Greek experts: Probability of war with Turkey is increasing

Speaking to the Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera, Greek experts argued that it was possible that there would be military tension on the Ankara-Athens line by the summer, which will ignite a major conflict. Retired general Alexandros Diakopoulos, a former security adviser to Greek Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitsotakis, said: “I didn’t think about the possibility of a war until 2019, but now my mind has changed.”

Concerns that the rapidly rising tension between Greece and Turkey may lead to conflict are also on the agenda in the international press.

The Qatar-based publication Al Jazeera made interview with experts and officials from both countries and forwarded the question “Will the Turkey-Greece tension turn into an armed conflict?”

Greek experts pointed out elections would be held in both countries in June, noting that it was possible that there would be military tension to ignite a major conflict until that period.

Retired Greek general Aleksandros Diakopoulos, a former security adviser to Greek Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitsotakis, said: “I didn’t think there was a possibility of a war until 2019, but now my mind has changed.” Arguing that the recent statements coming from Turkey strengthened the possibility of a hot conflict, Diakopoulos said, “When we look at Turkey’s strategy between 2019-2021, they expected us to use force first. Now they understand that this will not happen, and they are trying to legitimize Turkey’s use of force first by portraying Greece as an occupying power on the eastern Aegean islands.”