“Agapite Tayyip”...

"I may come suddenly one night" was the symbolic song of our 'Cyprus Peace Operation'. Unfortunately, it has been turned into a symbol of our foreign policy being mocked.

Not once, not twice; we have seen time and again that the following lines were actually the ones being taken as the basis:

"If you are waiting for me, if you haven't slept, I could die at your door out of joy. Perhaps I will start life anew, the embers smoldering within me will flare up. Who knows, maybe I'll never leave, I'll become your slave, maybe you'll love me. If you tell me to stay, I will love you like mountains, I will become a sea at your feet... Or I will forget who I am, perhaps I won't even remember my name."

Erdoğan's latest Athens expedition took place exactly like this.

Just before that expedition, Greece boasted about Turkey reducing its "harassment" in the Aegean, and claimed that the additional island it occupied, "Zürafa Island, is also our territory."... Just one day earlier, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias celebrated Greece's Navy Day with the words, "The archipelago was historically the cradle of Hellenism. The Treaty of Lausanne, the Montreux Convention, the Paris Treaties, and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea have clearly and explicitly defined the waters of the Aegean."; what a pity?!

SILENCING THE TURKISH RADIO?

Let's come to the results of the visit, which was "successfully completed" in Erdoğan's words.

Erdoğan addressed Mitsotakis as "Dear Kyriakos," and Mitsotakis addressed Erdoğan as “Agapite Tayyip” (Dear Tayyip) and "Agapite mou proedre" (Dear President)... A “Declaration of Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness” was signed. It turns out that this declaration—which does not contain a single substantial clause against Greek expansionism—also has no "legal binding force." Thank goodness, a writer from the government itself reported it; "Athens, which has made it a habit to use the EU or the USA as a joker in its relations with Turkey, was not at all willing for the signed joint text to 'carry legal binding force'."!..

Of course, we did not return empty-handed. As seen from the celebrations in the media for days, Greece has introduced visa facilitation for Turkish citizens for ten islands. The EU Commission also approved this great favor in a snap.

Whatever kind of victory this is; one of the government's writers couldn't contain himself, going so far as to demand that the Turkish radio, which is the voice of our Naval Forces in the Aegean, remove the "provocative" announcements it makes against Greek harassment, and called on Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu to make this "gesture"!..

The non-announcement of Greek jets' violations in the Aegean and their harassment of our planes also started like this in July 2013. Until that date, the General Staff, which shared these day by day, withdrew, and the subject was referred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As far as we know, the Greek General Staff continues to publish statistics of so-called "Turkish violations."

LOSING BY SAYING "WIN-WIN" SINCE 2002

Sir, all the main problems stemming from Greece's "Megali Idea" have been sidelined. Because, as a requirement of the "win-win" policy, we are supposedly interested in the "full side of the glass" and a "positive agenda." We are supposedly chasing "winning friends." There is supposedly "no problem between us that cannot be solved"; it is enough for us to "focus on the big picture," and we "should not be among those who cross the sea and drown in the creek."

While we have been hearing these slogans every time after election periods pass since 2002, Greece has increased the number of our islands it occupies to 20... It continued to run wild in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean... We almost lost Cyprus with the support given to the Annan Plan in 2004, for heaven's sake!..

Speaking of Cyprus; at the press conference with Mitsotakis, Erdoğan said, "Reaching a fair, permanent, and sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue on the basis of the realities on the island will be to the benefit of the entire region."

First; does Turkey have a "Cyprus problem"?

Second; wasn't it time for the recognition of the TRNC? What kind of "solution" is being talked about anymore?

We learned from the Greek media; in the closed-door meeting, Erdoğan gifted Mitsotakis a book about the history of Gaza. Our media reported this with the headline, “Well done, Reis. A meaningful gift to Miço.”

I wish—in addition to the Gaza book—he had also gifted a book on the history of Cyprus, for example, the book titled “Let Cyprus Not Become Crete” by the late Rauf Denktaş, the great leader of the Turkish Cypriots!..

HAS THE “QANDIL” IN GREECE BEEN CLOSED?

Another note from the joint press conference with Mitsotakis. Erdoğan said the following regarding Lavrion, known as "Greece's Qandil":

"We welcomed the closure of the Lavrion Camp in particular. I underlined that care must be taken to ensure that similar camps that provide shelter to terrorists do not form in Greece."

Yes, the claim that this camp would be closed came to the agenda last April. Our media was very happy again, announcing it as "The decision that created an event."

However, three days later, the truth emerged that a decision had been made to give the appearance of it being closed while moving it to a point near Athens. Even though this news from Yeni Şafak, which supports the government, has not been denied until now, let us ask:

Was that news untrue, or did Erdoğan express his satisfaction to Greece because he thought it was "closed"? If so, isn't that a very dire situation?!

THEY WOULD EVEN DO A BACKFLIP

There are many more details to write about Erdoğan's historic Athens expedition. Let us finish with this note to continue tomorrow:

When Erdoğan entered the hall to meet with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis bowed his head and gave a salute. While this salute stirred up Greece and comments of "surrender to Erdoğan" were made, our media was proud.

Gerapetritis, on the other hand, said that the salute was for the Greek President, not for Erdoğan.

We cannot know who the real recipient of the salute is; but the truth is that Greek officials—by stalling Turkey in such ways—would even do a backflip or kiss a hand if necessary for the sake of realizing their "Megali Idea" goals!..