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Turkey’s various pro-government media organs on Monday carried headlines claiming that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s comments about Tayfun (typhoon) missiles that have the capability to reach Athens have created alarm and panic in Greece.
Near-identical headlines and news reports of this nature on Turkey’s various pro-government media are usually interpreted as public relations efforts by the Turkish government.
“Our neighbour Greece is almost on red alert after President Erdoğan’s statements. The Tayfun has shot to the top of the country’s agenda and created panic in Athens, and the Greek media have announced it to their readers in headlines, calling it a scandal,” the Hürriyet said.
Another pro-government daily, the Sabah, also claimed panic in Greece, reprinting most of the Greek headlines.
“We have started to build our missiles now. Naturally this frightens the Greeks,” Erdoğan said during a speech in the northern province of Samsun on Sunday. “When you say ‘Tayfun’, the Greeks are scared. They say it will hit Athens. Of course it will.”
Turkey will not be a bystander if Greece continues militarising islands in the Aegean, Erdoğan said.
Relations between the neighbours have been at odds for years over various issues including maritime borders and Cyprus. Tensions between the two countries have ramped up in recent months as Ankara accuses Athens of illegally building up military presence on islands in the Aegean.
Turkey’s foreign minister last week also warned Greece that Turkey will take the necessary steps if Athens does not stop militarising the Greek islands.
Turkey tested its short-range ballistic missile Tayfun for the first time in October over the Black Sea. The test showed that the missile could reach 560 km, a range more than double that of the current missiles in Turkey’s arsenal.
Following footage of the test that was leaked to the media, Erdoğan commented on Greece’s reaction to Tayfun missiles for the first time on 30 October.
“Tayfun shot onto the agenda of Greece and the Greeks. And where are you still? There’s more to come after this,” he said.
