Apostolakis on a possible conflict with Turkey: "It’s hard to control how far it will go"

The Honorary Chief of the General Staff of the Greek Armed Forces does not share the scenarios according to which the potential conflict will last no more than 3-4 days, since the war could spread to the entire territory of Greece.

“If a military confrontation starts, it’s hard to control how far it will go,” Evangelos Apostolakis, the honorary chief of the General Staff and former national defense minister, said of Turkey. Apostolakis, referring to the Turkish provocations of recent weeks, said that “steps have been taken to deal with the unrest caused by Turkey. The Turks, with their verbal pressure and exhortations, are not going to leave. They weigh everything and do what is in their interests.”

The situation with Russia has complicated the situation.

“If Sullivan gives them the opportunity that it is in their interest to stop the escalation, they may stop. Sullivan is going to Istanbul and Cavusoglu is going to Libya today? This is a story that will create problems if what we hear in the press that Libya is ready to cede its EEZ to Turkey is true,” Apostolakis added.

Almost certainly, he expressed his assessment, Turkey does not want to use military force and take military action, and is trying in every possible way to get what it wants. “One of them is the F16 issue and America’s demands, the other is energy, which is very important and claims to be part of the solution for Europe. The situation with Russia has become more complicated, NATO’s status has become even stronger, and any confrontation within the alliance is what is now nobody wants it,” Apostolakis said, laying out the gist of the situation.

What Apostolakis said about the readiness of the Greek armed forces

Speaking about the state of the Greek armed forces, the former defense minister described it as good, but not great because there are problems, he said.

“The staff is excellent. The strength of the armed forces and the response capabilities are quite serious. In a military confrontation, it is impossible to determine who will win a clear victory, the question is how much damage will both suffer from such a conflict,” he added. As for the Belharra frigates, he said that they are excellent ships, that they will be in service for the next 30 years, with excellent capabilities that will greatly increase the potential of the Navy. According to him, this is a good choice, noting, however, that “the weapon system does not completely change the situation, it gives points and strengthens the already existing balance.”

If a war starts…

At the same time, Apostolakis does not share scenarios according to which the potential conflict will last no more than 3-4 days, arguing that if a military confrontation begins, it is not easy to control how far it will go, and the conflict could spread to the entire territory. It’s like a fire that you try to control and can’t. In addition, according to him, Turkey cannot implement a naval blockade of the islands, as this is an act of war.

Source link