, Macron has recently warned Erdogan not to cross "red lines" and sent warships and fighter jets into the area. .

Erdogan to Macron: "You do not have much time"

Erdogan attacked him back today, for the first time since the start of the current crisis, and set a belligerent tone against France.

"Do not mess with the Turkish people. Do not mess with Turkey," Erdogan told Macron during a speech in Istanbul to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1980 military coup. The Turkish president has urged Greece to refrain from "wrong" measures supported by various countries such as France.

The Turkish president said his French counterpart had no "historical knowledge" and threatened: "Mr Macron, you will have more problems with me".

He said France "could not give a lesson in humanity" to Turkey, and called on it to look at its past, especially in Algeria and the genocide in Rwanda.

Later in the day, Erdogan continued to attack Macron.

"You do not have much time, you are at the end of your path," the president said during a speech in Istanbul aimed at gathering new members for the ruling party.

The next elections in France will be held in 20222.

In addition to disputes in the eastern Mediterranean, Turkey and France are divided over a series of other crises, such as those in Syria and Libya.

Ankara has previously been furious with Paris for hosting Syrian Kurdish leaders, whom it defines as "terrorists" and also supporting rival sides in Libya.

Erdogan, who supports a UN-recognized government in Tripoli, said France was intervening in Libya "for fuel" and in Africa as a whole for "diamonds, gold and copper".

"Macron, don't mess with the Turkish people."

Erdogan (Photo: AP)

Last month Turkey sent a research ship and a small navy of its navy to conduct seismological research in maritime territory that Greece sees as a failure in line with previously signed treaties.

Greece responded by sending battleships to the same region, and conducted naval exercises with some of its allies in the European Union and with the United Arab Emirates.

The Greek prime minister said Turkey was "threatening" Europe's eastern border and "undermining" regional security.

In a series of articles published this week in European newspapers, he reiterated his desire to have a dialogue with Turkey, provided it stops behaving "like a provocateur".

"We do need dialogue, but not gun threats," Mitsotakis wrote.

"If we fail to agree, we must seek a decision in The Hague," he said.

Last month, Greece ratified the maritime border agreement with Egypt, which was seen as a response to a Turkish agreement with the government in Tripoli last year.

It allowed Turkey access to areas in the eastern Mediterranean, where significant energy deposits were discovered.

Both Greece and Turkey view each other's maritime agreements as null and void.

Pompeo: "Military tension does not help anyone"

Another front is Cyprus, where the US Secretary of State met today with President Nikos Anastasiadis, further strengthening relations between Washington and Nicosia. Pompeo called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

"The countries of the region need to resolve disputes, including over security and energy resources and maritime borders, diplomatically and peacefully," Pompeo said. "Increasing military tension is not helping anyone except rivals who want to see controversy in North Atlantic unity."

He stressed that "we are very concerned about the ongoing Turkish activity. The Republic of Cyprus has the right to exploit its natural resources, including the right to those in its exclusive economic territory." Turkey does not recognize Cyprus' claims.

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