\n<\/p>\n
Some commentators go further and discuss the consequences of a possible Turkish advance at Greece\u2019s expense, including the annexation of islands such as Kastellorizo or even the city of Thessaloniki \u2014 as a military-academy professor put it on television.<\/p>\n
On a TV program, military-academies professor U\u011fur \u00d6zk\u00f6ker claimed that Turkey is under pressure in meetings with the European Union and NATO over the casus belli that the Turkish parliament has adopted.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, in all our meetings with the European Union and NATO, they put it in front of us. They tell us: \u2018Turkey adopted casus belli from Parliament,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
What casus belli means<\/strong><\/p>\n He explained the term (cause for war): \u201cIf Greece extends to 12 miles \u2014 note that this is also put wrongly \u2014 if it extends even beyond 6 miles, even by 100 meters, that is considered a Cause for War.\u201d<\/p>\n He also argued that Ankara could abolish the casus belli if Athens dropped its intention to extend territorial waters.<\/p>\n \u201cNow they tell us: \u2018Abolish it.\u2019 Fine, we say, we\u2019ll abolish it. You also abolish the 12 miles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00d6zk\u00f6ker then cited a recent statement by Mitsotakis that Greece will extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles when the right moment comes. \u201cLook, he himself said it, he admitted it. He said: \u2018We will extend territorial waters to 12 miles when the right time comes.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The \u201cGreek lake\u201d argument<\/strong><\/p>\n The same commentator explained why Turkey reacts so strongly: an extension would close the Aegean and turn it into a Greek lake. Even if Turkey sent \u201ca ship from Istanbul to Izmir, you would be obliged to enter Greek territorial waters.\u201d<\/p>\n Such a situation would be \u201cdangerous,\u201d he said, because a ship would need permission to pass through Greek waters.<\/p>\n The discussion then turned more extreme when the presenter raised the idea of Turkey moving \u201cfrom the center,\u201d in the Thessaloniki area, claiming that would change the Aegean situation completely.<\/p>\n \u00d6zk\u00f6ker\u2019s reply was especially provocative.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThessaloniki isn\u2019t even needed. Komotini is enough. Western Thrace is enough. Thasos and so on would be ours.\u201d The presenter insisted Thessaloniki also matters. \u00d6zk\u00f6ker answered: \u201cOf course, I wish. We will take Thessaloniki, with God\u2019s help, we will take it. But there is still time. It will depend on the international situation, because if we are left alone with them, we will perform our noon prayer in Thessaloniki!\u201d<\/p>\n