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After the Turkish reaction to the announced marine parks, Greece once again seems surprised by the introduction of the "Blue Homeland" and the "Blue Sky" in Turkey's educational program. At the same time, the Tatar of the pseudo-state points out that the Greeks are not going to take Cyprus, as they once did Crete, and that the occupying troops will remain there forever. These actions are added to the already raging Turkish claims and provocations, while they are accompanied by the continuous armament cosmogony of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF), which is provided by 80% by their powerful domestic military industry. Similar revisionist views in Albanian educational textbooks as well as a series of Skopje violations of the nationally detrimental Prespa agreement, remain without any substantial national reaction.

The new generation of Turkey will now learn that it has inalienable sovereign rights in half of the Aegean and half of the SE Mediterranean, which are “usurped by Greece, since the islands are not entitled to a continental shelf and an EEZ”. It will be reinforced that Cyprus and dozens of islands in the Aegean are Turkish and are illegally occupied by Greece, a large number of other islands constitute “gray zones”, while Greek sovereignty over the armed main islands of the E. Aegean is being negated. Having instilled in the new generation the feeling of “Greek injustice and deceit”, Turkey will soon ask its young people to sacrifice themselves for “liberation” and the realization of their national vision. The will of Turkey's youth will be further strengthened by the religious dogmatic certainty that by dying for the homeland they become "martyrs" and gain the Islamic paradise.

The History that young Greeks are taught is "rounded", selected, distorted but "politically correct"... Regardless of the corresponding practice of neighboring states, the teaching of Greek History should not "excessively" strengthen the national spirit (some call it nationalism). To this end, "dangerous" material of the national collective memory is removed or downgraded, which would impart through knowledge to young people militancy, a spirit of sacrifice and patriotism instead of international pacifism and confusion with pseudo-dilemmas such as "butter or cannons".

When the numerous Turkish youth will implement their expansive vision with faith, determination and audacity, they will find facing them a generation that will not have been sufficiently taught about Turkish historical barbarity, the magnitude of the Turkish threat, the glorious Greek past, the martyred Cyprus and the constant obligation of the Greeks to defend their homeland to the last drop of their blood. The Greek youth will, however, have extensive cognitive competence on issues of ecology, globalization, pacifism and aversion to weapons, occupations and individual rights, while many parents will activate every means to flee their children abroad "until the evil passes" starting with the political tyrants whose offspring rarely actually serve the Armed Forces.

Turkey does not simply claim but acts with cross-party solidarity. Possessing a national strategy, it uses every available means (political, diplomatic, military, economic, cultural, religious) in order to shape the environment in accordance with its revisionist national interests. Armed with demographic reality, strategic autonomy and the alternating exploitation of Ottomanism, Islamism and Turkism, it builds tomorrow's landscape in the Aegean, the SE Mediterranean and Cyprus so that the implementation of the "borders of the heart" becomes feasible and de facto internationally acceptable.

The famous “Athens Declaration” may be torn apart daily, but we are thrilled that there are no overflights and violations in the “sea of ​​islands”. In this climate, the “dialogue” continues unhindered, the Confidence Building Measures (here they laugh) are holding up well and the summit meeting on May 13 will take place unconditionally. Let us think about the course of the dialogue if the Greek side took similar actions. Has it really become politically understood that the recent Turkish statements and actions make a mockery of the Athens Declaration and the “good climate”? If so, are there thoughts of denouncing it and withdrawing from the dialogue – a parody or at least setting conditions for dialogue? Unfortunately, it seems that a satellite state practice is being followed, encouraged by the US, which is only interested in stability in the region?

The Turkish side systematically and bloodlessly implements its objectives, having become convinced that the appeasing Greek political system does not believe in and does not invest sufficiently in military deterrence, nor does it have the will to go to extremes, while the Greeks are complacent “couch citizens”. This assessment is reinforced daily by the statements of opposition parties about an “unnecessary arms race”, the government’s “belly” in the armaments program, the non-inclusion of the Cyprus problem in the Greek-Turkish context, the abundance of political and academic statements about “co-exploitation”, “Turkish vital interests in the Aegean”, “mutual concessions”, “six-mile red line”, social inaction on national issues, etc.

Greece rightly seeks to broaden and deepen its alliances, but it must be realistically aware that within them the “specific weight” of each member state is taken into account. Within an alliance there is “convergence” and rarely “identification” of interests. The converging and overlapping areas of interest within an alliance must be highlighted and exploited, but National Interests remain the starting point and the ultimate goal. Otherwise, the reputation of the “given ally” is consolidated, which is identified with the interests of the “strong protector” and not with the National Interests.

Unfortunately, Greek public opinion reacts emotionally even as long as a news item is broadcast by the media. It would be an element of political maturity for Greek citizens to consistently react and pressure political leadership (e.g. demonstrations, appeals, relevant articles, local resolutions, voting criteria, etc.) on the following extremely urgent issues:

• Revision of the educational curriculum in History and emphasis on the Greek language. The aim is to nurture conscious Greek citizens, through values, standards and a national vision.
• Promoting the defense industry as a key development pillar.
• Very strong and deterrent military forces in Greece and Cyprus (joint radical changes in means, material, service, reserve, administration, training, mentality). Support from the diaspora.
• Full utilization of alliances based on "give and take".
• Priority on the Cyprus issue (as a matter of invasion and occupation) and defense of Cypriot Greekism. Demand for active EU participation.
• Supporting and maintaining systematic ties with the Greek diaspora.
• Holistic approach to the combination of demographic and immigration issues (obviously not by replacing the Greek population with non-assimilable residents of Africa and Asia).
• Legislative and administrative arrangements for economic development, research, innovation, maritime strategy and the delivery of justice.
• Timetable for the full exercise of sovereignty and sovereign rights.

Our fellow citizens should be more sensitive to the rescue than to the destruction of the Greek-born Western value system and should abhor authoritarianism (religious or ideological) and terrorism by definition. They should not support states or even imported immigrants that do not respect basic freedoms, human rights, gender equality and the secular state in general. The only guarantor of peace is national deterrence and material and mental preparation for military conflict. Finally, those in power should initiate younger Greeks into their national imperatives and collective obligations for the sake of future Greeks, setting an example for them. Perhaps the last admonition may seem naive, but every national change of course begins with a collective social dream and is democratically imposed, if necessary, on the respective managerial and not visionary political leadership, because "In an excellent omen, one defends one's homeland."

03 May 2024

Vice Admiral (retd) V. Martzoukos PN

Honorary Commander of the Hellenic Navy

Vice President of EL.I.S.M.E.