India’s entry into the EastMed Power bloc of Israel, Greece and Cyprus is a blow to Turkey. India is poised to become part of an Eastern Mediterranean power bloc of Greece, Israel and Cyprus in a 3+1 arrangement. The leaders of Greece, Israel and Cyprus in a joint press conference, after the 9th Tripartite Summit in Nicosia, announced that they will invite India to participate in the 3+1 format.
These Eastern Mediterranean countries are keen to invite India so that they can enhance energy and economic cooperation as well as work together on strategic interests and counter-terrorism.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed strong interest in the creation of a natural gas export partnership with India. He said India will be invited to the bloc at the tripartite summit, which will be held next year. Gas exploration and transportation was also an important part of the agenda in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with the Greek prime minister during his first visit to Greece last month.
The strategic importance and natural gas of the SE Mediterranean
Strategically critical, rich in natural gas and fraught with maritime territorial disputes, the Eastern Mediterranean is turning into a hotbed of geopolitical rivalry, and India is invading it.
The news that India is poised to become part of a strategic bloc in the Eastern Mediterranean, challenging Turkey right on its doorstep is sure to upset Ankara.
The Eastern Mediterranean has yielded significant gas discoveries over the past 15 years, especially off the coast of Israel and Egypt.
The Tamar field off the Israeli coast was the first of a series of major gas discoveries in the region. More gas exploration is underway in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus. But here’s where things get tricky.
The Turkey-Pakistan alliance and Turkey’s hostile stance against India
Now, India is invading Turkey’s “backyard” and this is in response to Ankara’s hostile attitude towards New Delhi. In recent years, Turkey has established a strategic and cooperative relationship with Pakistan, adopting the rogue nation model of using terrorism as a strategic tool.
Turkey strongly supports Pakistan’s claim to Indian Jammu and Kashmir and has tried to tarnish India’s image in global forums, including the United Nations. Turkey is also reportedly working with Pakistan in a radicalization scheme targeting Indian Muslims.
Turkish non-governmental organizations (NGOs) reportedly provide financial support, ostensibly through charitable Zakat donations during Ramadan, to entities involved in anti-India activities in the Jammu and Kashmir region.
Turkey has been blacklisted by the FATF due to reports of terrorist financing in the hands of the Erdogan government.
Not only is it accused of using ISIS terrorists for its “regional” pursuits, but it emerged in 2022 that a “social organization”, the Turkey Youth Foundation (TUGVA), run by President Erdogan’s family, was recruiting and training young people for “secret” missions to India, Russia and China.
India’s early and proactive actions may be aimed at eliminating Turkey’s aggressive diplomatic posture at the G20 Summit.
Turkey’s maritime requirements
The Eastern Mediterranean is rife with maritime disputes, with Turkey claiming maritime areas beyond those provided for under International Law, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
UNCLOS is a treaty signed by more than 167 countries that defines the rights and responsibilities of nations beyond their shores. Turkey has not signed it.
Turkey rejects UNCLOS and seeks control over several Greek islands and the territorial waters around them in the Aegean Sea.
Turkey’s claims extend further into the Eastern Mediterranean in a dispute with Cyprus. Turkey’s EEZ claims clash with Cyprus. Moreover, the claims of the Turkish-backed TRNC conflict with those of Nicosia. The TRNC is recognized only by Turkey and is considered by most of the world to be part of Cyprus.
Greece, Israel and India have warm ties with Cyprus and support it against Turkey’s aggressive tactics.
United against Turkish aggression
As the stakes rise, opposition to Turkey has become increasingly strong, which is why these Eastern Mediterranean nations are seeking to ally with a major power like India, with whom they share the same values, to strengthen their position. in the area.
Due to the Russia-Ukraine war, Europe has seen an urgent demand for alternative sources of natural gas outside of Russia.
This opened up a big opportunity for East-med players to export natural gas to Europe, with Greece playing the role of the “Gateway”. Natural gas can flow two ways to Europe and India through pipelines.
The economic axis of India-Arabian Peninsula-Israel-Greece-EU
Furthermore, with Israel’s warm ties with the UAE following the Abraham Accords and another similar Agreement with Saudi Arabia on the cards, a route from Greece to India opens up through Israel and the Arabian Peninsula providing a safe and stable commercial street.
This is the beginning of a great geopolitical idea taking shape. It will not only open up game-changing economic opportunities, but also cement a strategic partnership similar to Quad and I2U2.
It also strengthens the tripartite cooperation between Greece-Cyprus-Israel vis-à-vis Turkey in the region.
Turkey’s hostility towards India has already pushed New Delhi closer to Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Armenia. So, not only is there economic potential in such a grouping, but also strategic like-mindedness, which can go a long way in fighting terrorism, extremism and promoting peace in the region.
Another element of this is that nations do not want to miss out on India’s historic growth, knowing the huge size of the market and the growth projections of its economy.
India’s moves send a clear message to Turkey
Ahead of the G20 summit in New Delhi, which will be attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has received repeated blows from India in a concerted effort to send Ankara a clear message.
Prime Minister Modi visited Greece for the first time and became the first Indian Prime Minister to land in Athens in four decades.
A week before the visit, the Chief of Defense Staff of the Indian Armed Forces General Anil Chauhan had a telephone conversation with the Chief of the Armed Forces of Cyprus.
In the same month of August, India’s NSA Ajit Doval met with Armenia’s NSA sending another message to Turkey.
Armenia is locked in a deadly conflict with Turkey’s ally Azerbaijan, and India has even sent the Pinaka missile launcher to the former Soviet nation to bolster its firepower.”
Areas of Military Cooperation between India and Greece
From the above it can be inferred that India-Greece partnership could be a win-win situation for both countries in many areas such as energy, economy, trade, geopolitics and of course security-military cooperation, especially for Greece, which will have a new powerful ally like India, to counter the Turkey-Pakistan alliance, in the Aegean and SE Mediterranean.
In particular in the field of military cooperation between the two countries, Greece as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), can give a great tactical assistance to the Indian Air Force as the Greek Air Force flies not only with the Rafale that India has bought from France, but also the F-16 C/D, which the Pakistan Air Force has.
The Hellenic Air Force has acquired both aircraft and will have a clear idea of the operational aspects of a Rafale vs F16 C/D match
Greece and India can cooperate on drone defense technologies to counter the drone threat from Turkey and Pakistan.
Initially, Greece could share data on the flight characteristics and radar signature of Turkish-made drones with India, as the Greek military must have gathered important information about Turkish drones regularly flying near Greek islands.
Given that drones are small in size and difficult to detect on radar, such information could prove valuable to India in the event of a possible conflict with Pakistan in which Turkish-made drones could be used.
In addition, the militaries of both countries could start joint military exercises, which could include mock combat scenarios between Indian Rafales and Greek F-16s or exercises simulating drone threats and using solutions to counter them.
India uses the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, acquired from Turkey.
The military exercises with India could allow the Greek air force to test its F-16s against India’s S-400s, but also to gain ready knowledge for its own Rafales on how to deal with the S-400s, since the India owns both weapons systems
Finally, Greece will also be able to buy the Indian BrahMos cruise missile that could be integrated with the Rafale aircraft.
