At a time when the Greek government is trying to keep a low profile regarding Turkish delinquency in the Aegean in order to start, through German mediation, investigative contacts, Maximos Harakopoulos stressed in Parliament that Greece’s neighbour “have pushed us to the brink of military confrontation,” Documento News reported.
After the revelation of the Oruç Reis Turkish research vessel violating Greece’s maritime space and the resignation of the Greek Vice Admiral and former National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister, Alexandros Diakopoulos, the chairman of the Public Administration Committee, Maximos Harakopoulos, argued more or less that we are one step away from a military conflict with Turkey.
“Greece is facing a crescendo of Turkish challenges,” said the Member of Parliament that belongs to the ruling New Democracy party.
He added that this situation “has pushed us to the brink of military confrontation.”
According to Harakopoulos, Ankara has chosen a revisionist policy, which is subject to the neo-Ottoman proposals. He added that instead of international law, Turkey has adopted the law of power and conquest.
This is of course beyond doubt as Turkey refuses to resolve its manufactured crisis with Greece over maritime space by utilizing international law or institutions.
Turkey is one of 15 countries in the whole world to not sign and/or ratify the United Nations Charter Law of the Sea, and it is also one of the few countries in the whole world to not recognise the authority of the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Both of these mechanisms could be used to resolve the maritime issue, but Turkey refuses to do this.
On August 12, things became tense when the Turkish Kemal Reis frigate that was escorting the Oruç Reis research ship collided with the Greek Limnos frigate which was monitoring the illegal movements of the Turkish fleet in Greeece’s continental shelf, as reported by Greek City Times.
The Limnos was watching the Oruç Reis from a safe distance. The Kemal Reis, considered one of the best ships in the Turkish Navy, estimated that the Greek warship was planning to obstruct the navigation of Oruç Reis.
The captain of the Greek frigate, Lieutenant Captain Saliaris, followed a steady course and continued the voyage to monitor the Turkish research vessel without changing direction. The Kemal Reis continued to approach the Greek warship.
When it was about 450 yards away from the Greek warship, the captain of the Turkish frigate had to according to international navigation rules give priority to the Greek frigate – but did not. The result was that the Greek frigate with its bow collided with the rear of the Turkish frigate through exceptional seamanship.
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