The Turkish media continue the provocative propaganda about the Greek islands, which they claim are Turkish.

The State Department is putting a brake on the Turkish effort to challenge the sovereignty of the Greek islands.

The immediate and strict reaction of Athens to the Turkish provocations with the barrage of overflights over the Aegean islands had a double target.

On the one hand it is a message to Turkey that these practices will not be tolerated and on the other a signal to the partners in the EU and especially in NATO that Ankara will not be allowed to redeem its upgraded role in the alliance, due to the war in Ukraine, at the expense of Greece

Mitsotakis's phone call to Stoltenberg - "Unacceptable behavior by a NATO ally"
Hence Kyriakos Mitsotakis's phone call to Jens Stoltenberg in which he made it clear that "this behavior by a NATO ally in NATO's East Wing is simply unacceptable and undermines European security as well as the unity and purpose of the Alliance." Government officials estimate that Turkey, through its mediating role in the Russia-Ukraine war, is trying to upgrade its role within NATO and re-engage European countries and the United States. To take advantage of the current situation and to present to partners the important role it can play in the region and in similar crises, while exerting pressure to achieve some of its revisionist objectives. Athens immediately anticipated the danger and raised its tone, reminding at the same time that Turkey has not complied with any of the sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU. and from all other NATO members.

Turkey throws the positive momentum ut the window
With this behavior, Turkey throws attempt to lower tones between the two countries out the window and the positive momentum that had been created after the Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting in Istanbul. During the day before yesterday, in an unprecedented crescendo of provocation, Turkish fighters made 41 overflights over 21 Greek islands, including Samos, Kalymnos, Kos, Rhodes, Karpathos, Leros, Megisti, and Imia. The Greek side will not allow this to continue, as competent sources say, Turkey to bargain its role in the Western Alliance to the detriment of Greece's national interests. The two protests of the Foreign Ministry are a warning that a new aggression from Ankara will not be tolerated and as Nikos Dendias stated "it is a blatant violation of International Law and with the unilateral responsibility of Turkey, these actions create a climate of special tension".

"We will not fall into the trap of the other side"
At the same time, however, government sources stress that Athens will not lose its temper by falling into a possible trap laid by Turkey. It will highlight the delinquent behavior in all international fora, but without giving the right to Ankara to press any reaction of Greece to further escalate the situation. Mr Mitsotakis's associates also see an attempt by the Turkish president to export tensions to address internal problems, especially as he enters an election year.

As it is clear, in these circumstances, the climate is not suitable for the meetings on the Confidence Building Measures to take place with the Greek side freezing the process.