Mr. N. mentioned yesterday the unprecedented escalation of the crisis that Ankara is causing in Greek-Turkish relations, as well as the lack of high-level dialogue between the two countries. Dendias in his intervention in School of National Defense.

“Greece has had friction with Turkey too many times. Today there is a distinctive element, and that is duration,” said the Foreign Minister, among other things, and continued: “I remind the elders that in 1974, after the invasion of Cyprus, Konstantinos Karamanlis met with the Prime Minister of Turkey. , that fall. And Greece spoke to Turkey. The same thing happened in all periods of crisis with Turkey. Crises were limited in time and were always accompanied by a period of dialogue, more or less successful, usually less successful. However, this dialogue had the ability to calm the situation. This time it didn’t happen. We have an ongoing, escalating crisis that is approaching, if not exceeding, three years. We have no such precedent.”

Meanwhile, the Greek-Egyptian bilateral joint exercise Medusa 12, billed as “one of the most important joint exercises in the Eastern Mediterranean,” will end tomorrow in the Greater Alexandria region, ending seven days of several joint operational scenarios. Regarding the importance of the mentioned exercises, which have been held annually since 2015, it is emphasized, on the one hand, that Cyprus, the USA and for the first time with the frigate Saudi Arabia were invited and participated in them with personnel and equipment, and on the other hand, they were present as observers from France, Germany, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Congo, Morocco, Bahrain and Romania.

The Greek Armed Forces are participating, among others, with two frigates, four F-16 fighter jets, helicopters, a submarine, an underwater destruction team, marines and paratroopers. The Egyptians, including with 18 aircraft, a frigate, a submarine, two corvettes, special forces, paratroopers, Cypriots, including with a group of submarine destroyers, the Saudis and with marines, and the United States with a group of marines.

The head of GETHA, General Cohn. Floros expressed his absolute satisfaction with the successful conduct of the exercise, which “proved once again the high operational level of the participating units”, while referring to the importance of the multinational partnership, he stressed “their importance for the security and stability of part of the wider Mediterranean region, which Greece and Egypt strongly support on practice”.