Turkey is officially preparing for "possible crisis, tension, and war" as it watches Greece and Israel build one of the ...

Turkey is officially preparing for "possible crisis, tension, and war" as it watches Greece and Israel build one of the most significant military partnerships in the eastern Mediterranean, according to an official Turkish government document. Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler made that declaration in a letter dated August 10 to a member of parliament, first reported by Nordic Monitor. Güler said preparations are ongoing "in close coordination among all relevant state institutions," a phrase that signals the planning goes well beyond the Turkish military alone. The letter directly links Turkey's war preparations to Greece's deepening military ties with Israel. Greek officials have signed a roughly $750 million deal for Elbit Systems' PULS precision rocket artillery system, and last month Greece approved an Israeli multilayered air defense system worth up to $4.1 billion, which will form the core of its "Achilles Shield" program. Both acquisitions are part of Greece's $32 billion military modernization drive running through 2036, which also includes up to 40 F-35 fighter jets, new frigates, and advanced drone systems. Güler also noted in the letter that Turkey is watching Greek activity in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean closely and will "swiftly take whatever steps it deems necessary" in response to what Ankara views as violations of its rights and interests. Meanwhile, Turkey has 47 warships currently under construction as Erdogan pushes to expand Turkish naval power across the region. Erdogan himself weighed in Wednesday, warning that Turkey "bows to no one" and that those who try to halt Turkish progress "through provocations and schemes will be disappointed." Greece has pushed back firmly. Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said the era of what he called Greece's "passive diplomatic stagnation" is over, and warned that any attempt to violate Greek sovereign rights "will be met with every means at our disposal." Earlier this year, Israel and Greece formalized a defense cooperation agreement covering counter-drone systems, cyber threats, joint exercises, and underwater warfare, with officials describing it as part of a broader Greece-Cyprus-I...