{"id":20809,"date":"2026-09-03T07:12:43","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T07:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in-greece.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/03\/bad-neighbor-and-pawn-of-israel-greek-city-times\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T07:12:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T07:12:43","slug":"bad-neighbor-and-pawn-of-israel-greek-city-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in-greece.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/03\/bad-neighbor-and-pawn-of-israel-greek-city-times\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cBad Neighbor\u201d and \u201cPawn of Israel\u201d \u2013 Greek City Times"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Turkish media has launched a fresh wave of attacks against Greece<\/strong>, accusing Athens of pursuing an \u201cillegal militarisation\u201d of Aegean islands and portraying Greece as a \u201cbad neighbor\u201d and an alleged \u201cpawn of Israel\u201d following renewed threats from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.<\/p>\n

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The latest rhetoric comes after Erdogan once again demanded that Greece abandon what Ankara describes as the militarisation of islands in the Aegean, warning that Turkey would do \u201cwhatever is necessary\u201d if Athens continues along what he called the \u201cwrong path.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turkish media outlets have seized on the comments, presenting Erdogan\u2019s remarks as a stern warning to Greece.<\/p>\n

One report described Erdogan\u2019s message as a \u201cwarning to Greece, which is Israel\u2019s pawn,\u201d<\/strong> highlighting his demand that Athens \u201cchange course from the wrong path.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turkish newspaper Sabah<\/strong> went further, describing Erdogan\u2019s intervention as a \u201chistoric warning to Greece\u201d<\/strong> and accusing Athens of \u201cgathering weapons in the Aegean and provoking\u201d Turkey.<\/p>\n

CNN T\u00fcrk labels Greece a \u201cbad neighbor\u201d<\/h2>\n

The rhetoric was particularly aggressive on CNN T\u00fcrk<\/strong>, where Greece\u2019s growing defence cooperation with Israel was directly linked to the longstanding dispute over the militarisation of Aegean islands.<\/p>\n

CNN T\u00fcrk presenter Tunc Arsanalp<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n

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\u201cGreece is now one of the bad neighbors, the way it continues to behave.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He pointed specifically to Greece\u2019s defence agreements with Israel and what Turkish media describes as the \u201cillegal militarisation\u201d of the Aegean islands.<\/p>\n

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Journalist G\u00f6ksu Ongy\u00f6ren \u00d6zg\u00fcr<\/strong> also discussed Erdogan\u2019s latest comments, saying the Turkish president had once again issued a strong warning to Athens.<\/p>\n

According to the report, Erdogan maintains that Turkey respects the principles of good neighborliness but will simultaneously take measures it considers necessary to protect its interests.<\/p>\n

Erdogan: \u201cWe will do whatever is necessary\u201d<\/h2>\n

Erdogan made his latest remarks after being asked how Turkey would respond if Greece continued, in his words, to arm islands that Ankara claims should remain demilitarised.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat should we do? What is our responsibility? To do whatever is necessary,\u201d<\/strong> Erdogan said.<\/p>\n

The Turkish president reiterated Ankara\u2019s claim that Turkey has no territorial ambitions toward other countries, while insisting that it would not permit what it considers violations of its rights.<\/p>\n

He also warned against interpreting Turkey\u2019s \u201ccalm and reasonable approach\u201d as weakness.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreece must change course from this wrong path and abandon the militarisation of islands that have a demilitarised status,\u201d<\/strong> Erdogan said.<\/p>\n

He concluded with another pointed reference to history:<\/p>\n

\u201cHistory is a very good guide for those who learn from it.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

H\u00fcrriyet reports new tension over Kastellorizo<\/h2>\n

Meanwhile, Turkish newspaper H\u00fcrriyet<\/strong> has focused on another developing flashpoint between the two countries: Turkish research activity south of Kastellorizo.<\/p>\n

Under the headline \u201cAnkara\u2019s NAVTEX move created tension with the neighbor,\u201d<\/strong> the newspaper reported on Turkey\u2019s NAVTEX announcing research activities in waters south of Kastellorizo.<\/p>\n

H\u00fcrriyet linked the activity to Turkey\u2019s recently announced marine parks and claimed the issuance of the NAVTEX triggered a response in Athens.<\/p>\n

The development adds another layer of tension to already strained Greek Turkish relations, with the Aegean once again at the centre of competing claims, military accusations and increasingly aggressive political rhetoric.<\/p>\n

Greece faces renewed pressure from Ankara<\/h3>\n

The latest Turkish media campaign comes as Athens and Ankara continue to publicly promote dialogue while simultaneously exchanging increasingly sharp accusations over the Aegean.<\/p>\n

For Greece, the combination of Erdogan\u2019s warnings, Turkish NAVTEX activity and attacks over Greek Israeli defence cooperation represents another reminder that the underlying disputes between the two NATO allies remain far from resolved<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The inflammatory descriptions of Greece as a \u201cbad neighbor\u201d and \u201cpawn of Israel\u201d also highlight the increasingly confrontational tone of Turkish media coverage as Ankara steps up its warnings over Greece\u2019s defence posture in the Aegean.<\/p>\n

Source: SKAI.gr<\/strong><\/p>\n