بایگانی‌های Greece - Strategic Council on Foreign Relations

Afghanistan Crisis and European Positions

Strategic Council Online – Note: The NATO-led invasion of Afghanistan, which began after 9/11 incident under the pretext of “war on terrorism”, two decades after the mission, the Taliban’s rapid advance has prompted various countries, including NATO members, to rush to withdraw their diplomatic delegations, staff and citizens from the territory of that country. Western troops stationed in Afghanistan have trained the Afghan army for years, but the training has not been enough, and the reason why the Afghan army has failed to defend the capital against the Taliban remains unclear. The head of the Council of Europe does not see the situation in Afghanistan as a successful narrative for the international community and is considering how the EU can use its influence in international relations to defend its interests.
Mahmoud Fazeli – analyst of international affairs

The Root Causes of the Disputes between Greece and Turkey, Prospects for Resolving

Strategic Council Online: Issues such as territorial waters, flight information areas, disputed maritime zones, arming islands, and violation of rights of Turk minority in Thrace (Muslim inhabitant regions of Greece) have been among cases to cause tension between Ankara and Athens within the recent decades. All evidences stipulate that there is no conceivable perspective to de-escalate tensions between the two countries in near future. Despite counselling and agreements already made, yet there is not adequate stability to preserve them. Thus, they can be subject to questions.
Mahmoud Fazeli, International Analyst

Turkey’s Foreign Policy and Upcoming Challenges

Strategic Council Online – Evidence shows that developments in Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt, Cyprus and Greece will overshadow Turkey’s foreign policy in the coming months.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Analyst of international affairs

Agreements, Consequences of Erdogan’s Meeting with Joe Biden

Strategic Council Online – Evidence shows that under the current situation, no NATO member state, such as Turkey, has a fundamental challenge with the United States as the most important member of the organization. In Brussels, Biden called the defense of Europe, Canada and Turkey a “sacred duty” of the United States under Article 5 of the NATO Charter. Despite all the differences, it seems that Washington, as a NATO member, does not want to lose Ankara under any circumstances.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Analyst of international affairs

Dimensions of German Genocide in Namibia, Acceptance of Responsibility

Strategic Council Online – Nearly one hundred years after the mass killing of the Herero and Nama tribes by German troops during the Namibian occupation, German Foreign Minister Haiku Moss officially acknowledged the atrocities committed by the German military in Namibia and the “genocide” in that country. According to the minister, Germany’s goal is to erase the memory of the massacres from the minds of the survivors of the victims. ‘We are pleased to be able to reach an agreement with Namibia on dealing with the darkest part of our common history. Recognizing this negligence and our request for compensation is an important step in repairing the remnants of this crime’.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International affairs analyst

New Approach in Turkish Foreign Policy; Consequences & Prospects

Strategic Council Online – In recent weeks, the Turkish government, in the shadow of media silence, has been shaping certain frameworks in its foreign relations with some countries and players in the region, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Zionist regime which could be analyzed and evaluated with such indicators as “pragmatic rotation”, “balancing” or “foreign policy reform”; until recently, Ankara had more or less escalated tensions with those countries and players, and even went as far as political and security conflicts.
Hamid Khoshayand – international affairs analyst

Turkey’s Reasons for Restoration of Diplomatic Ties with Egypt

Strategic Council Online – Coinciding with May this year, Turkey began to make positive steps regarding the restoration of diplomatic ties with Egypt, and according to political observers, constructive meetings took place between the two sides for two days.
Dr. Qadir Golkarian – faculty member, Near East University of Cyprus

EU Carrot and Stick Policy towards Turkey

Strategic Council Online – The European Parliament has recently approved an EU report in which it strongly criticized the human rights situation in Turkey and called for a halt to Turkey’s full membership negotiations. The report and the draft resolution, prepared by Nacho Sanchez Amour, the Spanish Envoy at the European Parliament, and has a recommendatory nature, were approved by 480 votes in favor, 64 against, and 150 abstentions.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International affairs analyst

Cyprus Five-Party Talks Fail

Strategic Council Online – Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, following the failure of the informal 5+1 meeting on the Cyprus issue under the auspices of the United Nations, with representatives from both North and South Cyprus and the guarantor countries (Turkey, Greece and Britain) in Geneva, acknowledged that despite all the efforts that have been made so far, we have not yet found enough common ground between the two sides to be able to start formal talks in order to resolve the Cyprus issue. Of course, we will not give up our efforts in this regard, and for the time being, the results of the negotiations and efforts regarding Cyprus are fruitless. We are determined to make every effort to continue negotiations and dialogue to achieve positive results in resolving the Cyprus issue. We hope that formal negotiations for a settlement of the Cyprus conflict will begin in the next two months.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Analyst of international affairs

Strategic targets behind Saudi military agreements with Greece

Strategic Council Online – Note: Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in his visit to Saudi Arabia signed two agreements on military cooperation between the two countries. According to the signed document, Greece is supposed to deliver one of the Patriot missiles received from the United States to Saudi Arabia, a move that could be the result of Saudi Arabia’s failure against Yemeni missiles and drones. The US-made Patriot anti-aircraft systems will be used to protect Saudi Arabia’s most important oil facilities, and the Greek systems will be used to protect other important military bases in that country. In recent months, Saudi Arabia has been under the burden of missile and drone strikes by the Yemeni armed forces and has never been able to thwart those attacks with its own defense systems.
Mahmoud Fazeli – analyst of international affairs

Strategic Importance of Libyan Developments for Turkey and Greece

Strategic Council Online – The Eastern Mediterranean, border issues as well as the maritime agreement between Turkey and Libya are among the axes that have caused tensions between Greece and Turkey over the past two years. One of the contentious issues between the two neighbors is the internal developments in Libya. The visits of the leaders of both Libyan factions to Turkey and Greece have been met with fringe and controversy, and the crisis in Libya has practically added to the scope of the traditional rivalry between Athens and Ankara. Libya is in a geopolitically sensitive position, and its developments directly affect the security of Africa, the Middle East and Europe. If the Libyan crisis is resolved, the country can increase its oil production in 2 to 3 years and start oil trade with southern Europe.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Analyst of international affairs

Turkey’s strategy towards Egypt

Strategic Council Online—Editorial: Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced in a news conference that Ankara has sent a positive message to the Egyptian government in Cairo. After eight years of turbulent relations between the two countries, Cavusoglu said Turkey has made contacts at the intelligence and diplomatic levels with Egypt and Ankara is ready to sign an agreement with Cairo to assign marine borders through negotiation under the present circumstances. And Turkey considers as positive the activities of Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea excavations. Egypt has implicitly recognized Turkey’s marine borders and sent a positive message to Ankara in this way.

Mahmoud Fazeli—Analyst of international relations

Major Challenges of Turkey’s Foreign Policy in 2021

Strategic Council Online – Turkey has started its foreign policy in the New Year with fear and hope. Its relations with the United States, the European Union, Greece, Russia, the Zionist regime, Syria and Saudi Arabia are among Turkey’s most important challenges.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International affairs analyst

The consequences of the US sanctions on Turkey

Strategic Council Online—Editorial: Due to consciously cooperation with Russian arms company Rosoboronexport and the purchase of the S-400 missile defense systems, Turkey has gone under US sanctions of CAATSA as Washington does not tolerate interaction with Russia in military domains by other countries. The purchase of S-400 missile defense systems by Turkey has endangered the safety of the US military personnel and technology and would provide access for Russia to the armed forces and defense industries of Turkey. The main goal of US sanctions on Turkey is to prevent Russia from reaping huge financial gains and accessing and impacting the NATO defense systems. US Foreign Secretary Mike Pompeo has asked Turkey to resolve the issue of S-400 with long-term cooperation in the defense sector and adapt once again itself with the rules of NATO and the purchase of arms compatible with this military alliance treaty.
Mahmoud Fazeli, expert of international issues

Mutual Turkey-EU Feeling; Too Close, Too Far

Strategic Council Online – Europe is pursuing a kind of “tilt but don’t spill” attitude towards Turkey, based on which it is neither indifferent nor reacts harshly.
Afshin Zargar – PhD in International Relations, Faculty Member

Turkey’s Presence in Libya, Motives and Dimensions

Strategic Council Online – Turkey is trying to use the leverage of its military presence in Libya to pave the way for political negotiations on political and economic interests, particularly on the sharing of Eastern Mediterranean energy resources.
Hassan Ashrafi – Researcher on Turkey’s affairs

Prospects of Escalation of Tensions between Europe and Turkey

Strategic Council Online – An expert on Turkey’s affairs referred to some contradictory policies of Turkey and the European Union, especially on energy which has led to escalation of tensions and sanctions threats and said: The language of threats and sanctions cannot deter Turkey from its activities in the Eastern Mediterranean region; moreover, the militarization of the Mediterranean is neither in the interest of Turkey nor the European Union.

Concerns and challenges ahead of NATO

Strategic Council Online—Editorial: With Joe Biden going to the oval office in the White House next January, NATO is hoping to re-establish warm relations between the US and Europe after the end of the Trump tenure, and the presence of Biden as the President of the United States would increase hopes for the amelioration of trans-Atlantic relations. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced an extraordinary session of the NATO Summit at the beginning of 2021 with the participation of Joe Biden after he assumes power in Washington. Many in Europe are waiting for fundamental changes in NATO after the remarks of the French president who described NATO as facing brain death—something suggestive of the depth of internal differences in this military alliance. Paris is also demanding a revision in the activities and objectives of NATO as a military coalition organization.
Mahmoud Fazeli, expert of European affairs

Strategic Consequences of Tripartite Defense Summit of Greece, Cyprus, Zionist Regime

Strategic Council Online – The tripartite meeting of Defense Ministers of Greece Panagiotopoulos, of Cyprus Charalambos Petrides, and of Israel Gantz, was held in Nicosia. Enhancing the interoperability of the Greek, Cypriot and Israeli armed forces and making full use of each other’s relative resources and advantages in areas of mutual interest, such as common training programs, military exercises, military intelligence sharing, maritime security and cybersecurity, were announced to be the common goal of the three sides. The cooperation, as they say, will help better prepare their troops, help create more jobs and boost security.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Expert on Europe Affairs

Implications of Turkish Military Movements

Strategic Council Online: At present, part of Turkey’s tensions with neighbouring countries and its surrounding areas are rooted in the “geopolitical coordinates and characteristics” of that country.