Turkish commander sparks debate in Greece
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Anatolia News Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 22, 2009 00:00
ATHENS - Greek newspapers express concerns about a NATO restructuring under which Greek and Turkish commanders will take turns heading the alliance's Larissa military headquarters. Some Greeks say the appointment of a Turkish commander will make it easier for Turkish warplanes to fly in Greek airspace
The appointment of a Turkish commander to the NATO military headquarters in Larissa, Greece, as part of a restructuring process has sparked controversy in Turkey’s western neighbor.
According to the Greek press, the Turkish and Greek Chiefs of General Staff, with their respective governments’ approvals, agreed at a meeting held May 7-8 in Brussels to accept the implementation of the new arrangements under a NATO restructuring in the region.
The restructuring foresees the closing of the military base in Eskişehir, and Turkey and Greece’s continued responsibility for the Larissa headquarters and the aerial control of Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia. The administration of the Aegean base will be transferred to NATO under alternating Turkish and Greek commandership in two-year intervals.
Athens newspapers argued that the appointment of a Turkish commander to the Larissa Military Headquarters, which was merged with the Eskişehir base, would make it easier for Turkish warplanes to fly in Greek airspace.
The papers reported that the Greek General Staff had only said the restructuring was "an topic in development." The fact that a Greek commander would be the deputy of a Turkish commander in command of the Larissa headquarters, and that a Greek commander would be appointed to the airfield headquarters in İzmir, was depicted as a "success," the newspapers said.
Daily To Vima wrote that the Greek defense and foreign ministries have consistently sought to "avert" the issue and hide the decision to appoint a Turkish commander to Larissa.
In its article "A Turkish commander in Larissa!" daily Ta Nea wrote that the government’s "secret treaty" to appoint Turkish and Greek commanders to Larissa had instigated harsh responses from members of opposing parties and the military.
Maintaining control
The newspaper further reported that sources at the Greek Defense Ministry had said the implementation would start in one or two years. It added that NATO planned to implement the treaty in 2009, a timeline that had been revealed by the Turkish press.
Daily Elefterotipiya reported the Greek government had been striving to reach the agreement in question for some time in order to maintain aerial control of Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia, but that it had to accept co-control of the Aegean by a Turkish commander under the NATO framework. The newspaper said that a Turkish commander would naturally overplay the problem between Greece and NATO regarding the ejection of Turkish warplanes from the region by Greek warplanes.
In its article "Gray scene at the NATO headquarters in Larissa Ğ They even appointed a Turkish commander," daily Ethnos wrote that Athens had given in to years-old NATO pressures and had secretly allowed Turkish and Greek commanders to be appointed. Taking a different view, daily Apoyevmatini wrote that the fact that one of NATO’s four military headquarters would be located in Greece was a positive development.
Vaso Papandreu, the defense-issues expert for Greece’s leading opposition party, the Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement, or PASOK, said the "secret decision" was a step backward by the government. "The decision by the government to appoint a Turkish commander in the headquarters was a surprise and created reservations in regard to our national issues," he said.
According to the Greek press, the Turkish and Greek Chiefs of General Staff, with their respective governments’ approvals, agreed at a meeting held May 7-8 in Brussels to accept the implementation of the new arrangements under a NATO restructuring in the region.
The restructuring foresees the closing of the military base in Eskişehir, and Turkey and Greece’s continued responsibility for the Larissa headquarters and the aerial control of Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia. The administration of the Aegean base will be transferred to NATO under alternating Turkish and Greek commandership in two-year intervals.
Athens newspapers argued that the appointment of a Turkish commander to the Larissa Military Headquarters, which was merged with the Eskişehir base, would make it easier for Turkish warplanes to fly in Greek airspace.
The papers reported that the Greek General Staff had only said the restructuring was "an topic in development." The fact that a Greek commander would be the deputy of a Turkish commander in command of the Larissa headquarters, and that a Greek commander would be appointed to the airfield headquarters in İzmir, was depicted as a "success," the newspapers said.
Daily To Vima wrote that the Greek defense and foreign ministries have consistently sought to "avert" the issue and hide the decision to appoint a Turkish commander to Larissa.
In its article "A Turkish commander in Larissa!" daily Ta Nea wrote that the government’s "secret treaty" to appoint Turkish and Greek commanders to Larissa had instigated harsh responses from members of opposing parties and the military.
Maintaining control
The newspaper further reported that sources at the Greek Defense Ministry had said the implementation would start in one or two years. It added that NATO planned to implement the treaty in 2009, a timeline that had been revealed by the Turkish press.
Daily Elefterotipiya reported the Greek government had been striving to reach the agreement in question for some time in order to maintain aerial control of Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia, but that it had to accept co-control of the Aegean by a Turkish commander under the NATO framework. The newspaper said that a Turkish commander would naturally overplay the problem between Greece and NATO regarding the ejection of Turkish warplanes from the region by Greek warplanes.
In its article "Gray scene at the NATO headquarters in Larissa Ğ They even appointed a Turkish commander," daily Ethnos wrote that Athens had given in to years-old NATO pressures and had secretly allowed Turkish and Greek commanders to be appointed. Taking a different view, daily Apoyevmatini wrote that the fact that one of NATO’s four military headquarters would be located in Greece was a positive development.
Vaso Papandreu, the defense-issues expert for Greece’s leading opposition party, the Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement, or PASOK, said the "secret decision" was a step backward by the government. "The decision by the government to appoint a Turkish commander in the headquarters was a surprise and created reservations in regard to our national issues," he said.