The generals don't see any crisis
Giorgos TSAKIRI
Uneasy and puzzled monitor what is done or not done, but allowed to leak to the media that were in the Aegean recently officials and officers of the Ministry of National Defense.
For one month, has created a climate of crisis in the Aegean, crisis can become a new Imia minute by minute, with the Greek Armed Forces in increased alertness and other side generals determined to «conquer» Agathonisi in the context of , for decades, but their claims to the region.
Crisis «giok» for the military. «It may be something else that still have not identified, but there is no crisis» Our sources say the Ministry of Defense and justifying: «military crisis means diversifying data yesterday, the day before yesterday, a week ago, but last year and before. It misled military movements, movements of forces, support units, except the usual regular exercises and especially the top tier and, finally, data obtained at least not today ».
At any time
According to the same sources, the data are analyzed and in no way lead to an imminent crisis, as always accept that nothing will change, and given that a military crisis or communicated in words and acts clearly not prepared to give the adversary the opportunity to prepare. Crisis in the Aegean officers can happen at any time. There are, however, neither the precursor of yperptiseis or violations in the air and sea. This course, as they said, does not mean that the violations, breaches and violations yperptiseis territorial waters should be left without response, but this is totally different from what military means crisis or tension.
Commenting on the climate created in recent times, the generals insisted that crisis is only verbal and especially in the losses to the Greek media, including those in Turkey this time have not dealt with either a line at what is happening in the Aegean. The uniformed acknowledging that the information is not a fiction of journalists, but left some information to leak, argued that:
Offenses, and violations were yperptiseis in 1974 after almost daily. The numerical difference infringements Turkish fighter in the Greek FIR last year and before that was only 180 and only one (1) violations of Greek airspace. In 2007 we had 868 violations against 688 in 2008 and recorded 1,289 violations of Greek airspace in 2007 versus 1,288 in 2008. Also in December of 2008 were 6 fewer violations than the previous year. Thus the volatile activity of the Turkish Air Force does not show great diversity. Particularly for yperptiseis: according to the same figures in 2007 were recorded over 48 yperptiseis Greek islands, while in 2008 almost half, just 25. Reduction in 2008 and had reinforced the Turkish aircraft were involved in breaches and violations. According to the data, 2007 were 464 armed formations to enter the Greek area of responsibility, and in 2008 fell to 339 formations.
What makes the so-called quality differentiation, the expression used by the National Defense Minister Vangelis Meimarakis statements during the day before yesterday at the Greek-Turkish, is that the Turkish fighters, according to the data, have hardened their regular, which means that the interceptions from the Greek leave but prefer not to engage in a virtual dog. In 2007 during the 207 interceptions were made jams, and the following year was 240. The second difference is the number of aircraft made by violations and abuses. In 2007 the Turkish aviation placed in the Aegean in the Greek airspace 2,780 fighters, and last year the number increased to 3,041 aircraft. Finally, there is diversification in practice in recent days regarding the yperptiseis more than Agathonisi and Farmakonisi. The Turkish aviation perform movements bombing on the island by bombing aircraft accompanied by support aircraft, as they would if they were real.
About maritime activity in Turkey in the Aegean, Navy sources said that there is tension. The exercises are scheduled in Turkey without something different that would reflect. Serious violations of rules are not by Turkish warships and in no case so far we have registered challenges by Turkey. Even the presence of the Turkish frigate Sounion not be described as escalating tension, but not be passed unnoticed. It is a challenging sailing a war and thus should be considered and evaluated along with all other data.
The difference
What makes the difference, according to officials of the Ministry of Defense, and is a serious distinction from last year and before that is the fact that the latest search and rescue was in the area between Agathonisi and Farmakonisiou was Turkish intervention radar operator reported to the International frequency that they are Turkish airspace and the Greek helicopter should be removed otherwise it will halt.
In response to question why impressions created tension in the Aegean from the information allowed to leak, the officials refrained from replying. Some have said only that «should synaxiologithei and the time when the crisis was the first pages of newspapers and that in Turkey there were no reports of internal events and the two countries that formally end the crisis diapsefstike several days after the alleged launch ».
However officers are concerned about what is happening in the Aegean. Not about whether there is a crisis, but what will be the day of the claims. *
ELEFTHEROTYPIA - 16/01/2009
