Vassilis Nedos

Concern is growing in Athens that relations between Greece and Turkey could be entering a new period of heightened tension following remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that directly referenced Kastellorizo and revived rhetoric recalling earlier warnings of a sudden crisis.

Greece's embassy in Ankara has delivered a formal complaint to the Turkish foreign ministry over Turkey's public statements on new Greek regulatory frameworks that include the Aegean Sea, and over the Turkish presidential decisions of August 15 declaring two marine parks.

Greece has described Turkey’s declaration of “national” marine parks as “invalid and lacking legal effect” insofar as they extend into areas outside Turkish jurisdiction and within the Greek continental shelf, according to a formal diplomatic demarche delivered to Ankara.

Athens is preparing for a range of escalation scenarios with Ankara following Turkey's decision, after the Greek-Israeli “Achilles Shield” air defense agreement, to revive claims concerning the demilitarization of Greek islands and “gray zones” in the Aegean.

Athens has linked its response to Turkey's declaration of unlawful marine parks with a reference to Greece's right to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, a point included in a diplomatic demarche delivered to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

The president and CEO of the Hellenic Center for Defense Innovation (ELKAK), Pantelis Tzortzakis, describes to Kathimerini the bureaucratic obstacles that endanger certain critical systems for the Greek Armed Forces. The most dangerous obstacle for innovative projects that have not yet been transformed into a product is the abuse of the possibility of filing objections and interim measures, which means that instead of these projects being completed before the end of the year, as planned, they may be delayed for years, depending on the workload of judicial authorities.

Israel will transfer “Israeli know-how” to Greek companies involved in the Achilles Shield air defense shield, allowing them to develop a “Greek source code” for the system, a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Ministry has said.

Greece and Egypt reaffirmed the strategic nature of their relationship during talks between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in El Alamein, followed by a trilateral meeting with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, according to statements and a joint declaration issued after the meetings.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held talks Wednesday with French President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to Paris for the International Space Summit, with discussions focusing on energy infrastructure, regional developments and bilateral cooperation.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis began a three-day visit to Kastellorizo, using ceremonies marking the 83rd anniversary of the island's liberation to underscore Greece's determination to defend even its most remote territory.