“Whatever Turkey’s interests demand in the Aegean, the Black Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean, we will pursue with determination,” declared the president of Turkey in his speech.
Angelos Syrigos on Greek Television said: We will have an attempt by Turkey to implement the Blue Homeland in the foreseeable future. Turkey is creating the conditions for the military implementation & realisation of the Blue Homeland doctrine & is preparing for its enforcement in a 5-10 year time horizon.
Those in the Greek Government who are responsible for the appeasement strategy are driving Greece and the Hellenic people to Geopolitical disappearance. Turkey over-arms & breaks diplomatic isolation with the help of the Greek government. We urgently need a government of broad national cooperation.
Turkey’s aggressive implementation of The Blue Homeland was echoed in Erdogan’s recent speech.
In a speech aligned with the Blue Homeland doctrine, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed this stance. As reported by SKAI’s Istanbul correspondent, Manolis Kostidis, Erdogan addressed the Naval Academy graduation at the National Defense University, urging young Turks to be ready to make any sacrifices necessary to “elevate Turkey and defend the Blue Homeland.”
“You must not shy away from any sacrifice to elevate Turkey and protect the Blue Homeland,” Erdogan emphasised and continued:
“The vastness of one’s sea is only as great as their vision. Some may call our goals mere dreams. Some may dismiss the Blue Homeland as a fantasy. Some might accuse Turkey of embarking on risky ventures. Others may attempt to confine Turkey’s vision to 782,000 square kilometers. Perhaps there are those who question why Turkey is involved in Libya, Somalia, Qatar, Iraq, the Balkans, Asia, and Africa. As in the past, today and tomorrow, there will be those uncomfortable with Turkey’s vision and efforts. We will disregard such criticisms and continue to move forward. We will not be swayed by those who view Turkish foreign policy through the lens of Western capitals instead of from Ankara’s perspective.
We will strengthen our relations with the East while seeking ways to deepen our cooperation with the West. The fact that borders separate us from the people we lived alongside a century ago does not erase them from our hearts. We are a nation that has 78 martyr cemeteries in 34 different countries around the world.
We are a nation that honors the sons of Gaza, Aleppo, Damascus, Jerusalem, Komotini, and Baghdad in our martyr’s cemetery in Canakkale. Those who criticize our interest in neighboring countries like Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Palestine, which were under our rule for four centuries, either lack understanding or have ulterior motives. To question why Turkey is involved in Syria, Iraq, and Qatar is to misunderstand our history. To question the presence of Turkish soldiers in Kosovo, Libya, and Somalia is a failure of intellect.
Let me be clear: Turkey cannot achieve its objectives by focusing solely on the West. Turkey must simultaneously cultivate its relationships with both the East and the West to become a strong, respected, and influential nation. Any other approach would harm Turkey and remove it from the global equation. Therefore, we do not need to choose between the European Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as some suggest. Instead, we must develop our relationships with both and other organizations based on ‘kazan kazan’ (mutual benefit).
We will defend our rights in the Blue Homeland, which some dismiss as a fantasy, to the very end. We will not allow the rights of our Turkish Cypriot brothers to be violated. Whatever Turkey’s interests require in the Aegean, the Black Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean, we will pursue it resolutely, without regard for others’ opinions and without seeking their permission.
I am confident that with your participation, our military will become stronger than ever. You will play a vital role in defending the Blue Homeland.”
