Greece and India Can Act as Bulwark Against Erdogan

Joint military exercises in the Indian Ocean and in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas would constitute a warning to Turkey and to Pakistan.

- JOYEEETA BASU

In an email conversation with The Sunday Guardian, Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, former Greek ambassador to Canada, Poland, and Armenia, and Consul General to Turkey, as well as Secretary General of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organisation (BSEC) based in Istanbul from 2006-2012, spoke on the role Turkey is playing in the Mediterranean, also how India and Greece can enhance their relations to take on Recep Tayyip Erdogan in particular.

Q: Ambassador, with your vast knowledge of Turkey as a senior Greek diplomat, what role would you say Turkey is playing in your part of the world?

A: Turkey is playing a very important role in our part of the world. This is basically due to the balanced approach that Ankara had adopted in the Ukrainian crisis, where, in spite of being a NATO member, it refused to adopt sanctions against Moscow, delivered drones to Kiev, and offered to host and hosted peace talks between Moscow and Kiev. Turkey has also developed a very strong arms industry and is exporting weapons all over the globe. Turkey is also expanding its influence in Africa and maintains military bases in Libya and Sudan. Ankara supports the Palestinian cause and has condemned the policy of genocide committed by Israel in Gaza. The West considers Turkey as a very important member of NATO and does not react to human rights violations that have always taken place in that country. There were lukewarm reactions from the West when the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested.

Another serious problem that the Turks face is the Kurdish issue.

Between 30 to 46 million Kurds inhabit Turkey. The Kurdish population has been discriminated against, and the Kurdish cities of Eastern Turkey are usually left without effective medical facilities or social welfare.