Greece and Turkey: Part of the problem or the solution? It’s up to us!

George Pavlopoulos (*)

As the genocidal war of Israel against the Palestinians and other peoples of the Middle East continues, the threat of escalation into a regional war is more than obvious and greater than ever before during the recent decades. Especially after Israeli troops and tanks have invaded Lebanon, in the aftermath of the assassination of the leader of Hezbollah and many other top officials – including those of PFLP and Hamas in the country.

The attacks against Gaza and West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen proves that the terrorist state, with the backing of the US and other western governments, won’t stop. At least not until it is forced to stop, something that can be achieved only through a massive and global antiwar movement.

The danger for the region and the humanity is colossal. Above all for the people, because they (we) are meant to be the «meat for their canons» in the imperialist wars of our era – something that is also obvious in Ukraine. As Gideon Rachman writes in the Financial Times, «Netanyahu may dream of bringing about a new regional order in the Middle East. But regional chaos — with the all the dangers that it brings — seems a more likely outcome».

In this context, we should be aware of the role that the governments of our countries have deliberately chosen. The Greek government is supporting Israel and its war aims, insisting that it has put itself in «the right side of history». It is providing IDF with every possible assistance, with frequent military exercises in the airspace of Greece stimulating attacks against other sovereign countries in the region. It is no coincidence that, according to some media, US flying radars (AWACS) had taken off from Greece to provide crucial information and help to the Israelis regarding the bombardment in the suburbs of Beirut that killed Hassan Nasrallah.

The fake story: Greece vs Turkey

At the same time, the government is transforming Greece into a vast military and air base of NATO and the US. The country is already a crucial hub for the transfer of weaponry and ammunition to Kiev, making it an active player also in this ongoing conflict, which has caused over one million casualties from both sides during the last 31 months.

Proving that it is the «good guy of the West», the Greek government spends billions for new, advanced and more lethal weapons, such as warplanes, frigates and much more. And that, at a time when millions of people suffer from the low wages and the high cost of living, from the unemployment and the destruction of the public health and education systems.

They don’t do it without good cause. Serving the interests of the US and the EU makes them believe that they will secure a bigger share in the energy bras-de-faire in the region and the support of the Western «big powers» in the confrontation with Turkey. As we are told for decades now, responsible for everything is the «Turkish threat», which we must confront at any cost.

Almost the same is the stance of the internationally recognized government of Cyprus. Even though the island is much smaller than Greece and Turkey, its crucial and strategical position enables it to demand a much bigger role. In exchange, of course, for hosting main installations of the British and US war machines in the area and being a fierce supporter of Israel.

Our governments share the responsibility

All this kind of arguments hide the truth from the people of both countries, creating a virtual reality and fake dilemmas. Something similar with the situation in Turkey, where Erdogan pushes constantly for causes such as the «Blue Homeland» and hypocritically presents himself as the defender of the Palestinians against the Israeli aggression – while he is the main oppressor of the Kurds and their rights, having also invaded neighbor countries as Syria and Iraq.

The simple fact is that the governments and the bourgeoisie in both sides of the Aegean share the same responsibility for the confrontation between Greece and Turkey and for the hate that is cultivated in our societies. They are part of the problem, and not of the solution, in the Middle East and in the Southeastern Mediterranean.

The fight against them, against NATO and the EU, against all kinds of oppressors, for peace-bread-health-democracy, is the best way we can contribute in the urgent struggle for the end of all wars. Together we stand, divided we fall, as the Pink Floyd have sang, decades before, in their monumental album «The Wall».

(*) Editor in the newspaper PRIN