The war of words and gestures and the flexing of muscles in relations between Greece and Turkey outgrow the usual squabble between the two neighbors, who have been balancing on the brink of conflict for more than a year, then hastily backing up - and so on until a new aggravation.
A month after the incident on August 23, when during the flight of Turkish F-16s over the Aegean Sea, fighters hit the radar of the S-300 air defense systems of the Greek Air Force stationed in Crete, which created a real threat of a military clash, Athens is increasing pressure on Ankara.
The Greek side continues its offensive game against the formidable neighbor, which has incomparably large resources and capabilities for armed confrontation.
Recently, the Turkish side recorded the deployment by Greece of its military equipment on the islands of Midilli (Lesbos) and Sisam (Samos) in the Aegean Sea, which, according to international agreements, have the status of demilitarized.
After that, last Friday, speaking at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Mitsotakis warned Turkey against trying to question the sovereignty of the Greek islands, warning that such actions would be regarded by his country as Ankara crossing a red line.
And finally, after returning from New York, the Greek prime minister tried to increase the psychological pressure on President Erdogan, making it clear that Turkey's military superiority over Greece, which undoubtedly has a much larger fist, does not at all guarantee victory for its neighbor in the event of a conflict between Athens and Ankara.
According to Mitsotakis, Greece is supported against Turkey by all of Europe, as well as NATO allies, while Turkey remains an outsider in the Western camp.
And when you are not alone, then you are not afraid of anything - friends will not leave you in trouble.
“The other side can monotonously repeat their lies and threats.
However, in this dance, she remains alone.
After all, not only Greece is against it, but the whole of Europe, as well as our NATO allies.
We remain calm and confident in our clear positions with the strength of international law, the vigilance of our armed forces, the support of our allies,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday at a government meeting.
However, after an angry philippic against Turkey, he immediately admitted that it would be better to negotiate in an amicable way.
“I know that the vast majority in our two countries do not want political conflict and enmity.
Therefore, let's act in the spirit of cooperation and friendship, mutual respect and in accordance with international law," the Greek Prime Minister unexpectedly took a conciliatory note.
Most likely, Kyriakos Mitsotakis is wishful thinking, seriously arguing that in the event of a conflict between two NATO members, the rest of its members will actually be ready to support one of the parties - Greece.
Such actions would threaten the collapse of the alliance.
Moreover, at the moment when, at the Madrid summit this year, NATO adopted a new strategy in which the southern flank was named one of the priority regions for containing Russia.
Thus, the main loser in the end may be Athens.
This was recently stated by President Erdogan, warning that in the event of an escalation, Greece would pay a "high price".
“We say: learn from history.
Do not embark on new adventures, no matter what someone whispers in your ear, ”Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said shortly before.
In turn, the speaker of the Turkish parliament, Mustafa Sentop, expressed the opinion that Athens is rocking the boat in relations between the two countries.
“Greece's provocations and aggressive statements of the last period have taken on the character of a threat to Turkey's national security.
Turkey stands for diplomacy and cooperation, the negotiation process.
Greece, in turn, challenges good neighborliness and open dialogue.
Ankara considers unacceptable the desire of Greece to turn the Aegean Sea into a "Greek lake," Mustafa Sentop said.
It is noteworthy that a new aggravation of relations between Greece and Turkey began back in May - then President Erdogan announced that he was refusing dialogue with Prime Minister Mitsotakis, who had recently visited Washington, trying to win over the administration of President Biden to his side.
Prior to this, the leaders of the two countries met in March in Istanbul, and then the current aggravation seemed to be nothing foreshadowing.
Indeed, Premier Mitsotakis' visit to Washington, during which he met with President Biden and addressed both houses of Congress for the first time, was a new milestone.
The escalation of the Ukrainian conflict led to a sharp intensification of US-Greek relations: on the eve of the US-Greek summit, the Greek Parliament ratified an agreement on defense cooperation with the United States, which provides for the creation of four new American military facilities in the country.
Declaring his determination to make Greece a key US ally on the southeastern flank of NATO, Kyriakos Mitsotakis already launched a diplomatic offensive against Turkey, accusing Ankara of creating problems for the entire North Atlantic Alliance and the main security threats in the Eastern Mediterranean.
It is very symbolic that it was after the visit of Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Washington and his speech in the US Congress with attacks against Ankara that the Turkish leader said that "the Greek prime minister no longer exists for him."
On the eve of the June NATO summit in Madrid, Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused NATO of undermining the unity of the alliance and warned that Greece's militarization of the islands in the Aegean could "end in disaster."
Thus, the latest statement by Prime Minister Mitsotakis that Greece is supported against Turkey by the whole of Europe, as well as NATO allies, did not come out of nowhere.
As they say, the situation is mature and was predetermined by the dynamics of the events of recent months.
Perhaps the most pro-American Greek leader of the 21st century, Prime Minister Mitsotakis, cannot but see that the United States and its European allies have accumulated a critical mass of claims against Ankara, the list of which continues to grow.
This is the unwillingness to participate in the war of anti-Russian sanctions, which Greece has joined, and Ankara's affront in connection with the plans for Finland and Sweden to join NATO, and Turkey's announced desire to join the SCO, and much more.
While Greece is positioning itself as an "excellent student of military and political training" in the ranks of the alliance, Turkey is presented to the Western allies as a kind of enfant terrible.
Apparently, Prime Minister Mitsotakis is trying to play on this, accusing Ankara of aggressive thoughts and actions.
All this is reminiscent of the well-known tongue twister “I rode the Greek across the river, sees the Greek - there is cancer in the river.
He put the Greek hand into the river, cancer for the hand of the Greek TsAP!”.
And now it remains to be seen whether, following Prime Minister Mitsotakis, they will be ready to repeat this tongue twister and be ready to break off the claws of the "Turkish cancer" NATO allies, putting the existence of the alliance on the line.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors.