Question: Turkey appears to be undeterred, despite the denunciation of its actions by the EU and it has already deployed a second rig at the Eastern Mediterranean, which is headed east of Karpasia. If they maintain and extend that stance to an actual challenge of the Greek Exclusive Economic Zone, what can the Greek reaction be? Will we reach the point of reacting with deeds?

Answer: Mr Zachariadis, first of all I would like to stress that I accepted your request to give an interview to the Cyprus News Agency with great pleasure, having the opportunity to communicate with the fraternal people of Cyprus and for that I thank you very much.

Hereupon, regarding the question you posed about dealing with the Turkish provocative stance, I would like to stress that Greece, in the context of the unwavering defence of our sovereign rights, as they arise from the international law, deals with the Turkish provocations with prudence and decisiveness. At the same time it wishes for the preservation of a channel of communication with the neighbouring country, so that we can avoid unwarranted tension. The recent meetings of the two countries’ delegation are part of this rationale and they were conducted to determine particular actions within the current context of Confidence Building Measures.

Greece, like Cyprus, was and still is a foundation of peace and a pillar of stability in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean, seeking the securing of peace in the wider region of national interest, without however being willing to back away in matters of sovereign rights’ defence.

It is my estimation, based on the recent decisions of the European Union Summit and also on the USA and the international community’s stance, that Turkey will probably not attempt to conduct research within the Greek shelf.

In any case, as it was recently noted by the Prime Minister Mr Tsipras and as it can be understood by even the last Greek, we cannot allow even the slightest possibility of challenge of the Greek shelf by Turkey. We are clearly in favour of the peaceful coexistence of the states and the resolution of any disputes, as stipulated in the UN Charter and the International Law. We remain focused on the defence of our national positions, following a consistent, structured and long-term high strategy and at the same time being one of the protagonists of security in the region of our interest. Furthermore, I believe that I am obligated to assure everyone, in the most explicit way, that the Armed Forces have the proficiency and readiness to defend our national rights and interests when and if that is required.

Question: A great crisis is currently in development within NATO ranks, due to the tensions in US-Turkish relations. How can that effect the North Atlantic Alliance?

Answer: The United States of America claim that, for many and various reasons, they will not allow the best aircraft in the world, the F-35, and the S-400 rocket system to be acquired by the same entity. If they maintain this stance to the end, I believe that Turkey will not finally acquire the F-35. However, since regarding this issue, various choices have appeared, we cannot know how things will play out. On the other hand, it is clear that Turkey is trying, in every way, to smooth things over with the USA. I do not want to make conjectures regarding the possible consequences of the US-Turkey crisis on NATO. I would only like to stress that the Alliance’s resilience through time, despite the geopolitical changes observed globally, exists thanks to the ease of adjustment to the developing conditions and the high degree of its function’s institutional standardisation.

Question: In a recent interview you said that there is no assurance by third parties for a military backing in case of a hot incident. What does that practically mean for Greece?

Answer: As I mentioned earlier, Greece was and remains a pillar of stability in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean. It is building bridges of cooperation and dialogue with the countries of the wider region, contributing at the same time to the development of good neighbourly relations, mutual trust and constructive interaction. The Armed Forces’ contribution to the said national effort is materialised through the exercise of active and multidimensional defence diplomacy.

What we have pointed out to our friends and allies is that we have to look for ways to stop Turkey from acting provocatively, because if the line is crossed, then we will have no further options, since a particularly difficult situation will have been established.

So, if our allies wish to help us so that nothing unfortunate happens, they will have to act immediately. It is exactly this help to which we are looking forward, as well as to the deterrent force arising from the powerful alliances which we have established in recent years.

Nevertheless, I have made clear from the beginning, that we must count on our own forces and I assure you that the unhindered materialisation and the exquisite results of the full spectrum of our Armed Forces operational and training activities, prove that we are capable of defending our national rights on our own.

Question: How does a possible purchase of the S-400 antimissile system or of the F-35 aircraft affect the military balance between Greek and Turkish forces?

Answer: It is obvious that the balance of power between the countries has been upset, especially due to the long period of financial crisis which Greece had to endure.

It goes without saying that it isn’t pleasant that Turkey acquires such capabilities. The issue of the S-400 is very serious. The Turkish side claims that it is a defence system, but if they are installed in the Aegean and the Mediterranean, their range covers us too. The F-35 is a 5th generation aircraft. It is an exceptional platform that in order to be countered, modern systems of timely warning and location are required along with the best anti-projectile system. Of course, we should also gradually upgrade to the new generation of aircrafts.

On the other hand, the lengthy financial crisis resulted in the halting of several new armament programmes. However, we proceeded to a more orderly management of affairs and with a rational management of funds and budgets, we achieved to preserve the operational capability of the Armed Forces at a satisfactory level. Our effort was focused on the preservation of the current systems and assets, at a functional and operational level. The said procedure was successful, thanks to the professionalism and the exceptional effort made by our personnel.

Consequently, taking all of the above into account, our Armed Forces are in exceptional shape. At the same time, with absolute respect to the state and society, we have initiated actions towards the direction of enhancement and modernisation of our Armed Forces, with the promotion of materialisation of just the required armament programmes, which further enhance the Armed Forces capabilities.