If there is a message for Greece from the “bromance” between US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that emerged most resoundingly at the NATO summit in Ankara, it is that we are entering a period of possible upheavals that will potentially affect Greek-Turkish relations. It will require mature management by the government, a reserved and responsible stance by the opposition, and close cooperation with the Greek diaspora to avoid sliding into a dangerous scenario for our country.
We need a plan – not exaggerations. We have upgraded our armaments, relying primarily on the US and France. We are taking advantage of our participation in NATO and the EU – although, for many reasons, the support from these two organizations is not what we would like – and we are investing in regional alliances, where, obviously, the relationship with Israel stands out, with which, through a largely consistent, bipartisan approach, we have developed a mutually beneficial strategic relationship over several years.
The militarily powerful Israel is an important counterweight to Turkey in its own right. Here, delicate maneuvers will be needed so that, on the one hand, we utilize the correlation of forces and, on the other, we avoid identifying with policies and behaviors that Greece does not adopt and from which it does not benefit. At the same time, we cannot ignore the fact that the image of Israel in the US, even in decision-making centers, has been damaged.
